This Week at The Golf Collective

The Golf Collective
December 9, 2025

Ready to get started? Join us today and let’s hit the course together sometime! Whether you’re looking to get an official handicap for the first time or wanting to improve your existing one, we’re here to support you every step of the way. Golf is a game for everyone, and with a handicap, you can fairly compete against one another, regardless of skill level.

So come on, let’s play golf and enjoy the beautiful courses Australia has to offer!

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This Week at The Golf Collective

The Most Common Broken Rules in Competition Golf (That You Might Not Be Aware Of)

🏌️‍♂️ Ruben’s Weekly Update

🏌️‍♂️Ruben’s Weekly Update

A quick check-in as we roll into the final stretch of the year. Plenty happening behind the scenes — here’s everything you need to know 👇

🎟️ 100 Club – Grab Your Number!

Still plenty of numbers left — let’s make this a big night!
You don’t have to be a member to buy a number.

👉 shop.thegolfcollective.com.au

TGC 100 Club – Raffle Night

Where: Last Slice Midland
When: Saturday, 13th December 2025
Time: 6pm till late

A fresh spin on the classic raffle night — part suspense, part chaos, part “don’t knock my number out yet.”

Your $50 entry gets you:
✅ Your lucky number (1–100)
✅ 3 x raffle tickets
✅ 1 x drink voucher

How it works:
We draw numbers from 1 to 100.
If your number survives… good things happen.
The last three numbers standing take home the cash.

💰 Prize Money

1st: $1,500
2nd: $1,000
3rd: $500

🎉 Bonus Twists

Every 20 numbers drawn, one lucky number gets their $50 back (4 bonus balls total).
Let’s make it a night to remember.

📅 2026 Schedule – Almost Ready

The first half of the 2026 season is locked away, and we’re now finalising the rest.
We’ll be sending the full schedule link to members in next week’s update.

70+ events.
9 Hole events.
Ladies only events.
Junior events.
3 trips.
….and a lot more!

A full year of golf ahead.
Get excited!

🧾 Memberships Reminder

We’ve had a few members cancel recently saying they’ll return in 2027, so here’s an important reminder:

🔒 Your membership rate is locked in for life

This is our loyalty guarantee — the rate you signed up on (excluding sign up discounts) is the rate we honour forever as long as your membership remains active. If a membership is cancelled, the sign-up rate resets to whatever the current rate is at the time of return.

This is hard-coded into our system, and unfortunately, no exceptions can be made.

⭐ VIP Memberships – Only 5 Available

Once the new schedule is released, another 5 VIP Memberships will be available for purchase.

The VIP Membership includes:
✔️ Free entry to every metro area Cup Race event
✔️ Free entry to all metro area Two-Ball Ambrose Series events
❌ Does not include Corporate events, Social events/pop-ups, Ryder Cup, Rottnest Trip, Kalgoorlie Trip, Southern Swing

If you are lucky enough to already hold a VIP Membership, you will have the opportunity to renew at your original “Founder VIP” rate.

We are still finalising the 2026 VIP cost, but expect it to be approx. $2,000 + the cost of your Platinum Membership renewal. That’s over $7000 in value alone.

There is already high demand — and with only 5 available, they will be allocated on a first-paid basis.

We’ll give everyone plenty of notice when they go live in the coming weeks.

🔧 2026 Season Changes

There is a long list of updates and improvements coming in 2026 — all positive, and all designed to make your member experience smoother, easier, and even more enjoyable.

These will be announced during the first two weeks of January.

🛠️ GA Connect

Some players are still experiencing handicap submission issues following GA’s recent update.

As always:
📩 If you spot an issue, tell us immediately — we can fix it quickly.

You can continue to submit scores via:
✔️ Submit Scorecard function
✔️ Mobile scoring system

We are still monitoring everything closely, but the number of issues does seem to be reducing.

📱 Android Users – Important

The “spinning wheel of death” issue when accessing Golf Genius continues to affect many Android users. We are constantly on Golf Genius’ case about this and will update you when we have a fix. With the new season approaching, we are also exploring alternative scoring and membership management platforms – this is all based off your feedback.

This doesn’t mean we’re changing — but it does mean we’re always looking at ways to make your experience better.

