Welcome to MyScorecard! This guide will help you get up and running with your Scorecard, and at the same time introduce you to some of the important features that come with your membership.

Use the sections to the left to navigate between major topics. Click on the arrow at the bottom of the screen to get more information on a topic.

We will also include answers to Common Questions at the bottom of each screen:

I don't see my questions answered here - where can I get help? Beyond the questions that are answered here, you can click on the Help/Faq link to the left of your Scorecard to get answers. There we have answers to all questions we typically receive, organized by relevant topic. If you dont find your answer there, click on the Contact Us link to send us an email. We'll do our best to answer it within 24 hours.

When I'm ready, how do I continue my membership? At any time during your trial, you can click the 'Sign up Now!' button to the left of your Scorecard, or click on the Account Admin link and select the Membership Info tab. There you will see easy options to continue your membership. We thank you for your patronage!

Use the ADD SCORE section, located below your Scorecard, to add a score. It's easy! First choose the date and the type of score you want to enter. Then select the course from the dropdown, look it up in our course database, or enter the name, slope, and rating manually yourself. Enter your adjusted score, and press the Add Score Button.


What are slope and rating numbers? The Slope and Rating are numbers that measure the difficulty of a golf course. Most ratings lie between 65 & 75, and slopes fall between 100 & 130 and are used in the handicap calculation. You are welcome to look up the slope and rating in our course database, or you them on the back of your physical course scorecard. Once you enter a score, your Scorecard will remember the course information and you won't have to enter it again.

Will I get a handicap after entering one score? No, you need at least 5 scores to get a handicap. With only five scores your handicap may be a bit low, but as you get closer to 20 scores it will become more accurate.

Make sure you adjust your scores for Equitable Stroke Control (ESC). ESC is the maximum score you can take on a hole for purposes of your handicap (on the course there's no limit). Also, be sure to mark if you've been in a formal tournament or if you played a 9-hole score (for 18-hole Scorecards only, so we can combine them automatically).

How can I find my ESC score limit? Will it change? How can I tell? A table of ESC by handicap can be found by clicking on the Score Limits link next to the box where you enter your score. Though it will stay the same most of the time, your ESC limit is based off your course handicap (discussed later) and so may change on really easy or difficult courses. Click on the Course Handicap link, and you will be taken to your course handicap page which will list your ESC score limits for each and every course you have played.

    A few other important notes related to adding scores:

• Statistics: You can choose from over 30 different statistics to track and display on your scorecard, including your differential, greens in regulation, putts, and front nine or back nine scores. Click on the Update Optional Statistics link or go to your Preferences page (link at the top of your scorecard) to update the statistics you wish to track.
  
  
• Notes: Enter notes in the notes text box, and they will appear as a little yellow sticky next to your score. Mouse over the sticky and your note will pop up. Try it on this note.
  
  
• Deleting Scores: Use the delete score dopdown (located below the add score section) to select a score and delete it. Note that once a score is deleted, it can't be undone.

I made a mistake - how can I edit a score? You can edit your tees, statistics and notes by clicking on the Edit Scores link underneath your scorecard. To edit your score, rating or slope, you need to delete and re-enter the score.

After entering 5 scores, your handicap will change from N/A to an actual number. That number is a course independent index - your Handicap Index.


Your handicap index is a measure of your potential, and thus is based on the best ten of your last 20 scores (less if you have less than 20). These are marked with gold stars . Each score uses the rating and slope to adjust for the difficulty of the course (the par is not used in the handicap calculation), and so it is not always the lowest scores that are used.

In a few cases, you will see letters next to your handicap. For example, 9-hole handicaps are designated with the letter "N". Other letters are used to indicate special situations. More on these can be found in the Help/Faq section.

What if my handicap says OOR? OOR stands for out of range - something we do our best to help you prevent. Please ensure the slope and rating values are with the correct ranges (the rating is usually between 65 & 75 while the slope is between 100 & 135), and that you have not mis-entered a score, slope, or rating. If you are still need help, please check the Help/Faq or email us

When you actually play a round, you will need to use your Course handicap. Your Course Handicap is similar to your index, but is an integer and is adjusted for the difficulty of the course that day.

Click on your Handicap Index (or on the Course Handicap link below your Scorecard) and you will be taken to your Course Handicap page. There you will see your course handicap listed for all of the courses you have played, as well as a calculator that will tell you your course handicap on any course you will play.



