What is GOLF Link?

GOLF Link is the Australian national computerised handicapping service provided by Golf Australia (GA). GOLF Link commenced operation in 1999 and it calculates all official Australian handicaps. The system centralises handicaps nationally. Access to the system is gained via the internet using the golfer’s personal 10-digit GOLF Link number. The handicap records of all golfers can be viewed on www.golf.org.au. The system instantly links 400,000 Australian golf club members and 1600 golf clubs. You can turn up at any golf club, verify your handicap and/or membership of another club, play your round and have your handicap updated automatically.

How is my GOLF Link numbered determined?

Every GOLF Link number follows a pattern where each numeral corresponds to standardised information. If your ten-digit number were 3579246817, it is made up as follows:

• 3 – State

• 57 – Area/Region

• 92 – The golf club at which you are a member

• 46817 – Your unique personal number at your club

If you contact the Customer Service Centre (email help@golf.com.au), you should quote your GOLF Link number.

What about confidentiality of my details?

In accordance with GA's confidentiality agreement held with each golf club, a golfer's personal details are protected at all times unless otherwise expressly permitted by the individual themselves.

What is the cost to a golf club of being connected to GOLF Link?

Golf clubs are charged a per member fee of $2.77 (excluding GST) which is payable to Golf Australia in April each year for the period 1st April – 31st March. (For Victorian and Tasmanian clubs this fee is paid with Affiliation Fees). Golf Australia is then required to pay this fee to a 3rd party who deliver the technical services of managing the GOLF Link database and operating the customer service centre.

How does a club apply to connect to GOLF Link?

In order to connect to GOLF Link a club must first be affiliated to its state association. Once affiliated, please click here for information on applying to connect to GOLF Link.

I’m told that clubs have the choice of two different levels of access to GOLF Link. Can you tell me what they are?

Golf clubs perform their various handicapping and competition administration requirements via one of GOLF Link’s two club-level options:

• The basic GOLF Link Tier 1 operating system.

• A GOLF Link Tier 3 operating system.

“Tier 1” is currently used by most smaller clubs. It provides all necessary handicapping and competition management services. The club administrator will operate within Tier 1 via the GOLF Link Tier 1 website.

“Tier 3” refers to the third-party software companies that provide commercial club management software systems to golf clubs. These companies are accredited by GA to allow their software to interface with the GOLF Link systems. The “Tier 3” companies offer more advanced handicap and competition management services than are provided by the “Tier 1” GOLF Link website. Tier 3 companies provide software systems that extend beyond handicap and competition management modules. They offer modules for point-of-sale systems, member account management, club inventory management, personalised score card printing functionality, etc.

Third-Party (‘Tier 3’) Software Providers

The below Tier 3 Third-Party software providers have all been accredited by Golf Australia to use GOLF Link.

In most instances your home club will be able to answer your questions regarding handicapping, scores, lost GOLF Link cards etc.

How does Golf Link work?

Golf Link is the central handicapping system, devised by the Golf Australia to centrally process scores for the National Handicapping System. Clubs who are connected to the system send competition scores to the central server for Handicap calculation. All data on the system is submitted by the clubs for Golf Link to process. In general, any queries regarding personal details or score and handicap data should be referred to your club first.

I have noticed an incorrect score, missing score or unusual entry in my score history, what should I do?

Contact your home club, scores are entered by your club, or visited club, and any errors need to be referred to your home club for correction.

My Golf Link card is lost or damaged and I need a new one, what do I do?

Replacement Golf Link cards must now be ordered through the Golf Link website here. Once ordered, please note that new cards can take up to 4 weeks to be delivered.

I think my handicap has been incorrectly calculated, who do I contact?

In most cases your club handicapper can help you understand the handicapping process and how your handicap was adjusted. Golf Link processes scores in accordance with the Australian Handicapping & Course Rating Systems based on scores and course information submitted by the club. You can download a free copy of the Australian Handicapping & Course Rating Systems here.

