Thinking about getting an official Handicap Index but feel a little lost on how to actually post a score? You're in the right place. Posting your score is the first and most important step to tracking your progress and playing on a level playing field with others. This guide will walk you through exactly what you need to know, from the pre-round basics to the final click of the submit button.
Posting your scores is the only way to establish and maintain an official Handicap Index through the World Handicap System (WHS). But what does that really mean? A Handicap Index isn’t a mesure of your average score, it reflects your demonstrated potential as a golfer. It’s calculated using the best 8 of your last 20 submitted scores, giving a much truer picture of what you're capable of on a good day.
Having a handicap does two amazing things:
Before you ever log into an app or a website, you need to understand one concept: the Adjusted Gross Score (AGS). This one idea is what trips up most golfers, but it’s actually quite simple. The handicap system has a built-in limit for how high a score you can take on any single hole, and this is called Net Double Bogey.
Your Adjusted Gross Score for a hole is your score capped at a maximum of Net Double Bogey.
Too many acronyms? Let's make it simpler. Net Double Bogey is just par, plus two strokes (a double bogey), plus any handicap strokes you get on that hole. Don’t panic about the calculation - the easiest way to post is hole-by-hole, and the system does all this heavy lifting for you. More on that in a moment.
Here’s the main takeaway: you can’t post a 12 on a single hole for your handicap. The purpose of this rule is to prevent one or two disastrous “blow-up” holes from artificially inflating your handicap. It keeps your index a true reflection of your golfing potential, not your potential for a single bad hole.
If you prefer to enter a total score instead of a hole-by-hole score, you'll need to figure out your max score on each hole yourself. Here's a practical breakdown of how to find it.
The formula for your max hole score is: Par + 2 + Any Handicap Strokes Received
Let's use an example. Say you're a 24-handicap playing a par 4 hole.
Again, this might seem like a lot to track initially. That’s why we strongly recommend the hole-by-hole posting method, which we’ll cover next. It takes all the guesswork out of the process.
Once your round is complete, it's time to log your score. In the United States, most golfers use the GHIN (Golf Handicap and Information Network) system, typically accessed via the GHIN mobile app. In other countries, you'll use the app or website provided by your national golf union. The process is nearly identical on all platforms.
This is the best method for 99% of golfers, especially when you're starting out. It’s impossible to get it wrong!
If you're in a hurry and have already calculated your own Adjusted Gross Score, you can choose this method.
Golf is a messy game, and not every round goes according to plan. Here’s how to handle a few common scenarios.
You’re having a rough time on a par 5, your partners are already on the green, and you decide to pick up your ball to keep the pace of play. Great! This is excellent golf etiquette. To score this hole for handicap purposes, you record what your most likely score would have been, but no higher than your Net Double Bogey limit.
The simplest way for most golfers is to just take their Net Double Bogey on that hole. So if your max score is a 7, you write down a 7 and move on guilt-free. When posting hole-by-hole, if the system allows you to enter a 'No Score' or 'X', do that, otherwise just use your maximum score for that hole.
If you played at least 14 holes, you can still post an 18-hole score. The system will use your Score Differential at that point to "fill in" the remaining holes with a formula (essentially par + any handicap strokes you’d get). If you play between 7 and 13 holes, you can only post a 9-hole score. The system will take care of everything automatically when you post hole-by-hole.
Generally, you can't post scores from formats where you don't play your own ball on every stroke. This includes popular outing formats like:
You must post scores for any individual stroke play round you play according to the Rules of Golf.
Establishing an official Handicap Index is one of the best ways to deepen your engagement with the game of golf. It might seem intimidating, but the process of posting a score is really just about getting the right numbers into the system, and modern apps make it incredibly straightforward, especially when posting hole-by-hole.
At Caddie AI, our whole mission is to simplify the game so you can play with more confidence and have more fun. While posting a score comes after the round, having better on-course strategy can give you a better score to post in the first place. You can use Caddie AI on the course to get instant advice on club selection, smart Ftarget lines off the tee, or even how to play a tricky shot out of the rough by snapping a photo of your lie. We help you make smarter decisions that avoid those blow-up holes, so at the end of the day, the number you post is one you can be proud of.
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A golf handicap does more than just give you bragging rights (or a reason to demand strokes from your friends) - it’s the game’s great equalizer and the single best way to track your improvement. This guide breaks down what a handicap is, how the supportive math behind a handicap index a is, and exactly how you can get one for yourself. We’ll look at everything from Course Rating to Adjusted Gross Score, helping you feel confident both on the course and in the clubhouse.
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