Frequently Asked Questions

Because NGL deals with so many different courses, the system has to boil a scorecard down into its least common denominator. Since some courses have 36 holes and some have just 9, the only way to accommodate all courses and scorecards is to rank them 1–9. NGL does have an indicator for nines to identify which nine-hole course is more difficult, and uses that when applying the course rating.

If you do not seed handicaps, then the first time you enter scores for a golfer you must enter a handicap on the scorecard in the HDCP column. If not, that golfer's handicap will be 0, and any handicap method with stroke control will adjust that golfer's score to par — making them a 0 handicap golfer for the year.

An easy rule of thumb: take the Week 1 score minus par. For example, if a person shoots 55 for the first week: 55 − 36 (par) = 19. Enter 19 for that golfer's first week handicap.

The Handicap Option "Handicap Starting Point" has two values:

"Use scores for all seasons for this league" — uses all scores and handicap seeds for all seasons in the golf league. This is the best method because it allows handicaps to flow from one season to the next. This is the default.

"Use only current season's scores" — uses only scores and handicap seeds that fall within the currently selected season dates. Any handicap seeds will need to fall within the season's dates.

The NCGA typically re-rates courses every six years, and sooner if the course has undergone significant renovations. Anywhere from 12 to 16 of the NCGA's more than 90 volunteer course raters will participate in a rating. The team evaluates overall difficulty by taking into account 10 obstacles on every hole: topography, fairway, green target, recovery & rough, bunkers, out of bounds, water, trees, green surface, and psychology.

Course and slope ratings are usually found on course scorecards. If not, the USGA maintains a searchable database at ncrdb.usga.org.

A Handicap Index is a number to one decimal place (e.g., 5.6) that is a generic — not tied to any one course — representation of a golfer's game relative to par. A golfer with a 5.6 Handicap Index could be expected to shoot somewhere between 5 and 6 strokes over par on any given day.

Course Handicap represents the number of strokes needed to play to the level of a scratch golfer — or the Course Rating of a particular set of tees. It is expressed as a whole number (e.g. 11).

Formula: Handicap Index × Slope Rating ÷ 113 = Answer (rounded to nearest whole number)

Example: 8.6 Handicap Index × 134 Slope Rating ÷ 113 = 10.2 = 10 Course Handicap

You can also use the NGL Handicap Calculator.

The maximum USGA Handicap Index is 18.2 for men and 20.2 for women. Note: a maximum USGA Handicap Index will convert to a Course Handicap that exceeds these numbers on courses with Slope Ratings greater than 113.

Because of the variances in what NGL leagues want, administrators can override the default Course Handicap when entering it on the scorecard. For example, a league playing on a course with a slope of 134 may choose to cap all course handicaps over 22 (18.2 × 134 ÷ 113 = 21.6).

Click the golfer's name on the league homepage to open their profile. Click "Add Seed Scores for calculating handicap." Holes per round will automatically be set to 9 or 18 based on your season setup. Enter the Course Slope Rating (~113) and Course Rating (~36 for nine-hole leagues).

These seed scores will continue to be included in the golfer's handicap index calculation until enough real rounds bump them off the end of the 20-round window. You can verify the calculation by clicking "Display Handicap Calculation" from the golfer's profile page.

Tip: Many leagues enter 5 or more seed scores per golfer to reduce the large handicap fluctuations that occur during the first several weeks when using the USGA method. After entering seed scores, if the Handicap Index doesn't appear, go to Setup and click "Recalculate Handicaps and Scoring."

One common cause is leaving the handicap blank for a golfer's first week — the system assumes they are a scratch golfer. If Equitable Stroke Control is being used, it will also limit the number of strokes a person has for an adjusted score.

You need to enter a handicap for each golfer on their first event. A good starting point: score minus par (e.g. 56 − 36 = 20). You can add a handicap after the fact by going back to the scorecard for that event and entering the handicap. Make sure to click "Save and Recalculate" when finished. You can review the detailed calculation by clicking a golfer's name and then the "Display Handicap Calculation" link.

Stableford is a points-based scoring format where you earn points on each hole based on your score relative to par (adjusted for handicap). Bogey = 1 point, Par = 2, Birdie = 3, Eagle = 4, etc. The golfer with the most total points wins — rather than the fewest strokes. It rewards aggressive play and is forgiving of one bad hole.

Select "Match Play – Wins/Losses" or "Match Play – Total Points" from the Team Scoring System dropdown in Setup. Then customize the scoring parameters via Team Scoring Configuration to match your league's format.