What should I do when visiting another club?

When playing in a competition at another club you should ask the club if they are using Golf Link and if so present your Golf Link card for registration in the competition. The visited club should enter your score into Golf Link through their system, there is no need to send your card back to your home club. If the visited club is not yet on Golf Link they should send your card to your home club.

What should I do if I am a member of more than one club?

You have a responsibility to nominate only one Home Club. You should advise your other (i.e.Non Home) Golf Link club(s) of your home club Golf Link number. They will enter that number on your club record, this will allow all your scores to be linked to the one score history.

What should I do when I change my Home Club?

You must advise your new Home Club of your old Golf Link number from your previous club. Your new Home Club will use your old Golf Link number when they perform a “Home Club Transfer”. This process allows your old score history to be transferred to your new Golf Link number at your new Home Club. A transfer minimises the possibility of a golfer having more than one Golf Link record and Home Club. You should also advise your other clubs (if any) of your new Golf Link number.

I have been sent additional Golf Link cards with different Golf Link numbers on them, what should I do?

You should only ever have one current Golf Link card. You should contact Golf Link via email to arrange for the additional Golf Link record to be deleted from the database. You have a responsibility to ensure that your nominated Home Club has your records in order and that you only use the Golf Link card issued by your Home Club.

The Golf Link website rejected my Golf Link number, advising that it is Invalid, why is this?

The Golf Link number you have entered was rejected because:

• Your club has advised Golf Link that your Membership Status is 'Invalid'. If this is not correct, you should contact your Home Club to arrange for them to amend your details on Golf Link.

• You may have transferred your Home Club recently and you have been allocated a new Golf Link number. Your new Home Club can advise you of your new number.

• The number you have entered does not exist on the Golf Link database. Please check that the number is the one that appears on your Golf Link card.

When I look up my Golf Link number on the website I see "Handicap Status: Unallocated". What does that mean?

Unallocated handicap means that your club has not yet sent your initial handicap to Golf Link. Contact your club if you have any queries about your initial handicap.

I don't understand how the handicapping system works. How do I find out more?

A free copy of the Australian Handicapping & Course Rating Systems is now available here. If you have further enquiries, you should contact your club, State Golf Association or Golf Australia.

I receive an error page or other message when trying to access my score history - what should I do?

Try refreshing the page in your browser using the "Refresh" or reload button or CTRL+F5 on your keyboard.

I cannot remember my Golf Link number, what can I do?

Your club will have a record of your Golf Link number, if you cannot contact your club, contact Golf Link help (details above).

My score status for the previous competition I played is marked No Score – Approved. What does it mean?

No Score – Approved is used as a Score Status if you have not returned a Score Card and this has been approved by the club. The status of Approved is decided by a club official upon understanding the circumstances that lead to the round being incomplete. Acceptable reasons include illness, bad weather or emergency. There is no adjustment to the handicap.

I noticed that my score status is No Score - Not Approved. What does it mean?

This is used as a Score Status if a player fails to complete a round or submit a score for handicapping purposes without reasonable justification.

I need to update my address and contact details, who should I contact?

Please contact your Home club and ask them to update your address and contact details. The club will then update the Golf Link database.

I have just joined a club and want to get an official handicap, what should I do?

Male and female golfers must submit three (3) cards for handicapping purposes. Please inquire with your home club handicapper or other club official regarding the process.

Why can't I see the login area or the current handicap?

We have recently modified the site to take advantage of the most common screen resolution now in use. If you can't see the login area or the current handicap in the score history page, it may be because your system is still running on a lower resolution than 1024 x 768. If possible, we suggest you increase your resolution to at least this value. If this is not possible, please scroll to the right.

What are the terms and conditions of the use of Golf Link ?

A copy of the GOLF Link Terms and Conditions is available here in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) format.

What is Golf Link Mates?

