H.I.GOLF Launches as Korea’s Official Handicap Programme

The Korean Golf Association unveils a unified digital platform designed to bring credibility, transparency and structure to handicapping nationwide

The Korean Golf Association has launched H.I.GOLF, Korea’s official handicap programme, marking a significant step in standardising how golfers across the country measure and manage their playing ability.

Designed to serve a similar role to the United States Golf Association’s GHIN system and the Japan Golf Association’s J-Sys, H.I.GOLF is intended to become the national benchmark for handicap calculation while also functioning as a central digital hub for Korean golfers.

Built around each player’s handicap index, H.I.GOLF offers score management, a range of handicap-based rankings, friend and round comparison tools, and the ability to create private clubs within the platform. To ensure accuracy and credibility, the KGA has directly integrated the handicap calculation module developed by the The R&A, applying all rules of the World Handicap System to more precisely reflect a golfer’s true playing standard.

The KGA’s handicap initiative has been developed over several years as part of its efforts to broaden participation in the game. From 2017 to 2022, the association operated GHIN as Korea’s official handicap system, before continuing the programme through partnerships with domestic scoring companies and online platforms.

To date, 142,210 golfers have consented to share their handicap data with the KGA, with men accounting for 84 per cent and women 16 per cent of users. Of those, 121,644 currently hold an active handicap index. Golfers who previously agreed to data sharing under earlier systems can access and use their existing handicap seamlessly through H.I.GOLF.

The KGA estimates Korea’s golfing population at approximately 6.24 million in 2023 and has set a target of registering around 500,000 golfers on H.I.GOLF, representing roughly eight to 10 per cent of active players. By comparison, GHIN has about 3.4 million registered users, while J-Sys has approximately 700,000.

Rankings on H.I.GOLF are offered nationally as well as by gender, region and handicap range. To be included, golfers must have at least 20 scores recorded from course-rated venues, show verified playing activity within the past year and hold their lowest recorded handicap index.

The platform’s “Friends & Rounds” function allows players to set target scores that account for both individual handicaps and course difficulty, enabling fairer on-course comparisons and competition. The KGA says the feature is designed to discourage informal handicap exchanges and promote competition based on verified performance.

H.I.GOLF also supports the creation of private clubs for regular groups and societies, providing an environment where handicaps can be shared and informally validated within a community of players.

While positioned as Korea’s official handicap programme, H.I.GOLF is open to all golfers regardless of whether they currently hold a handicap. Additional services are planned, including the launch of a golf-focused membership card in February and future expansion into GPS-based features covering broader aspects of golf life.

The platform is operated directly by the KGA’s Handicap and Marketing Team, with IT solutions provided by CNPS. The service is free of charge and currently supports handicap calculation at 266 course-rated golf facilities nationwide.