From endless college basketball to the just-concluded WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship, brackets dominated the conversation in March. Kevin Kisner captured the title at Austin (Texas) Country Club on Sunday, one year after finishing as the runner-up, while Matt Kuchar and Tiger Woods showed off the match-play chops that earned them U.S. Amateur titles more than two decades ago with deep runs of their own.
With the calendar turned to April and the weather finally thawing, golf is ready to take center stage (and really, isn’t that where it should be?). Here are three ways that is happening this week, from the elite levels of the game to the recreational variety.
Active Handicap Season is Here
Spring officially arrived last week, and many golfers around the country are putting their clubs to use for the first time in months. Starting Monday, scores can be posted in 48 states for handicap purposes. In 17 states, active handicap season begins April 1, while many others either began in March or run year-round. It begins in Maine, Vermont and upstate New York on April 15. You can find the nationwide active/inactive schedule here.
If you’ve been working on your swing all winter, eager to lower your Handicap Index, but have been limited to practicing indoors, it’s time to get out there! If you’ve been getting in a few rounds between snow storms, remember, your scores will count going forward. And if you’ve pledged to finally get a handicap this year, there’s no better time than now. Simply find a facility near you that issues them. Uncertain about how the USGA Handicap System works? Here are answers to some FAQs to get you on your way.
Top Juniors Ready for Drive, Chip and Putt Finals
The attention of the golf world will turn to Augusta National Golf Club the second week of April for the Masters Tournament. The future of the game, however, will be arriving in north Georgia a few days earlier. On Sunday, April 7, 80 junior golfers from the ages of 7-15 will give it their best shot in the National Finals of the Drive, Chip and Putt Championship. A collaborative effort of the USGA, PGA of America, and Augusta National, the competition began with nearly 300 local qualifiers and tens of thousands of participants, before narrowing it down to this group, who come from 27 states, Canada and France.
