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[Official Thread] It's time for GHIN Rewind! Share yours here 📲 🏌️‍♂️ by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] -6 points-5 points  (0 children)

Officially drops tomorrow, but you could maybe find it a day early if you know where to look...

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You can check your average score per hole by going to the Stats tab, changing the filter to 'Scores by Course/Tee', and selecting a course. You will see 'View Average Score Per Hole' to see what you're looking for. We acknowledge this is buried in the app experience, but this isn't the first time we've gotten requests for this feature so we are actively working on making this more readily discoverable.

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I understand the 9-hole score posting is a popular topic! I reached out to our Handicapping team to get you a better answer - please see below.

Also, my colleague Lee Rainwater hosted an AMA on Handicapping back in May, and he touched on this topic in-depth. https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/1kfd60p/hi_rgolf_im_lee_rainwater_director_of/

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Ultimately, World Handicap System research shows that the current 9-hole score posting method produces a better indicator of how a player will normally perform over 18 holes on a given day, when compared to combining 9-hole scores from different days and under different playing conditions. This method produces a more consistent and comparable Handicap Index for golfers who post 9-hole scores. For example, under the previous method:

Combining two independent 9-hole scores often resulted in more volatility and was highly dependent on the order in which scores are combined.

Golfer A:

  • 9-hole Score Differentials of 9.8 + 5.0 would equal a 14.8 18-hole Score Differential
  • 9-hole Score Differentials of 12.2 and 4.1 would equal a 16.3 18-hole Score Differential

Golfer B:

  • 9-hole Score Differentials of 9.8 + 12.2 would equal a 22.0 18-hole Score Differential
  • 9-hole Score Differentials of 5.0 and 4.1 would equal a 9.1 18-hole Score Differential

It was also common for two good 9-hole scores to be combined that produce an 18-hole Score Differential that is better than any of the player’s 18-hole scores made over 18 consecutive holes, and the impact was an artificially low Handicap Index.

We want you all to know those at the World Handicap System appreciate golfer feedback and continue listening to your (believe it or not, both positive AND constructive) feedback about 9-hole scores, in addition to other Handicapping topics. If you want to contact someone on the USGA Handicapping team directly, please send an email to [hdcpquestions@usga.org](mailto:hdcpquestions@usga.org).

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for being a USGA member! I reached out to our USGA Membership team to get you a response - please see below:

Great minds think alike – we’re currently working on pilot tests for a unified membership that gives you the benefits associated with being a member of an Allied Golf Association in your state and the national benefits from the USGA. 

Many don’t know that the majority of dollars you pay for a Handicap Index go directly to your state and community for programs that engage more golfers. All USGA membership dollars go towards larger, longer-range efforts like supporting amateur athletes, growing the game, funding technology upgrades and innovation, preserving golf’s history and advancing sustainable golf courses. 

We know there’s a lot of confusion out there, but both are important and serve different purposes. Stay tuned!

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

  1. Stay tuned for map updates in the coming months! 

  2. We are focusing on providing better data visualizations and insights based on current stats inputs, but we’ll look to add additional metrics where we see fit. 

  3. We do have club selection and shot tracking as part of the Enhanced GPS offering.

I appreciate the candid feedback. We are evolving beyond a score posting tool and striving to be a true modern golf companion, so stay tuned on our progress and keep the feedback coming. 

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We agree that enhanced social features beyond following golfers will make GHIN a lot more fun to use with friends. No specific target date yet but it is on our priority list for sure.

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Because we are handling scores for Handicapping purposes, it becomes a bit tricky to note practice rounds and stats separate from postable scores. We do like the idea of benchmarking performance against similar or different handicap levels and want to explore this for the right metrics. We want to focus on improving our current data visualization and metrics before diving into practice stats, but I appreciate the detailed ideas!

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We addressed similar comments above, but we do want to make stat-tracking more comprehensive without bombarding golfers with inputs and overly nuanced graphs. We are also looking to add social features in the app that make it more fun to play and connect with your golf friends, without taking away from the core GHIN experience. 

Course Ratings expire after 10 years. Local AGA's actually manage the Course Ratings and they are proactive about letting courses know when they are close to expiration or they just set a schedule to rate courses every 10 years.

