Handicapping - Metropolitan Amateur Golf Association

Handicaps are a unique feature of the game of golf...

Allowing golfers with differing abilities to compete equitably against each other.

In the early 1980’s the Metropolitan Golf Association (MGA) in New York and USGA jointly developed the GHIN® (Golf Handicap Information Network®) service used by over 3 million golfers nationwide today. Handicapping is MAGA’s most visible and widely used service.

An official Handicap Index® is one of the many benefits of your MAGA Membership. If you are a member of a private MAGA Member Club in the Metropolitan Area you are already a member of the MAGA! If you are not a member of a private club, there are three easy ways to join:

Public/Municipal Courses - Virtually every public and municipal golf course in the area has an organized MAGA club that is easy and inexpensive to join
Club Without Real Estate - MAGA offers a Club Without Real Estate option for clubs/groups, facilities, and businesses that do not have a course
An e-Club Membership - Metropolitan eClub, SIGA eClub, USGA/MetAmateur GC for those that do not have a course/club they call home

The MAGA provides all of its members with full time staff support, supplies, educational seminars, publications and equipment necessary to administer the GHIN® Handicap Service.
For more information on Handicapping and Membership follow the links below:

To renew your membership with a specific course or club, please contact them directly. Visit (or call) the course to request a Handicap Membership Renewal or Creation. Be ready to provide your name, GHIN number (if already established), and email address for a quick and smooth process.
Note: If you have ever had a GHIN number at any point in your life, you can and should still use that same number.
If you do not remember the number, it can be looked up, so contact us for help!