News

Getting to know GHIN

It’s been a very busy few months at the AGA working through the transition from Golfnet to the Golf Handicap Information Network, more commonly referred to as GHIN (pronounced “gin”). By the time you read this, the transfer should be just about complete.
The AGA and AWGA felt this was a good time to make a change — it went hand-in-hand with GHIN’s development of a web-based, real-time, score-posting solution and the development of some great tools to assist club administrators in managing the handicap system.
We think clubs will be as excited as we are about some of the other services that will now be available to them. Here’s a short synopsis of some of those products. All are provided at no additional charge to members and will be available through the AGA website, www.azgolf.org.
Score Posting App for Apple and Android
The score posting app is available to all active members of the AGA and AWGA through Android, iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch. Features of the app include the ability to post your score, view your current USGA Handicap Index and your most recent scores, and look up your friends’ handicaps. It also includes an Interactive Course Handicap Calculator, golf course listings, AGA news, AGA tournament schedules, tournament pairings and results.
Tournament Pairings Program (TPP)
GHIN’s tournament program is a state-of-the-art system used to manage your club events. With essentially no restrictions, the program is commanding enough for the power user, yet designed so that the average user can easily set up and score any tournament. Plus it’s completely integrated with the GHIN handicap system for entering players, guests and course information. When your event is concluded you can then transmit the scores into the player’s GHIN record.
A brief tournament wizard walks users through setting up the event. Players can be entered into the program from either a club listing, using rapid entry, or using the custom import feature. Handicap Indexes for both members and guests may be updated from the GHIN database.
The program allows teams and flights to be made using many different methods. A feature providing additional alternate teams and flights allow users to conduct more than one event in the same tournament with only one score entry. Pairings may be done with many powerful methods that include: random, entry number, sort sequence, sum of gross score, sum of net score, Handicap Index, ABCD and manually. Exchanges are powerful and easy to use with simple drag-anddrop techniques. And don’t worry about last minute changes — it’s easy to insert an additional pairing group, or add another position for another player for any existing pairing group.
eClubhouse
Managing a club can be a time consuming and laborintensive job. eClubhouse offers everything your club needs to build a website or accompany an existing site. With its easy-to-use builtin site management tools, a club’s website can be created and customized in minutes. Within an hour the club administrator can add events to the calendar and update club news. Members of the club have access to association and club news and events, the ability to search for another golfer to play with, statistical tools and online event sign-up. Any club can build a great looking professional site with its easy-to-use tools and customizable designs. Plus it integrates with the Tournament Pairings Program from extracting the player list to posting pairings and results.