Handicaps & Course Rating | Oregon Golf Association

USGA Seeking Golfer Feedback in Survey

07/11/17 —

The USGA is asking for golfer feedback for the proposed new World Handicap System. The survey takes 5-7 minutes to fill out and is your chance to help shape the future of handicapping. Click Here to Take USGA Handicapping Survey Over the past several years, the USGA and The R&A have been working with golf’s handicapping authorities to develop a single World Handicap System (WHS) for the sport. The purpose of this survey is to learn more about what golfers think about the potential World Handicap System and its core principles. Now is your opportunity to provide your feedback on the...

06/30/17 —

Fourth in our OGA series about the Most Interesting Holes is the Par 5 18th at Sandpines Golf Links in Florence, Ore. OGA's 2017 Most Interesting Holes Series The 18 th at Sandpines is a spectacular finishing hole. While it is the epitome of a “risk/reward” situation, it is also quite punishing if a golfer is just a few yards off line, or has forgotten about the wind. Fear of the water could push a golfer to the right, bringing dunes with tall grass into play. This could result in some difficult or even blind shots back to the fairway. There is also a series of several fairway bunkers...

05/28/17 —

The USGA and The R&A are working with golf's handicapping authorities to develop a single World Handicap System for the game. More than 15 million golfers in over 80 countries presently have a handicap, a numerical index long used as a measure of a golfer's potential skill level. Handicaps are currently delivered through six different systems around the world. The aim of the proposed handicap system is to adopt a universal set of principles and procedures that would apply all over the world. An extensive review of existing handicap systems administered by Golf Australia, the Council of...

05/22/17 —

Whether you belong to a small online golf club or are a member of a large green-grass facility, one of your peers is responsible for ensuring the accuracy of everyone’s scoring record and Handicap Index®: the handicap chair. The role of handicap chair involves much more than peering through scores in a spreadsheet; it requires patience, communication and a cooperative nature. An ideal handicap chair is a dedicated volunteer looking to pass on their knowledge to others and ensure that everyone’s Handicap Index represents their true potential ability. “Really, the role of the handicap chair is...

05/01/17 —

OGA's 2017 Most Interesting Holes Series Third in our OGA series about the Most Interesting Holes is the Par 4 at Willamette Valley Country Club in Canby, Ore. The beautiful signature hole is a short, yet challenging, par 4 that features the WVCC logo on the hillside of the water feature that flows into the pond that separates the green from the fairway. The further back a player goes, the more they are impacted by the right to left dogleg. The back tees could force a player to layup even further behind the water hazard than they would normally choose since playing a full tee shot straight...

03/27/17 —

OGA's 2017 Most Interesting Holes Series Second in our OGA series about the Most Interesting Holes is the Par 3 at Mountain View Golf Course in Boring, Ore. If you look at the scorecard, 184 (Blue), 178 (White), and 118 (Red) seem to be decent lengths for a par 3. Not too long… not too short… and then you get to the tee. If you’re one who suffers from vertigo or has a fear of heights, I sure hope someone warned you before stepping up to the edge. The tee boxes are carved out of the side of a steep canyon. The green is below you about 180 feet from the upper tees and has a menacing right to...

02/28/17 —

One of the purposes of the Most Interesting Holes contest we ran in January, is to take the elected golf holes and describe how what makes the hole interesting can impact Course Rating. The hole with the most votes is the 5th hole at Crooked River Ranch in Crooked River Ranch, Ore., and it does not disappoint as to how we needed to adjust and assess the hole’s course rating information. (The image to the right shows view of the green from the Blue tee. Please notice the bunker and several trees that obscure and surround the green. Oh, and the 400 foot drop to the river below. This shot is not...

02/21/17 —

Even though we are all wondering if it will ever stop raining, the OGA Handicapping Season is right around the corner and starts Wednesday, March 1st. Scores made on golf courses within the OGA region (Oregon and Southwest Washington) must be posted beginning that day. If you are donning your raingear and braving the unusually soggy conditions, you will want to check with your club’s Handicap Committee and / or Golf Pro to see if your club has invoked a Local Rule for dealing with the variety of circumstances this rough winter has left us with. Many clubs in the area have adopted the policies...

01/25/17 —

The fifth hole at Crooked River Ranch Golf Course in Crooked River, Oregon was voted the Most Interesting Hole in Golf in the 2017 OGA Edition decided by fan vote. Twenty-eight holes from courses all over Oregon and SW Washington were nominated by golf professionals, course representatives, and volunteers and then an online vote allowed the public to determine the top-18 Most Interesting Holes over a week-long voting period. Over 2,600 votes were tallied, with the fifth hole at Crooked River garnering 384 votes to claim first place by a landslide over the 12th hole at Mt. View Golf Course in...

01/24/17 —

For some, the snow has melted away, the sun has made an appearance and the courses are drying out nicely. For others, the weather conditions are still less than stellar. But the golf season is just around the corner for all of us – just over a month away (starts March 1st in the OGA region of Oregon and Southwest Washington). If you haven’t already, you’re going to be dusting off the clubs, thinking about hitting the range, maybe signing up for lessons. But what about your USGA Handicap Index? Time to join a club and get it activated! Q: Do I have to wait until the season starts on March 1 st...