What is my Target Score? Your target score is determined by your handicap as what you would shoot on a good day on that specific course (on a scale of 1 to 100, you can think of it as 75-80). Note that this is different than your average score, and is also different than what we define as the score to lower (discussed on the next page), but is helpful when thinking about what score you should be aiming for on a course.

You can also click on your Score to Lower, which will take you to a page that displays your Score to Lower for each course you have played.


Note that your Score to Lower is actually the Score needed to lower your handicap to the next lower integer (e.g. going from a 12.2, which is rounded to 12, to 11.4, which is rounded to 11).

My Score to Lower seems so Low, how can that be? Because Score to Lower is calculated as the score to get you to the next lower integer. Thus, if you are a 16.4 (16 rounded) then you need to get to an 15.4 (15 rounded) or 1 full stroke off your handicap. In this case you need to lower the average of your 10 lowest scores (with the gold stars) by 1 stroke, which is the same as saying that your next score should be 10 points lower than the average. If the average of your scores is 89, then you will need to shoot a 79. As you get incrementally better, your Score to Lower will rise so that it will not seem so difficult to shoot.

Using your handicap is as easy as 1-2-3!

1. Calculate the course handicap for everyone in your group - Click on your handicap index to go to the course handicap page and determine your course handicap.
   
   
2. Net out the course handicaps - Find the differences from the lowest handicap player. This is how many strokes the better player will give to each player.
   
   
3. Allocate the strokes - Given the higher handicap players strokes on the hardest holes on the course. These are marked on the scorecard under the HDCP or Handicap row. For example, if the difference in handicaps was 4 strokes then the higher handicap player would get one stroke on HDCP holes 1,2,3, & 4.

   Some additional questions you may have about using your handicap:

Should I use my handicap index or my course handicap when giving strokes to other players? You should use your course handicap, as it is adjusted for the difficulty of the course you would play.

Why do I use the difference in handicaps, and not the handicaps themselves? The goal is to give strokes on the holes where the difference in abilities will be most apparent - i.e. the hardest holes. If each player had their full allocation of strokes, strokes would be given on the easiest or mid-difficulty holes.

What happens if we play from different tees? If one player plays from the whites and another from the reds (or the blues and whites) then an additional adjustment needs to be made. Please see the Handicap Decoded section of the Knowledge Center for more information.

Where can I find out more about the handicap? There are many articles in the Handicap Decoded section of the knowledge center that explain aspects of the handicap and its use.

When you get an Official USGA Handicap, you will see
your official handicap appear on your Scorecard. You
will also be able to print out an official verification page
and handicap card.

    To receive an official handicap, you must be a part of an
    Official Club on MyScorecard. You can join an already established 'open' club in your area (clubs are available in many but not all local areas ), or alternatively, you can always start your own public club on MyScorecard - it's easy!

To join a club, click on the Clubhouse link to the left of your Scorecard, and then press the Find Clubs link to see clubs in your local area.



Why do I have to be a member of a club to receive an official handicap? While MyScorecard gives you an accurate calculation regardless of your club membership, USGA requirements are that official handicap cards are issued by a local club in your area and not by a national service and that you have an opportunity to play with other members of that club.

Can I be my own Club? USGA sets a minimum of 10 members for a club to issue handicap cards. Many clubs are in the process of gathering the ten member minimum to apply for official status. You can join multiple clubs and help them get there! If you have less than then members in your club, you can always open it up to other MyScorecard members in your local area to reach the ten member minimum.

Does this cost extra? No. Official clubs and handicap cards are included with your membership purchase.

Clubs are a great way for friends to make their golf games more fun! Form a club with friends and colleagues on MyScorecard and see each others' scores and handicaps, keep track of when each of you plays, and be alerted to handicap changes.

    A club is perfect for 2 friends or for 200.

Form your own club by pressing the Clubhouse link to the left of your Scorecard and selecting Create Club. Once your club is created, you can invite other members to join. (If you are trying to track a League and want help setting up your members, please contact us and we can help you out.)

As part of your club, you will see two buttons on your club overview - mouse over them and menu items will apper.


Admin Actions is only visible to the club administrator. It will allow you to modify your club (e.g. location, description, logo) and manage your members. Club Actions are available to all members, enabling you to communicate with each other, calculate course handicaps for everyone in the club, and more.