Pairings designate which golfers are active for each match week and enable team substitutions across multiple players. Without pairings, the system doesn't know who's playing that week, so names can't populate the scorecard entry screen.

Choose "Best Ball – Points" or "Best Ball – Wins/Losses" as your team scoring system. Then configure the scoring parameters (points per hole, match points, etc.) in Team Scoring Configuration. In Best Ball / Fourball, each team uses the lowest score from its members on each hole.

Click on the Golfers link on your league homepage to pull up the Golfer List screen. Check the checkbox next to the golfer names you want to contact. Choose Invite from the Email dropdown, then click the Email button.

Tip: The checkbox in the header row (brown section above the individual checkboxes) is an easy way to select all golfers at once — check it and all boxes will be checked for you.

Golfers in netGolfLeague only need to be a member once. To add a golfer who is in a current or past league:

1. Go to the Setup screen
2. Click Quick Add Golfer
3. Enter the person's name and email address

If the email address already matches an NGL member, they will be automatically linked into your golf league. That golfer will then be able to see either league when they log in.

Click the Edit button on the Golfers section of the home page, then click the Add button. Fill in the required fields — fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.

Click Add/Change Season at the top of your homepage, then Add New Season at the bottom to create a new season. Make sure to set the start date earlier than today — this causes the system to automatically place golfers into the correct season the next time they log in.

From the Golfer List screen, copy your golfers from the previous season:
1. Go to the Golfer Management screen (click the Golfers link)
2. Check the All League Members checkbox
3. Select the members you want to copy
4. In the Copy members to… dropdown, select your new season
5. Click Copy

You can also easily send all golfers an invite email with their user ID and password by selecting them, choosing Invite from the dropdown, and clicking Email. If you choose to include all seasons in your handicap calculation, golfers will start the new year with the handicap established from last year.

Yes. Past scores can be backdated using the Post League Info feature. Create events with past dates and enter the historical scores — NGL will calculate standings and handicaps as if those scores had been entered on time.

Yes! Create a single-person league and season just for yourself. Enter your scores each round and NGL will track your personal statistics, handicap progression, and scoring history over time.

Create two same-day events per week — for example "Week 1 Front 9" and "Week 1 Back 9" — each with their own team and pairing schedules. This lets you record and track front and back nine scores as separate rounds.

Step 1 — Verify Setup: Click the Setup menu option. Review your League Configuration (click "Change League Profile") and Season Configuration (click "Change Season Configuration"). Check that team & individual scoring systems are correct, putt tracking is on/off as desired, Holes per Round is correct, and the handicap method and starting point are set.

Step 2 — Add Golfers/Teams: Click "Add Golfer(s)" — your golfer will receive their NGL UserID and password by email. Then click "Add Team(s)."

Step 3 — Tweak Scoring Settings: Click "Team Scoring" or "Individual Scoring" buttons to fine-tune settings.

Step 4 — Schedule Rounds: Click Schedule & Scoring → Add events. Set up Matches (team vs. team) and Pairings (golfer vs. golfer).

Step 5 — Play Golf! Collect scorecards. Track putts if you want extra statistics.

Step 6 — Enter Scores: Click the Scorecard button for each event. If tracking putts, enter scores as score/putt (e.g. 5/2).

There are two ways:

Option 1 — Shared Player Login: When setting up your league you create a Player Login ID and Password. Distribute this one set of credentials to all league members. They use it to enter NGL, create an individual member account, and join your league.

Option 2 — Individual Invites: Add players individually from the Edit Players screen on your league homepage. Then send an invite email to each member — they'll receive their own individual Member Login ID and Password, use it to log in, finish their Member Profile, and reach the league homepage.

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If you have a file in another format (e.g. MS Word .doc or MS Excel .xls) that you'd like to upload, you must first save it as either a text or HTML file. In most cases:

1. Open the file with the application you used to create it
2. Click File in the main menu
3. Click Save As
4. Change the "Save As" type to .txt or .html

If you're still having problems, contact support@netgolfleague.com.

You can create 2 seasons — one for each half. Set the correct season duration (start and end dates) for each session. Each season has its own scoring so points reset between halves.

In Handicap Options, set "Scores to consider for Handicap Calculations" to "Use scores for all seasons for this league" (the default). This keeps handicaps continuous across the split. You can create as many seasons as you need — it won't affect your subscription.