I finally got a USGA handicap. Here’s why you should, too

Despite working in golf and spending a ridiculous amount of time covering, watching and discussing the sport, I went 10 years without posting a score. (I know, I know.)

I played in high school and a lot during the summer growing up, but after moving to a city, I didn’t play as much. On the rare occasions I did play, my lack of a handicap always came up in conversation. As someone who often tees it up with golfers who are much better than me, I was pretty committed to just picking up on a hole when things got ugly.

But after playing more friendly matches against my coworkers and receiving some invites to play with other various golf pals, I realized I needed a handicap. For starters, it’s impossible to guess the number of shots you need without one, and I was making teeing it up with friends a lot more difficult for myself (and them) than it needed to be.

I equated getting a USGA handicap with getting a passport. I thought it’d be a daunting task with dozens of steps (and perhaps tears!) involved, but the USGA’s website makes it as simple as can be. It’s as easy as ordering something online — all you need to do is head to getahandicap.usga.org, enter your state, zip code and contact information, pay the $60 annual fee and you are good to go.

Once you’re signed up, it’s time for the fun part: playing golf so that you can enter scores, and of course checking in on celebrities’ handicaps through the USGA handicap website or app. (I also like playing around with the handicap calculator, because why not.)

So if I have what it takes to sign up, so do you. Here’s to a summer of entering scores!