Handicap Verification & Submission Guide

Handicap Verification & Submission

Before you arrive in Myrtle Beach, all players competing in the Net Divisions must complete the Handicap Verification process. The information below explains what handicaps are accepted, how to submit your handicap, and how flight-together requests are handled.

Handicap Basics

Accepted Handicaps

The Myrtle Beach World Amateur only accepts official USGA GHIN Handicaps for players competing in the Net Divisions. Your handicap must be active at the time of submission in order to be accepted.

If your GHIN account displays "NH" (No Handicap) instead of a Handicap Index, your membership may be inactive. In most cases, this simply means your annual GHIN membership has expired. Please contact your golf club or local golf association to renew your membership before the handicap submission deadline.

A USGA Handicap Index is established after posting three 18-hole rounds or six 9-hole rounds. If you do not currently have a handicap, we encourage you to contact our team well before the submission deadline so we can help guide you through the process of establishing one.

Please note that while some third-party golf apps are connected to the USGA GHIN system, many are not. If you are unsure whether your handicap is an official GHIN Handicap Index, our staff is happy to assist.

Handicap Submission Process

Handicap submission for the 2026 Myrtle Beach World Amateur opens on Monday, August 10, 2026, and all handicaps must be submitted no later than Thursday, August 13, 2026.

Players who do not submit their handicap by the deadline cannot be flighted for the tournament and will be ineligible for tournament prizes. We encourage all participants to complete the process as early as possible.

How to Submit Your Handicap

1. Log in to your World Amateur player profile.
2. Click the Handicap Verification button at the top of the page.
3. Complete the requested information.
4. Submit your handicap for verification.

For all Net Division players, the tournament will use each player's 12-Month Low Handicap Index (Low H.I.). We use the 12-month low because it provides the best representation of a player's demonstrated ability over time while helping ensure competitive fairness and reducing the opportunity for handicap manipulation leading up to the championship.

International Handicap Submission

Players whose handicaps are maintained outside of North America will be emailed a separate form to fill out and submit their handicaps.

The information requested is similar to the standard submission, with the addition of screenshots from your handicap software.

Your submission should include:

• Your Home Golf Club
• Your Current Handicap Index
• Your 12-Month Low Handicap Index (if your handicapping system provides one)

If your handicap system does not display a 12-Month Low Handicap Index, please also include a screenshot of your score history showing the rounds used to calculate your current handicap.

Key Terms

• Handicap ID (GHIN#) – Your USGA-issued GHIN identification number.
• Handicap Index – Your current Handicap Index.
• 12-Month Low Handicap (Low H.I.) – The lowest Handicap Index you have held during the previous 12 months. This is typically displayed next to your current Handicap Index. If you do not have a Low H.I. displayed, your current index is your Low.
• Home Golf Club – The club or eClub where your handicap is maintained. If you maintain your handicap through an eClub, enter the eClub name (Example: USGA/Carolinas GC).
• Home Golf Club Region – The state or province where your handicap is maintained.
• Home Golf Club Country – The country where your handicap is maintained.

Flight Together Requests

Players may request to be flighted with up to three other participants for carpooling or other travel-related purposes. These requests are submitted during the final step of the Handicap Verification process.

While we cannot guarantee that requested players will be paired together during tournament rounds, approved requests will ensure that everyone is placed in the same flight and follows the same course rotation.

To be approved, all requests must be reciprocal. If Player A requests Player B, Player B must also request Player A. Requests that are not made by all parties cannot be honored.

Possible Adjustments

Division Adjustment

If players are from different age divisions, the player in the higher age division will be moved into the younger player's division. This will affect the tees played and the overall yardage during the tournament.

Tournament Index Adjustment

Flight-together requests are always based on the lowest Handicap Index within the group. If a higher-handicap player must be moved into a lower-handicap flight, their Tournament Index will be adjusted to the highest Handicap Index permitted within that flight.

If your Handicap Index already falls within the receiving flight's handicap range, no adjustment will be made.

Example

Player 1: Handicap Index 11.0
Player 2: Handicap Index 15.0

Player 1's flight has a handicap range of 10.6–12.1. If both players request one another, Player 2 will be moved into Player 1's flight and Player 2's Tournament Index will be adjusted to 12.1, the highest Handicap Index permitted within that flight.