Click here for more details. If you can not find the answer to your question here, contact us at Golf Link Help

GENERAL ADVICE: The GOLF Link website allows you to view a Golfer's Score History and displays the information contained in the Golf Link database at that time. This site is a valuable source of information that can be very useful when trying to understand a problem. Use the website to:

• Confirm that your club has successfully loaded a member onto Golf Link

• Confirm that the Golfer has an Initial Handicap allocated on Golf Link

• Confirm that a Competition has been successfully uploaded and processed by checking the record of a Golfer who was in the Competition

• Check to see how Golf Link recalculated a Golfer's Handicap

• Confirm a golfer's current handicap

Check the current list of affiliated clubs.

We want to upload a new club member onto Golf Link, What do we do?

IMPORTANT: You must first check with the Member if they have a Golf Link number from a previous club, if they do you must refer to that number when you upload the golfer details from your club. Do not upload a new member without checking first, you could create a duplicate record on Golf Link.

Home club member (with no previous Golf Link number): Upload member details leaving Golf Link number field in their record BLANK. A new Golf Link number will be returned.

Home club member (With a previous Golf Link number): Enter the Golf Link number from previous club in the Golf Link number field of the member record and ensure Home Club is set to YES. A new Golf Link number will be returned.

Non home club member (With a current Golf Link number): Enter the Golf Link number from Home Club in the Golf Link number field of the member record and ensure Home Club is set to NO.

Non home club member (Where Home Club is not using Golf Link): DO NOT load up to Golf Link. Treat as Non Golf Link visitor (999990000x) for competition processing purposes.

NOTE: If you have not established a Member's handicap at the time of upload, DO NOT enter 0.00 in the Handicap field, you must leave the field blank. Date of birth: Please DO NOT enter default values (e.g. 1/01/1900), enter known date or leave blank.

We have sent through a score for a member and Golf Link has responded with “Golfer does not have a Handicap”. We have established the Golfer's Initial Handicap on Golf Link, what is wrong?

Firstly check that date and time of Golfer's Initial Handicap is not dated after the date of the Competition or Score you are submitting. You may choose to make an 'Official Adjustment' to account for the round instead.

One of our members has asked us for a Replacement Golf Link card, what do we do?

All replacement Golf Link cards must now be ordered through the Golf Link website here, please advise your member to access the Golf Link website so they can order a replacement card for themselves.

Please note that all new members entered through your system will still receive a Golf Link card.

We have made a mistake entering a score in a Competition and the Competition has been sent to Golf Link and processed. What should we do?

You have 2 options:

• Perform a Score Correction for the score(s) concerned.

• Arrange for the Competition to be deleted by Golf Link and then resend the Competition. (Tier 3 clubs should delete the Competition Sequence Number first.)

When should we perform an 'Official Adjustment' to a Member's handicap?

Official Adjustments should only be performed when all other options have been considered.

What is the purpose of the 'Start of Day' function?

The Start of Day process will update your system with any relevant system changes and Course information as well as any changes to a Member's Handicap or Handicap Status. The file only contains changes that have occurred since your last Start of Day.

How often should we perform the 'Start of Day' function?

Because some information about your Club settings or Member's Handicaps can change as a result of outside activity, it is important that your Club performs this function at least DAILY, to ensure your information is current.

A Member has advised us that they are unable to access their record on the Golf Link website. What could be wrong?

The number may not exist because the Member has not yet been loaded on to Golf Link. You have updated the Golf Link database with a 'Membership Invalid' status. If the Member is a Valid member of your club, simply update the status on Golf Link by ensuring that the Status is correct and uploading the Member record to Golf Link or The member may have changed their nominated Home Club and not advised you of their new Golf Link number.

We have a permanent or temporary Course Rating or Par change. What should we do?

You should formally advise your State Golf Association and they can update your course information. This advice must be given prior to any Competitions being played under the new ratings. Click here to contact your State Golf Association.

We wish to set Maximum Club Handicaps for our Members so that it doesn't exceed the club's Maximum Handicap. How do we do this?