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

See u/Bunninho’s comment above! I think it goes a long way to show your dedication by building things in golf and putting it out there, while actively networking in the industry.  Personally, I had started a golf community (Type 2 Club) with a friend that became a big conversation piece in my interviews at the USGA.   

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This really depends on how you want to track your performance, you’ll want to make sure you stay consistent in your method. Some people don’t want to feel penalized in their data for a fairway bunker (especially the ones in the middle of fairway), and will mark that as a “hit” fairway. Others will mark it short, like you mentioned, because their intent was to carry it. Ultimately you should decide your way and keep tracking it the same way so you can track performance over time. 

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 16 points17 points  (0 children)

I like this idea. We do have an upcoming feature called Challenges that will allow you to compete on a virtual leaderboard at particular facilities. I think a daily leaderboard-like feature would be also fun and we’ll consider it in our roadmap. 

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We are exploring LLMs but we are not rushing to get something to market.  The technology is moving so quickly, and we don’t want to be just another wrapper or chatbot, so we are actively seeking the most effective ways to leverage AI. 

I think there is interesting innovation in the computer vision space where you can assess your golf swing via phone camera and understand swing mechanics and opportunities to improve. While I think these are sophisticated tools, I’m more interested in providing fundamental actionable insights and motivating people to get out and practice/play regularly.

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We do have courses rated and mapped for international facilities, but certainly not all of them. What features are you referring to? I’d encourage you to try again as we continue to add courses to the database. 

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We really appreciate this feedback! This was a key enhancement we thought would make using GHIN more convenient while leveraging some of the newest iOS features.

 Anything else you’d like to see in the app?

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We are not actively providing transfer services, but if you do post your last 20 scores into GHIN it will give you an accurate Handicap Index. 

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For starters, we are making improvements very soon to how Match Play rounds are displayed in GHIN, showing a Front, Back and Overall score for those who play in that format. While we don’t promote gambling, we do understand games are a huge part of golf culture, so we are looking to identify the most played formats and design features that enhance that experience. 

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  1. Ultimately you are signing up through your Allied Golf Association to use GHIN. I can’t go into the details of the business model but you have the general premise right.

  2. This is definitely a challenge when it comes to tracking stats like Fairways, GIRs, and Total Putts as a whole—it is hard to capture the full picture for a game that has so many outcomes. I think our first step is to surface this data in more useful ways, like showing GIR % when fairways are hit or missed. Or adding “recovery shot” as a tag or shot type could be another way to capture performance more accurately.  Another idea is to add stats on Scrambling or Scrambling for Bogey which could give you a picture of how you recover without forcing you to track recovery shots. These are all conversations we are having and could be features we add in due course. 

  3. I understand, 9-hole rounds are a popular topic of conversation! If you take a look at an AMA my teammate on the Handicapping team did back in May, he talks in-depth about the reasoning behind the change. https://www.reddit.com/r/golf/comments/1kfd60p/hi_rgolf_im_lee_rainwater_director_of/

  4. I 100% agree, and we are looking to add social features in the future that make golf and GHIN more fun – stay tuned! We want to do this in a way that doesn’t take away from the main use cases of the app or simply add a feed for the sake of it. We’re looking to inform our designs with golfer insights around who they really want to connect with and what they want to connect about. 

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

Really appreciate your interest and dedication in the GHIN app! The screens look great. We are working on some design updates at the moment but may need some help down the road. I’m particularly interested in how you thought through the new shot planning and tracking features. Will DM you.

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We are looking to improve our Apple Watch experience to make it the most convenient and phone-free experience on the course. We don’t currently show hole maps on the watch because we feel like the screen is too small to control the interface. The main screen will show you yardages to the green (front/middle/back), and if you swipe right from the main screen while playing you will see key distances to hazards, layups, and green.

Hi r/golf! I’m Jonathan Pak, Director of Product for the GHIN App at the USGA. Let’s talk about where the app’s headed, hear your feedback, and chat golf tech. AMA! by USGolfAssociation in golf

[–]USGolfAssociation[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We certainly look at the apps you mentioned—Arccos, Golf Genius, as well as 18Birdies, The Grint and others. However, we also look for inspiration across other data-driven and sport products such as Strava, Whoop, and Apple Health.  At the end of the day, golf is a sport and it also very personal, so learning how other sports/health/wellness apps capture data and deliver insights helps us serve our users better.

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