I used to have a Handicap Index® and want to reactivate. How do I capture my old scoring history?
If you previously maintained a Handicap Index but haven’t posted a score or accessed your scoring record in a while, your Handicap Index might be inactive. The good news is that renewing your Handicap Index and picking up where you left off is easy!
If you don’t know your Handicap ID (e.g., GHIN number), you can use the USGA Handicap Lookup tool to find it. Through this link, you can also renew your Handicap Index directly on the USGA website in a matter of minutes.
Once renewed, you can retroactively post any scores made while your account was inactive, as well as post your new scores moving forward.
I’ve just posted my first score for 2025 and noticed scores from 2024 (and earlier) are still being used to calculate my Handicap Index. Do scores ever “age out”?
Your most recent 20 scores are used to calculate your Handicap Index. As long as a score is within your most recent 20, it will be included in the Handicap Index calculation, regardless of how long ago the round was played. However, if you took an extended break from the game and your previous scores no longer reflect your current ability, the Handicap Committee at your club can adjust your Handicap Index. It’s important to note that you must post a few rounds after your break before an adjustment can be considered, as not all players require an adjustment just because they went a while without posting a score.
I played an early season round when it was windy, raining, and the hole locations were tougher than normal, yet there was no adjustment for PCC. Why is that?
The playing conditions calculation (PCC) relies entirely on scoring data. If fewer than eight scores are posted before midnight on the day of play, no PCC is considered for that course. On challenging weather and course setup days like the one you described, this is often why you might not receive an adjustment, even if the conditions warranted it.
As of March 2025, about 65% of scores in the U.S. are posted on the day of play. We golfers need to continue doing our part by posting our scores before midnight on the day we play, which will lead to more robust PCC data.
In the past week, I posted scores of 91 and 89, but the 91 resulted in a lower Score Differential. How is that possible?
I think we can all agree that a score of 91 on a difficult course can be a more impressive performance than an 89 on a much easier one – and the Score Differential™ calculation is what allows that to be reflected in your scoring record.
Each time you post a score, it is converted into a Score Differential, which accounts for the difficulty of the course and tees you played (based on the Course Rating™ and Slope Rating®). The higher the Ratings, the more impressive your round becomes relative to your score.
For example, if you shoot 91 on a course with a Course Rating of 71.1 and a Slope Rating of 133, the Score Differential would be 16.9. On the other hand, if you shoot 89 on an easier course with a Course Rating of 68.5 and Slope Rating of 120, the Score Differential would be 19.3. So, the 91 was two strokes higher, but resulted in a Score Differential that was 2.4 strokes lower!