🤫 Quiet Period

You may have noticed we’ve been quieter on socials — totally normal for us at this time of year. Between now and the new season, we focus heavily on backend setup, system improvements, and preparing for the beast that is the 2026 event calendar. We’re still here, still active, and still ready to help whenever you need.

🎥 Gosnells Recap Video

Amongst everything else, I’m chipping away at the Gosnells recap video. It’s shaping up beautifully, and with a bit of luck, it should be ready for release early to mid next week.

❤️ Thank You

Thanks again to every single one of you for your ongoing support. TGC is building something genuinely special — and it’s because of the loyalty, energy, and passion you bring to this community.

I can’t wait to see you all at Last Slice this Saturday.

– Ruben
Managing Director | The Golf Collective

Golf is a game of skill, strategy, and precision. For players of different abilities, competing fairly can be a challenge without a standardized system. That’s where the golf handicap comes in, ensuring a level playing field for all golfers, from beginners to professionals. In this guide, we’ll dive into why having a handicap is beneficial and answer essential questions like what should my handicap be, how long does it take to get a handicap, and more.

What is a Golf Handicap?

A golf handicap is a numerical measure that represents a golfer’s potential skill level. It helps players of different abilities compete fairly, by adjusting the number of strokes a golfer is allowed to take. In essence, the lower the handicap, the better the player.

For example, if Golfer A has a handicap of 5 and Golfer B has a handicap of 15, Golfer B will receive additional strokes to even out the competition, making it fair for both players.

Encourages Goal-Setting and Personal Challenges

For many golfers, lowering their handicap is a key goal. This system encourages players to focus on improving specific areas of their game and set personal goals. As you see your handicap drop, you’ll feel a sense of accomplishment that drives you to keep practising and improving your skills.

Facilitates Tournament Participation

Many tournaments require participants to have an official handicap. Without one, you might miss out on a wide range of opportunities to compete in organised events at local clubs, amateur competitions, or even larger tournaments. Having a handicap ensures you’re eligible for these events and that you can compete fairly.

Supports Strategic Course Management

Knowing your handicap also allows you to make smarter decisions on the course. Players with higher handicaps might focus on playing conservatively, while lower handicap golfers can take more risks. By integrating your handicap into your strategy, you’ll improve your overall performance and learn to manage the course more effectively.

What Should My Handicap Be?

One of the most common questions new golfers ask is, what should my handicap be? For beginners, it’s typical to start with a high handicap, such as 20-36 for men or 20-40 for women. As you gain experience and improve, your handicap will decrease.

For an average golfer, handicaps usually range between 10-20. Experienced players often have handicaps under 10, and professionals typically play with a handicap close to zero or even in the “plus” range. The goal is to keep improving your game and lowering your handicap over time.

What Are Professional’s Handicaps?

How Long Does It Take to Get a Handicap?

A common query from new players is, how long does it take to get a handicap? Getting an official handicap typically requires submitting scores from 3 to 5 rounds of golf. These scores are used to calculate your handicap based on your performance and the difficulty of the courses you’ve played.

Once you’ve established a handicap, it will be updated as you play more rounds and submit additional scores. It’s essential to keep tracking your scores regularly to maintain an accurate handicap.

At The Golf Collective to establish a handicap, you’ll need to complete 54 holes. You can achieve this by playing three 18-hole rounds, six 9-hole rounds, or a combination of both. Ensure your scores are verified by a playing partner and submitted according to our straightforward guidelines. Be sure to keep your scorecard for each round.

How The Golf Collective Can Benefit You

You can submit all of the rounds you play, not just at your ‘home course’. You can play at any course recognized for handicapping, and your scores will still be valid. Our system allows you to enjoy golf wherever you choose while ensuring your handicap stays accurate and up to date.

Unlike clubs that rely on manual scorecards, our mobile scoring system offers a convenient, paperless solution for submitting your scores. This allows for quicker handicap updates and provides a more streamlined, modern golfing experience.

At The Golf Collective, you can enjoy a social round anytime, anywhere, and still have it count toward your handicap. Our flexible system lets you play on your schedule while keeping your handicap accurate and up to date.