Under the changes in the handicapping system (1st of April 2009) clubs are no longer allowed to maintain handicaps higher than the official maximum handicap through the Golf Link system. The official maximum handicap for men is 36.4 and the maximum for women is 45.4. As such there is no longer any need to set a Maximum Club Handicap as this is now done automatically. Click here to contact your State Golf Association.

We need to add a new course. How should we do this?

Please contact your club's State Golf Association if you want to add a new course for your club.

A visitor to our club has forgotten to bring their Golf Link card. How should we deal with this?

Unless the visitor can produce their Golf Link card, it is strongly recommended that you do not accept verbal advice of the number and that the visitor is entered into the Competition as a NON Golf Link Visitor and the card sent back to their Home Club. This procedure will minimise any chance of mistakenly entering a score against the wrong Golf Link number.

Can our club produce our own cards compatible with Golf Link?

If your club is interested in producing combined membership and Golf Link cards, instead of having the two separate, please contact help@golf.com.au for further information.

Download the Golf Link Terms and Conditions Brochure Download the conditions for use of Club Card as a Golf Link card.

Can we get a list of Tier 3 accredited providers for Golf Link?

Below is a list of Tier 3 accredited providers for the Golf Link project. Click on each individual company to find out more detail. For further information about their systems please contact the provider.

Golf Link Accredited Tier 3 Providers as at 1 January, 2007

Computer Magic (WebService Enabled) - Tel: 02 8206 9080 Golf Computer Systems (WebService Enabled) - Tel: 07 3366 6696 Infopower Pty Ltd - Tel: 07 5630 1122 MiClub (WebService Enabled) - Tel: (08) 9444 5300 Micropower Pty Ltd - Tel: 03 9898 3455 Pricap Pty Ltd - Tel: 0404 060 109 Pulse Club Computers - Tel: 02 4929 7822 Thyme Software - Tel: 08 8260 8245

WebService Enabled: The Tier 3 system provider is now using the new WebService technology to communicate with the Golf Link server.

The advantages of using this platform instead of using the normal Comms Module are:

• Enable direct-connection between server and clients; therefore eliminating the need for a middle-man application (Comms Module – old technology), which significantly increases speed and reduces the possibility of failures in the communication.

• The more dynamic interface enables automated functionality to be implemented reducing administration time.

• Web Services technology also eliminates the possible Des-Key errors via integrated SSL web-standard encryption.

Why can't I see the login area or the current handicap?

We have recently modified the site to take advantage of the most common screen resolution now in use. If you can't see the login area or the current handicap in the score history page, it may be because your system is still running on a lower resolution than 1024 x 768. If possible, we suggest you increase your resolution to at least this value. If this is not possible, please scroll to the right.

Some of our members have not yet received their Golf Link card, what is the problem?

Golf clubs can no longer request a replacement Golf Link card through their home club. Replacement cards must now be ordered through the Golf Link web site.

I need to have a Golf Link Number changed, what do I do?

The first thing you need to do is check if the number you wish to change to exists. If it does exist this number cannot be deleted unless it has no history within the last 2 years. If the number you wish to change is available you will be able to call the Golf Link help desk and request that you have the number changed.

When changing numbers we have to be sure we are not deleting or corrupting any of the member's information. Due to the large amount of work required to do this, Golf Link will now charge for the change of Golf Link numbers (exceptions can be made at Golf Link discretion). Only a golf club, state association or Golf Australia can request a change of Golf Link number.

The charge will be $40 for the first Golf Link number plus $10 for each additional number to be changed (i.e. 2 numbers would be $50). Any bulk requests (more than 5) will be calculated on a case by case basis at sole discretion of Golf Link (all prices inc. GST).

We are a Social Club or Corporate Group who wish to process competitions through Golf Link, what should we do?

