Here is a list of all the helpful FAQs that are included below. This information should help to answer your questions about this member service, but as always, please don’t hesitate to contact us HERE for assistance.
Members Now! is an easy online process for connecting interested golfers with public, municipal and semi-private facilities located across the state. The program was designed in response to the growing number of golfers who are looking to connect with a club but don’t know where to start or don’t have the time to make that trip to the local facility.
This program simply makes the path from your computer to your local club one step easier. You will now be able to obtain a GHIN # with one of our Member Clubs from the comfort and ease of your home computer or mobile device.
CLICK HERE to begin! The system is easy and quick. In just a few short minutes you will be transformed from an unattached golfer to a Mass Golf member!
Members Now! is perfect for a golfer who has never had a handicap index and wants to set one up for the upcoming season. It is also an opportunity for a golfer who either has an active handicap index with another Member Club or has an inactive handicap index in the system who simply wants to connect with one of our many participating Member Clubs.
New Golfers – There are more than 87,000 Bay State golfers who currently have a handicap index with one of our 360 Member Clubs. However, we also know that there are thousands of others who either play golf without recording scores or who are interested in getting involved in the sport. Regardless of your playing background, Members Now! will allow you to sign up for a GHIN # (and thus obtain a handicap index – see below for more info on why you should have one) with a Member Club.
This new program will make it much easier for you to become a part of Mass Golf and take advantage of the many benefits associated with Mass Golf and our Member Club base.
If you are a new golfer who has never had a GHIN # before, you can select a club from the search map. Upon completion of the transaction, you will be assigned a GHIN # and you can start posting scores. Once you have posted 54-holes, the system will calculate your personal handicap index. You will also be able to begin receiving your e-revision emails and much more!
If you have an inactive GHIN # or a GHIN # with a non-participating club (for instance, a private facility), you can easily expand your golf network by connecting your existing GHIN # with another Member Club. During the new golfer process, you simply need to find your account by inputting your GHIN number and you will be able to find a new club in your area. Once the transaction has been completed, your GHIN # will be active at your current club and your new club.
Existing Golfers – If you currently have a GHIN # with a Member Club that is participating in Members Now!, you can now easily renew your GHIN# for the upcoming season via the Mass Golf web site Join/Renew tab.
So you went through the Members Now! process and now have a GHIN # through one of our Member Clubs – excellent! Now you are wondering how you get a handicap, right? All you have to do is play and post scores from a total of 54 holes, made up of any combination of 9 or 18-hole rounds, and you will have a handicap index the very next day! (you can post at the club where you played or online via USGA® GHIN mobile app).
Your handicap at any one time is the average of the best 8 of your most recent 20 score differentials. (You will get an email from the USGA on the 1st and 15th of each month that shows your information.)
Your handicap fairly and accurately reflects your current form because you must record your score every time you go out. It is so easy to post scores these days – you can do at the club or online via a computer or mobile device – and the program does all the work and updates your handicap.
The system runs daily handicap revisions. So, every time you play from then on, your handicap is recalculated the next day to account for your most recent score.
Your Mass Golf Membership will be active for the upcoming season, activating on the day that you purchase and expiring on February 28th of the following year. All memberships are on automatic renewal unless you opt out during the check-out process.
If you are a member of a participating Members Now! club and did not yet renew your membership online through the program, you will be automatically inactivated for the current season. To renew, you simply need to click on the red “Join/Renew now” button listed HERE.
Note: All handicap memberships for 2022 and beyond are on automatic renewal unless you opt out during the check-out process.
For those who are members at non-participating clubs, you will need to check with your club regarding its policies for activation.
Whether you play every weekend or just a few times per year, every golfer should have a GHIN # so that they can maintain what is called a handicap index.
A handicap provides a unique scoring system that levels the field for players of different abilities by “giving strokes” to the more inexperienced golfer. Without it, it wouldn’t be much fun for the rookie golfer to go up against more experienced players.
It also makes it possible to compare scores when competing from different tees or even when women are playing against men.
Mass Golf not only provides the world’s largest handicap index service through the USGA to you, but anyone who holds a handicap index through any of our Member Clubs is eligible to take advantage of the many golfer benefits.
The program is open to any golfer who has never had a GHIN # (or who had one but it has been more than two years since it was active) or any golfer whose GHIN # is currently inactive or active at a club not included in Members Now! and who wants to connect with another club.
It is also a helpful program for golfers who are looking to register for a Mass Golf Championship, Women’s Tournament, Team Tournament or Member Day but are listed as “inactive” in the GHIN system. You can now activate your GHIN # and register from the comfort of your home computer or mobile device.
The standard $55 fee that is set by Mass Golf is what each golfer is charged. There are no additional set-up or credit card processing fees assessed to the final cost.
Due to the nature of GHIN # issuance, the Members Now! transaction is non-refundable.
Mass Golf encourages all golfers to consider the location of a club and the benefits that the club can offer you.
Location – When you select a club from the search map, you can search by city and state, zip code, club name, or view the complete list of clubs that are part of the program. You should consider where you will play most of your golf whether that is close to your home, work or summer house.
There is a fallacy that if a golfer only plays in scratch events, the posting of scores is not important. Nothing could be further from the truth as the only valid reflection of the player’s potential can come from the posting of all scores. In order to compete in a gross event, for instance, there is typically an index requirement to be met. Without a true index, this player may be accepting a spot in place of another golfer who has legitimately earned that handicap index by posting all of their scores.
If you are playing in a net event, it is important that you know exactly how many strokes you should be getting to ensure that you are playing in an equitable manner.
So remember, the next time you are out enjoying a round of golf, be sure to remember to post your score. It’s good for the game, it’s your responsibility and it’s good for your enjoyment of golf!
Yes. Even though you have an active GHIN # with a Member Club, you can add a new club to your golf network and be active at two or more clubs. This is a very common practice for individuals who work in one region of the state but reside in another. It is also popular among “snow birds” who keep their GHIN # active at a club in Massachusetts as well as their winter destination such as Florida or Arizona.
Membership at multiple clubs allow you to enjoy the benefits of different facilities whether they are private, semi-private or public. However, each club is charged per member so you will need to pay a GHIN fee for each club that you join for the season.
The program allows golfers who are under the age of 18 to purchase their GHIN # through Youth on Course by CLICKING HERE. However, many clubs offer free or greatly discounted junior memberships as part of an ongoing initiative to grow the game and encourage more golfers to grab a club and get involved.
Mass Golf encourages all young golfers to contact a club in their area to learn more about the many junior golf programs offered at facilities located across the state.
