Wild Dunes Golf Association
Handicap Committee Report
Post the Same Day You Play
Wild Dunes members, August posting compliance came in at 70.5% — up slightly from July's 69.8%, but the better news is underneath the headline: the number of members who posted nothing at all fell from 55 to 34, and fully compliant members rose to 40.5% of those tracked.
This month we cover a basic responsibility every one of us has under the World Handicap System: posting your score the same day you play — and, if you do post the next morning, entering the date you actually played. Rule 4.3 asks for it, and your Handicap Index depends on it.
August 2026 — Member Posting Compliance
68 members posted every single round in August — that's 40.5% of those tracked. At the other end, 34 members (20.2%) played but posted nothing. If that's you, the next two minutes are worth it.
Month-Over-Month Comparison
| Metric | Jul 2026 | Aug 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member Posting Rate | 69.8% | 70.5% | ↑ +0.7 pts |
| Players Tracked | 192 | 168 | ↓ −24 |
| Rounds Played (excl. tournaments) | 792 | 733 | ↓ −59 |
| 100% Compliant Players | 36.5% | 40.5% | ↑ +4.0 pts |
| 0% Compliant Players | 28.6% | 20.2% | ↓ −8.4 pts |
Education Spotlight — Timely Posting
Why the Same Day Matters
Post your score to GHIN the same day you play. The reason is simple: your Handicap Index is meant to reflect your most current demonstrated ability. A score still sitting on your phone is not doing that.
Five reasons it matters
It keeps your Handicap Index current. Your Index is calculated from your most recent score differentials. Delay a score and your Index is out of date until you post it.
It lets the daily course adjustment work. When enough scores are posted from a course on a given day, the Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) can tell whether the course played unusually hard or easy that day and adjust everyone's differentials accordingly. Your score only counts toward it if it is in on time.
It keeps competition fair. The World Handicap System is built around scores being posted promptly. Waiting to see how your Index or an upcoming competition shapes up creates an unfair advantage.
It protects your tournament eligibility. If you are playing in a competition, your Index needs to reflect the rounds you have already played. A late score can mean it does not.
It is in the Rules of Handicapping. Rule 4.3 states that a player "should submit their score as soon as possible on the day of play, after completion of their round, and before midnight (local time)." Prompt posting is not just good practice — it is what the rules ask of you.
What is the PCC?
Playing Conditions Calculation. Golf isn't played in a laboratory. Wind, rain, soft or firm greens, and a tough pin setup can all make a course play harder or easier on a given day than its Course Rating assumes. So each day, the system compares every score posted at that course against what it expected those players to shoot. If the gap is wide enough, it adjusts the Score Differentials for everyone who played there that day — somewhere between −1 and +3 strokes.
It is automatic. You do nothing. It is applied for you when your differential is calculated.
It needs at least eight scores. If fewer than eight acceptable scores are posted from that course that day, there is no adjustment at all.
Most days it is zero. It only moves when conditions genuinely differed from normal — which is exactly when you want it to.
That eight-score minimum is why same-day posting matters beyond your own Index. On a windy Saturday, the adjustment only happens if enough of us got our scores in that day.
If you played today and post tomorrow
It happens. Here is what you need to know.
The score still counts. A next-day post is still used in your Handicap Index calculation.
Enter the date you played — not the date you are posting. This is the one that trips people up. The app fills in today's date by default. If you are posting Monday for a Sunday round, change the date to Sunday before you submit.
You give up two things. Your Index will not update in time for the next day, and your score will not be counted in that day's Playing Conditions Calculation.
Once in a while is fine. Routinely is not. Rule 4.3 asks the Handicap Committee to look into repeated late submissions. Habitually delaying scores falls short of your responsibilities under the handicap rules.
The bottom line — A one-day delay is generally fine, as long as you enter the correct date played. Routinely delaying your scores is not.
What we saw in August
Sixteen August rounds show the pattern: a tee time on the sheet with no matching score, and a score one or two days later on a day the member was not on the tee sheet. Fourteen of the sixteen were dated exactly one day late. Those scores were almost certainly all posted — just filed on the wrong day. To the club's records they look like rounds that were never posted at all, and they count against our posting rate. Corrected, August would read closer to 72.5% instead of 70.5%.
Quick tip — Post before you leave the course. The round is fresh, the date is already right, and there is nothing to remember or correct later.
Do You Have a GHIN Number on File?