If you are a Social Club or Corporate Group wanting to process handicapped competitions through Golf Link you can apply for access to the Golf Link Tier 1 System. Please refer to the following document for further information and details on how to apply:

Social Group Golf Link Tier 1 Access

When may a golfer's records be deleted from the Golf Link database?

The only time records should be deleted from the Golf Link database are in the following circumstances:

• The record was created in error and it contains no score history (confirmed in writing by the club.)

• The player is deceased (confirmed in writing by the club.)

• The player has experienced a physical or mental condition such that they will never return to handicap golf (confirmed in writing by the club.)

If you can not find the answer to your question here, contact the Customer Service Centre.

What is the address for the Tier 1 website?

https://tier1.golflink.com.au/

Our club would like to start using the Tier 1 system. What do we do next?

TIER 1 REGISTRATION

Please read and download the Golf Link Tier 1 Application Form. Print out, fill in and return to register your interest. Golf Link will contact you upon receipt of this form.

We have inadvertently duplicated or uploaded a member on to our database and we want to remove the record. How can we do this?

If the Member has not been linked to another club and has no Score History on the record, you can Delete the Member from the Member Summary page.

We are trying to enter a Competition played at another club and their course details do not appear on the system. What do we do?

Contact your State Golf Association and they will be able to update the database.

We have a Member whose Home Club is not ours and that club is not using Golf Link, what should we do?

DO NOT load the Member on to Golf Link. The Member should be entered into Competitions as a 'Non Golf Link Visitor'. The Member should advise you of their Golf Link number when they receive one.

We want to link two or more rounds (Competition). How can we do this?

If you want to link two or more rounds, you can do this with the Link Competitions feature. Click on the Add beside Linked Rounds and then select the round(s) to link to the round you are currently viewing. You should have previously set up at least one of the other rounds to be linked. The Competition Entrants can be copied from one round to others by selecting Competition Entrants whist in the round to be copied to and select the round to copy entrants from. Once the rounds are linked, each round can be submitted for Handicapping as an individual round and the progressive results can be viewed for the combined rounds. You can select to view either Linked Rounds Results or Single Round Results.

How can we resolve ties?

You can Resolve Ties by first deciding final placings offline. Then select Prize Allocation and update the placings by selecting one of the options provided, once all placings are allocated click Save.

We want to enter prize allocation for each golfer, what should we do?

By selecting Prize Allocation you can enter prize allocation for each golfer in a Free Format beside each golfer. Don't forget to Save the details when complete. You can only display the Prize Allocations in printed form if Print is selected while in this page.

We need to update the Club's address and contact details, how can we do this?

The user can update the Club's address and contact details on the Golf Link Database by editing information and Saving the changes. It is essential that you keep these details current to ensure important communications are received by your club.

We would like to allocate Membership Categories to members. What do we do next?

This is an optional function that allows clubs to allocate Membership Categories to members. You can add other categories if you wish by selecting from the options provided and select Add. This builds your Membership Categories to suit your club. To allocate categories to your members, go to the Member Summary page and select the category from the option box for each member. The Membership categories are selectable for certain reports to allow you to create specific reports.

We are trying to enter our entire Club (male or female) member list in a Competition. How can we do this in a faster way?

This function allows you to access the entire Club (male or female) member list and load entrants into the competition. Select Load Club Members from either the Competition Entrants screen or the Competition Entrants and Scores screen and tick the box beside the members you want to enter. If you are in the Competition Entrants screen, you can enter the scores as well. When complete, click Add Members. You can now return to Single Entrants if you want to add more players or Process the Competition.

We have a member who is now unfinancial. Can we change the member's status from financial to unfinancial?

Yes, locate the member's record using the search function and then select “Member Summary”, and change “Valid Membership Status” to No.

Are card readers available for Tier 1 Clubs?

Card readers are an optional addition for clubs using Tier 1 systems. They can be useful if the club has a system available at the club for use by members to enter themselves into competitions. If interested please contact Golf Link at help@golf.com.au

If you can not find the answer to your question here, contact the Customer Service Centre.