The signatures on the cards attest that the score is true and correct and that the round was played to the rules of golf.

Cards need to be signed by someone involved in Australian golf so a club pro, a club member, a golfer with an official Australian handicap.

It depends how long ago your last handicap was active.

• If you have held a handicap previously, we will make you a Home Club Member with The Golfer Social Golf Club using your previous GOLF Link number and you will retain all your previous playing history on GOLF Link.
• If your last handicap had been active recently (within 12 months), you will not need to submit scorecards.
• If you are getting a handicap for the first time or your handicap has been inactive for more than 12 months, Golfer Social Club requires that you submit three or more signed scorecards.

No. GOLF Link numbers are specific to each club.

The first five digits are the club ID number and the second five digits are the member number at that club. When you join The Golfer Social Golf Club we will send you a new GOLF Link number but you will retain all your previous playing history on GOLF Link.

Yes. The handicapping rules require that you inform a new club if you have ever held an official handicap at another club.

When you join a new club and you wish it to be your Home Club where you maintain your handicap, you are required to submit your most recent GOLF Link number.

Many people are surprised with how low their initial GA Handicap is. There are a few reasons for this:

• The system is calibrated for the handicap to sit at the low end of what a golfer is capable of - it is intended that a player only plays to or beats their handicap when they play well.
• Many golfers without an official handicap believe the handicap represents the scoring average but this is not the case. Statistically, an Australian golfer plays better than their handicap only once in every eight rounds.
• Initial handicap calculations are made from the adjusted hole scores from the best of the three submitted rounds with reference to the Scratch Rating of the course and multiplied by .93.
• The GA Handicap is referenced to the Slope Rating of a Course to generate the Daily Handicap that a golfer plays from in a competition. The formula is GA H/cap x Slope Rating / 113. Hence, on a course with a slope rating of 130, a player with a GA Handicap of 15.8 will play from a Daily Handicap of 18.

Yes, to enter a competition, all you need is your GOLF Link number.

The day we activate your handicap, we will email you your new GOLF link number. When you play in a competition, simply tell the club your GOLF Link number and they will be able to verify your handicap with that. After playing in a club competition, the club will enter your score on GOLF Link and the system will update your handicap automatically.

Each golf club has nominated competition days and you may be welcome to enter as a guest depending on the club's policy on accepting guests into their competitions. You will need to ask the golf club if their competition days are open to guests generally and to Golfer Social Club Members specifically.