In August's data review, the committee identified 153 rounds played by members whose GHIN number isn't on file with the club. Most often this is a result of your GHIN# being registered with another club. If you play at Wild Dunes and aren't sure whether your GHIN# is registered, check in one click using the button below. Without verification of your handicap and posting compliance, your scores can't be matched, your handicap can't be tracked, and your eligibility to participate in MGA, LGA, and other organized club events may be affected. It's a 30-second fix.
Check if your GHIN is registered →Upcoming Events & Deadlines
September
Looking Ahead — October
Reminder — The club auto-posts every handicap-eligible MGA, LGA, and club event run through GolfGenius. Casual rounds, away rounds, and any 9- or 18-hole play under the Rules of Golf are still your responsibility to post. When in doubt, ask the Pro Shop.
Questions? Contact the Pro Shop or the Wild Dunes Handicap Committee. · theclubatwilddunes.com/golf/handicaps
About the Handicap Committee
The Wild Dunes Handicap Committee was formed in 2025 to support fairness and accuracy in our club's handicap system. As required by the USGA and CGA, every club issuing Handicap Indexes must maintain an oversight body — not to police players, but to protect the integrity of competition. The committee oversees score postings, reviews anomalies or posting issues, and provides education and guidance on the Rules of Handicapping. When handicaps are accurate and consistent, every member competes on a truly level playing field.
Your Handicap Committee
Posting Away Scores
Wild Dunes members, June posting compliance came in at 73.0% — essentially flat against May's revised 73.7%, while the share of members posting every round they play climbed to nearly half. This month we cover the rounds that most often slip through the cracks: the ones you play away from home.
Summer travel season is here. Whether you tee it up at Pinehurst, on a family vacation, or at a buddy's home course, those rounds count toward your handicap just like your rounds here. A handicap built only on home scores isn't the full picture. Play, post, and protect the integrity of the game.
June 2026 — Member Posting Compliance
84 members posted every single round in June — that's 45.4% of those tracked. At the other end, 40 members (21.6%) played but posted nothing. If that's you, the next two minutes are worth it. It's time to build the habit of posting as soon as you finish your round.
Six Months of Momentum
Since our very first compliance report in November, more members are posting — and more are posting every round they play. That's real, steady momentum, and it's a direct result of members taking posting seriously. Thank you for making it happen — let's keep it going.
| Metric | May 2026 | Jun 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Member Posting Rate | 73.7% | 73.0% | ↓ −0.7 pts |
| Players Tracked | 216 | 185 | −31 |
| Rounds Played (excl. tournaments) | 1,078 | 856 | −222 |
| 100% Compliant Players | 36.1% | 45.4% | ↑ +9.3 pts |
| 0% Compliant Players | 23.1% | 21.6% | ↓ −1.5 pts |
Education Spotlight
Every Rated Round Counts — Wherever You Play
Your Handicap Index is portable — it travels with you and reflects every acceptable round you play, not just the ones at Wild Dunes. An away score is any round played at a course other than Wild Dunes that carries a USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating. The standard posting rules still apply: at least 9 holes, played under the Rules of Golf. Selectively posting only your home rounds — or only your good ones — skews your index and undercuts fair competition for everyone.
Open the GHIN app and search for the course by name or location.
Select the tees you actually played.
Enter your score hole-by-hole or as a total, and submit.
Why This Matters
The World Handicap System is built on a complete picture of your game. Every acceptable round — home or away — feeds your 20-score record, and your index uses the best 8 of those 20. Skip your travel rounds and the system is working from incomplete data, which means your handicap no longer reflects your true potential. Post them all, and you compete on a truly level field wherever you tee it up.
Course not showing up? Course not showing up? Most rated U.S. courses are already in the GHIN database. For an international course or a facility that isn't listed, check whether it has a posted Course Rating and Slope Rating — you may be able to enter them manually. When in doubt, contact the Handicap Committee and we'll help you get it posted.
Is Wild Dunes on Your GHIN Account?
If Wild Dunes is your home club in GHIN, you're all set — no action needed. But many of our members keep their primary club elsewhere, and that's perfectly fine. If you'd like your Wild Dunes rounds to be visible to the club — for our posting records and future club programs — Wild Dunes needs to be listed on your GHIN account as a home or secondary club. Not sure how your account is set up? Either way, keep posting every rated round you play — your Handicap Index is accurate no matter which club it's tied to.
Check your GHIN club setup →