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Despite working golf and spending an absurd amount of time covering, watching, and discussing the sport, I went 10 years without a score. (I know I know.)
I played in high school and played a lot over the summer, but after moving to town, I didn’t play much. On the rare occasions I played, my lack of a handicap always came up in the conversation. As a person who often deals with golfers a lot Better than me, I was pretty committed to picking a hole when things got ugly.
But after playing more friendlies against my co-workers and getting a few invites to play with various other golf buddies, I realized I needed a handicap. For starters, it’s impossible to guess how many shots you need without one, and I’ve been making playing with friends more difficult for me (and them) than it needs to be.
I equated getting a USGA handicap with getting a passport. I thought it would be a daunting task with dozens of steps (and maybe tears!), but the USGA website makes it as simple as possible. It’s as easy as ordering something online – all you have to do is head over to it getahandicap.usga.orgenter your state, zip code, and contact information, pay the $60 annual fee and you’re good to go.
Once you’re signed up, it’s time for the fun part: play golf so you can enter your scores, and of course, check celebrity handicaps through the USGA Handicap website or app. (I also love playing with the handicap calculator, so why not).
So if I had what it takes to sign up, so would you. Here’s the summer of entering results!