Once every four years the USGA requires each and every club in the country to step up in terms of the World Handicap System (WHS). That is, they require each club to have one of their members demonstrate their knowledge of the inner workings of the WHS via a quiz in which a score of 80 or above must be achieved.
2024 is such a year . . . and the deadline to satisfy this requirement is the end of June.
The consequences of failing to secure a passing score could not be higher.
Pass . . . and the club can continue to issue WHS Handicap Index to their membership.
Fail . . . and the club forfeits their ability to issue WHS Handicap Index to their membership starting this July.
The genesis of this so-called Handicap Certification program harkens back to the early 2000’s. The NCGA, fed up with the same golfers/same clubs excelling in NCGA net events, initiated an educational program in which each club was required to have a representative attend a half-day seminar in person on the subject of the USGA Handicap System. Those clubs that failed to satisfy this requirement were denied entry into NCGA tournaments.
The hope was that clubs would learn how to take care of their own “problem” golfers before they appeared in an NCGA event.
As time went on, an online version of the Certification program was substituted for in-person attendance.
The success of this program, and that of the SCGA’s, did not escape the watchful eyes of the USGA. Eventually the USGA made such education AND a passing quiz score a requirement for a club to gain authorization to issue USGA handicaps . . . and, eventually, WHS handicaps.
As I write this column on the first weekend of April, only around 30% of NCGA clubs have satisfied the requirement . . . which is very concerning.
A unique “link” coded to each NCGA club has been forwarded to the individual that last completed the “USGA Assessment” on behalf of their club in 2023 or earlier. The link can only be used once/a club need only have one representative pass the quiz.
For reasons unknown, the USGA requirement is facing a lot of resistance this year . . . much more resistance than when a longer time commitment was required to secure authorization.
There are clubs trying to deny that they bear any responsibility for the issuance of handicaps . . . wrong! Who else but “the club” can ensure that their members are posting their scores and doing so accurately?
And we have even heard rumors that some clubs are not taking the quiz and the June 30 deadline seriously . . . they think the USGA is bluffing when it comes to revoking handicaps. All I can say is that such clubs are in for a nasty surprise in early July when they find their handicaps identified with letters (NH – No Handicap), rather than numbers!
Please contact the NCGA Governance Department with any questions . . . and get cracking!