Date Published: 21/03/2022
Yes – you can get an official, recognised golf handicap in England without joining a golf club. Through iGolf, England Golf’s scheme for independent golfers, you can obtain a Handicap Index® under the World Handicap System™ (WHS™) for just £47 a year. All you need is 54 holes’ worth of scores and a smartphone.
Quick answer: Sign up to iGolf (£47/year) → download the MyEG app → correctly submit scores across 54 holes (any mix of 9 or 18-hole rounds) → your oHandicap Index® is issued automatically. The whole process typically takes 3–6 weeks depending on how often you play.
Until 2021, a golf club membership was a prerequisite for an official handicap in England. The launch of iGolf by England Golf changed that. As of July 2021, any independent golfer with an address in England can obtain and maintain a fully recognised WHS™ Handicap Index® without ever joining a club.
iGolf is run directly by England Golf, the sport’s national governing body and the only authorised WHS™ handicapping body in England. That means an iGolf Handicap Index® carries exactly the same weight as one issued through a golf club – it’s not a workaround or an unofficial estimate.
Step 1 – Subscribe to iGolf (£47/year) Sign up at englandigolf.co.uk. Your subscription includes your Handicap Index®, access to the MyEG app, Public Liability Insurance, exclusive offers, and access to iGolf community events.
Step 2 – Download the MyEG app The My England Golf (MyEG) app is your central hub. It’s where you pre-register rounds, submit scores, track your Handicap Index®, and calculate your Course Handicap™ before each round.
Step 3 – Pre-register your rounds and submit scores Before you play each round, register it in the MyEG app. After playing, submit your score. Scores must be accompanied by a digital verification from a playing partner (who can be a club member, a fellow iGolf subscriber or an iPlay user). You need to complete a minimum of 54 holes – in any combination of 9 or 18-hole rounds – to establish your initial Handicap Index®.
Step 4 – Receive your Handicap Index® Once 54 holes are submitted and verified, your Handicap Index® is calculated automatically. From then on, it updates after each round you submit, always reflecting your most recent 20 scores.
You can submit scores from any affiliated golf course in England, you’re not restricted to a single home club. This means you can build and maintain your handicap while playing at different venues, visiting courses while travelling, or simply playing wherever suits you that week.
The course must have an active Course Rating™ and Slope Rating™ registered with the WHS™. In practice, virtually every established golf course in England meets this requirement. Check with the course in advance if you’re unsure.
Your Handicap Index® is calculated automatically by the MyEG app after each round, but if you want to understand the maths behind it, our guide to how golf handicaps are calculated explains the full WHS™
You need to submit scores covering a minimum of 54 holes (e.g. three 18-hole rounds, or six 9-hole rounds, or any combination). How quickly you reach that depends on how often you play, most golfers establish their initial index within 3–8 weeks.
Yes – iGolf subscribers can enter iGolf Open Events run by England Golf, and many individual golf clubs allow independent golfers to play in their open competitions at the club’s discretion. However, county and national amateur competitions run by England Golf are currently reserved for club members. Check with individual clubs before entering their competitions.
Your Handicap Index® history transfers seamlessly. When you join an affiliated club, your existing score record moves across to your club membership and continues uninterrupted. You won’t lose your handicap or have to start again.
iGolf subscriptions are only available to golfers with an address in England. However, once you have your Handicap Index®, you can submit qualifying scores from WHS™-affiliated courses anywhere in the world when playing abroad.
Yes. Every submitted score must be digitally verified by a playing partner through the MyEG app. That person can be another iGolf subscriber, a golf club member, or anyone with access to the app. Solo rounds do not count towards your Handicap Index®.
Under the WHS™, the maximum Handicap Index® is 54.0 for all golfers, regardless of gender. There is no minimum – elite golfers can have a “plus” handicap (e.g. +2.4), meaning they give shots to par rather than receiving them.
No. iGolf has a 30 day waiting period for golfers who have recently left an affiliated golf club. This is to maintain the integrity of the handicapping system. If you resigned your club membership less than 30 days ago, you’ll need to wait before subscribing.