Do members at your club post all their scores? How do you know? How does your Handicap Committee notify a member if they did not post their score?

All these questions are areas your Handicap Committee should review every revision cycle. The Handicap Committee may wish to compare the number of posted scores with rounds played on the busiest playing days to help identify scoring record issues. A reminder to members in your newsletter or establishing a policy may increase the percentage of members posting scores at your club. Club members should know there is a club policy, following the USGA Handicap Manual, that the Handicap Committee will then enter the score or a penalty score (Section 8-4b, USGA Handicap Manual).

8-4. Penalty Scores, Handicap Index Adjustment, and Withdrawal

a. General

A player must earn a Handicap Index. No player has an inherent right to a Handicap Index without providing full evidence of ability to the golf club's Handicap Committee. A Handicap Index must normally be changed only as warranted by the USGA Handicap System. Only the Handicap Committee where a player maintains a handicap can adjust that player's Handicap Index. There must be no automatic increases at the beginning of a playing season or year. A Handicap Index is continuous from one playing season or year to the next. (See Decision 8-4a/1 and Section 6-1.)

b. Penalty Scores

If a player fails to post an acceptable score as soon as practicable after completion of the round, the Handicap Committee should post the score and/or a penalty score and Ratings equal to the lowest Handicap Differential in the player's scoring record. However, if the score not returned is unusually high, the Handicap Committee should enter the score and/or a penalty score and Ratings equal to the highest Handicap Differential in the player's scoring record.