Help Centre

If you’ve previously held a Golf link number or Golf ID number, we’ll simply reactivate it and your old record. You can indicate this one the sign-up page. If you can’t remember your number, you should be able to obtain it from the Club you were a member of previously.

To activate a first-time handicap, you need to complete three steps: application, payment, and 54 holes of scorecards. These scorecards can be entered through any combination of 9 and/or 18-hole rounds.

Our standard process is to wait until all three steps are completed before activating the golfer’s entity on Golf Connect (Golf Australia’s Handicap Platform). However, some golfers prefer to receive their Golf ID number before submitting their scorecards. In these cases, the handicap will appear as ‘Pending’ on Golf Connect until 54 holes of scores are entered on the golfer’s playing history.

Rounds for handicap can be scored and submitted via our app (instructions below) or scored on a manual scorecard scored by and marked by another player with an active Golf ID.

For more information, visit: https://golfnetwork.com.au/how-do-i-submit-a-conforming-social-score-via-the-golfer-app/4550 

Once you’ve submitted 54 holes of compliant scorecards Golf Australia will automatically issue you with a handicap. You can then view your handicap record on the golf.com.au website. Note you may need to register first using your Golf ID number.

Frequently Asked Questions 

• What is my Duty of Care as a Golfer? 

When playing or practicing at a golf facility, every individual has a responsibility to ensure they act in a way towards other individuals that does not put others in harm through your own actions. Some examples that you must follow are; 

• Ensuring greens, fairways and other target areas are clear before playing. 

• Calling “fore” as loud as you can when an errant shot is heading in the direction of others, or where others could be. 

• Taking note of weather conditions and allowing for the impact they may have on your shots 

• Ensure you adhere to all Local Rules including following instructional signage around the course 

• Taking care when driving golf carts, particularly in high traffic areas and carparks 

• Ensuring they are not under the influence of alcohol or drugs while playing. 

• How do I submit a claim under this Policy? 

If an incident occurs while you’re playing or practising golf, it’s important to report the details directly to your Club. This ensures you’ll have access to the liability protection of the Policy if you’re found negligent. Your Club administrator will help with the claim submission, gathering details from both parties to assist the Insurer in determining the outcome. 

• When will I have to pay the excess? 

You won’t be required to pay the excess directly to the Insurer while they’re assessing the claim. If the Insurer decides that your policy will cover a property damage claim against you, they’ll pay the settlement over the excess amount directly to the third party to efficiently close the matter. However, the third party may still need the excess amount to cover their damage value, which the club will manage. This is because the Insurer won’t share any personal information about our members with third parties. 

• What happens if I submit a claim and the damage value is less than the excess? 

The policy has a $1,000 excess in place for each and every property damage claim. If a claim is submitted for damage under this value, the insurer will assess the claim and revert the submission back to the insured member advising that the claim will not be settled given the value is underneath the excess. The member or club will be responsible for the payment of any damage required to be rectified. 

▪ What if I’m playing at a course other than my home club, does the policy still apply? 

Yes, the Golf Australia Player’s Pers policy covers you while playing at any golf course or facility, not just your home club. This applies as long as you are a registered member of an affiliated club or facility, regardless of the course you are playing on in Australia or New Zealand. 

▪ Am I covered by the policy if I injure myself? 

The Golf Australia Player’s Liability policy does not cover injuries you cause to yourself or are caused to you. It only covers claims made by third parties, such as other players or spectators, for injuries or property damage you may accidentally cause while playing golf. For personal injury coverage, consider personal accident or health insurance.

12 months from the date of activation with the option to renew annually.

A GA Handicap is the Golf Australia Handicap that is assigned to a golfer. This handicap is then referenced against The Slope Rating of a set of tees on a golf course to calculate the Daily Handicap that a golfer plays from in a competition.

Golf Australia uses the World Handicap System (WHS) to calculate your official GA Handicap. This global system ensures your handicap is fair, consistent, and recognised at every affiliated course in Australia and overseas.

When you enter your scores, whether in a competition or a social round with a marker, the WHS adjusts them for course difficulty and automatically updates your handicap. Your handicap travels with you, whether you’re playing at your local club or teeing up internationally.

This system gives every golfer, from beginner to low-marker, a fair shot in competitions. It responds quickly to improvements in your game, and because it’s a global system, your GA Handicap is trusted everywhere you play.

Golf Australia uses a few key steps to determine your handicap:

1. You play a round & submit your score
   Every valid 9- or 18-hole score goes into your scoring record.
2. Your Score Differential is created
   This adjusts your score based on the difficulty of the course you played.
   Score Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score – Course Rating) × 113 ÷ Slope Rating
3. Your best 8 rounds count
   Out of your most recent 20 rounds, the lowest 8 Score Differentials are averaged.
   This ensures your handicap reflects your true playing ability.
4. Caps protect your number
   The system includes controls to stop handicaps blowing out during a rough patch:
• Soft Cap: slows increases after your handicap rises 3 strokes above your best 12-month form
• Hard Cap: limits total upward movement to 5 strokes
5. Your handicap updates daily
   Once processed, your scores update your GA Handicap overnight so it always reflects your current level.

NOTE: When a player is gaining a handicap a sliding scale of score differentials is used (see table below). As a result of this your handicap will likely fluctuate quite a bit as you’re submitting your first 20 round.

·    Your name & signature
·    The score for each hole
·    The date of the game
·    The marker's signature
·    The marker’s Golf Link Number
·    The name of the course
·    The tees you played from
·    The Scratch Rating or DSR

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.

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.

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.