Golf’s Opening Round is here.
It’s April 15. That means the final four Allied Golf Associations have opened their season for active posting. Saturday is the first time that golfers associated with any of the 58 Allied Golf Associations and United States Golf Association can post a score and have it count toward their Handicap Index for 2023.
While golfers in Arizona, Florida and Texas are able to post counting scores year round, those in northern states and colder areas aren’t able to post scores in winter and early spring. However, Saturday is Golf’s Opening Round, the USGA’s initiative to be a celebration for golfers across the country to head to their local course and tee it up.
“We really want to generate some more excitement for the start of the season,” said Terry Benjamin, the USGA’s manager of handicap education and management. “We want to help people who are new to golf be comfortable on the golf course and and encourage others to get back out there and play.”
Across the USGA’s social media, the organization has shared ways golfers can get ready for their opening round, from course care tips, to a Rules of Golf primer and debunking handicap index myths.
Benjamin said numbers have gone up nearly 20 percent since COVID started of golfers keeping an official USGA handicap. In 2020, there were nearly 2.6 million people with a official handicap. This year, that number is more than 3 million and continues to climb.
“We’ve seen increases across the board with number of golfers and number of rounds played,” Benjamin said.
He said even nine-hole rounds have increased drastically.
How to keep a handicap
It takes three 18-hole scores or six nine-hole scores for golfers to be posted to have an official handicap. Additionally, golfers don’t have to play 20 rounds a year to keep an official handicap. The USGA encourages golfers to sign up with their local Allied Golf Association to get an official handicap for numerous reasons.
If golfers keep track of their scores and get a handicap, it can help them pick which tees to play from and help with pace of play and overall enjoyment of the game.
Even the USGA is allowing its employees to play Tuesday afternoon to get a round in and post a score.
Starting Saturday, the USGA is running a social media sweepstakes until Sunday, April 23 with a chance to win two Friday tickets to the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club. Players need to have a Handicap Index (or sign up at USGA.org/getahandicap), play a round between April 15-23 and reply to the USGA’s contest-announcing post with a picture of their scorecard.
