Golf Digest, June, 2009

Handicaps - Your Questions Answered
Vanity Handicaps

Q: We seem to have several members with vanity handicaps. It kills us in club matches. How would you deal with this?

A: I've found that about 9 percent of golfers with a USGA Handicap Index have a lower number than they should. To correct this problem, I suggest asking players to have their scorecards attested and returned for periodic audits by the Handicap Committee. (Note: The USGA Handicap System does not require that scorecards be returned to post a score.) Be sure to announce to members that periodic audits are being conducted. The audits will also reveal players who played but didn't post scores--another sign of hiding bad rounds.

By Dean Knuth, Golf Digest Professional Advisor. Former senior director of the USGA handicap department, Knuth invented today's USGA Course Rating and Slope system.