{"id":1144,"date":"2017-08-25T15:14:23","date_gmt":"2017-08-25T15:14:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/budperkinsgolf.com\/?p=1144"},"modified":"2021-04-28T14:52:53","modified_gmt":"2021-04-28T14:52:53","slug":"how-to-get-a-ghin-number","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buzzingolf.com\/golf-for-beginners\/how-to-get-a-ghin-number\/","title":{"rendered":"How to get a GHIN number"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ArticleKnowing how to get a GHIN number is undoubtedly useful. First though, you need to know what a GHIN number is.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Golf is a game that is super saturated with rules, tradition, and strategies to learn. In other words, there is a lot to know before you can consider yourself an expert.<\/p>\n

With all that is out there to discover not every piece of pertinent information is immediately accumulated or digested which for the most part is ok. You definitely don\u2019t need to know everything all at once. However, there are some pieces of information that are more important than others.<\/p>\n

The GHIN number is a golf tidbit that is very important (especially to the struggling player that wants to remain competitive) but not necessarily well understood.<\/p>\n

If you want to play tournament golf at a competitive level than you are going to need one. Read on to find out how to get a GHIN number and also exactly what it is!<\/p>\n

First, what is a GHIN number?<\/h2>\n

Good question. To start, GHIN stands for golf handicap index network.<\/p>\n

Why is that important?<\/p>\n

Your GHIN number is a personalized piece of account information that gives you access to the ever-important handicap.<\/p>\n

The natural next question then is, “What is a handicap<\/a>, and why do I need one?”<\/p>\n

Like a lot of things in golf, a handicap is in many ways overly complicated but the essence of the system is relatively simple to explain. The handicap is essentially the only provision that the USGA<\/a> (golf’s governing body) extends towards the struggling beginner.<\/p>\n

Here’s how it works. To get your handicap all you have to do is log your scores through a sanctioned data base, which will then help determine the average amount of strokes you shoot over par.<\/p>\n

For example, if you typically shoot 100, you will most likely have something in the neighborhood of a 30 handicap. Determining your handicap essentially allows you to play the game to the standards of your own capabilities rather than that of the sport\u2019s best players.<\/p>\n

The average par for a course is 72 but the truth of the matter is that very few people are good enough to shoot anything even close to that number. With a handicap, you can strive to play better than your usual instead of trying to shoot par.<\/p>\n

Your handicap can also be applied to specific courses so that you will be “given” strokes on the more difficult holes. In other words, if you shoot a seven on a par five, your adjusted score could still be par.<\/p>\n

During a typical round, the distinction is arbitrary. If you are just playing by yourself it doesn’t really matter what your adjusted score on a hole is, but if you are playing against a friend with a higher skill level than you, you will definitely want to know, and that is exactly what makes the GHIN number so valuable.
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