What Canadian golfers need to know about the end of the active season, winter golf trips and tracking indoor rounds.
There’s still time for at least one more round outdoors. But will that round count toward your Golf Canada Handicap Index?
As the active season ends across much of Canada, the answer depends on where and when you play.
Whether you’re squeezing in a final round at home, packing your clubs for a winter getaway or heading to a simulator, here’s what to know about recording your scores.
What is the active season?
The active season is the period when acceptable scores from courses in a particular area must be submitted for handicap purposes. Provincial golf associations establish these dates, which vary across Canada.
Scores from rounds played during a course’s inactive season do not count toward handicap calculations. Seasonal conditions can make a course play differently from the conditions reflected in its course and slope ratings. Learn more about active seasons.
A course can remain open after its active season ends. You can still enjoy a round, but that score won’t count toward your handicap index.
When does the active season end in my province?
A list of the following active seasons:
| Province | Active season |
|---|---|
| British Columbia | March 1 to Nov. 15 |
| Alberta | March 1 to Oct. 31 |
| Saskatchewan | April 15 to Oct. 31 |
| Manitoba | April 15 to Oct. 31 |
| Ontario | April 15 to Oct. 31 |
| Quebec | April 15 to Oct. 31 |
| New Brunswick | April 21 to Oct. 31 |
| Nova Scotia | April 15 to Oct. 31 |
| Prince Edward Island | April 16 to Nov. 14 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | April 1 to Nov. 30 |
Some courses in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland and on Vancouver Island may observe a year-round active season. Check with the course or provincial association if you’re unsure about its status.
Heading somewhere warmer? Keep posting your scores
Your home club’s inactive season ending doesn’t mean scores for rounds at all courses won’t count towards your handicap index.
If you belong to a club in Ontario and play in Florida in January, you must submit an otherwise acceptable score. Florida observes a year-round active season, so those rounds count even while your home course is closed for winter.
Before your trip, check the active season at your destination with the course or local golf association. Warm weather alone doesn’t determine whether a score is acceptable. Many southern U.S. destinations have year-round active seasons, but confirm before you play. Read Golf Canada’s winter score-posting guidance.
After each round, post your acceptable score through the Golf Canada App or online Score Centre. Select the course and tees you played and submit the score as soon as possible that day, before midnight local time. Golf Canada automatically accounts for the course’s active season.
If you maintain both Canadian and U.S. scoring records, make sure all acceptable scores appear in both. Golf Canada can help link Canadian and USGA accounts so scores transfer automatically. Contact members@golfcanada.ca for assistance in setting this up.
Those winter rounds can change your Golf Canada Handicap Index.
Taking your game indoors? Keep tracking it
If you’re heading to a simulator this winter, use the Golf Canada App to record your indoor rounds and practice sessions at participating Golf Canada member facilities. It’s a useful way to track your indoor game, follow your progress and stay focused on your goals until spring. Learn about indoor tracking in the app.
Indoor scores do not count toward your Handicap Index. They still give you a record of your simulator rounds, whether you’re working towards a scoring goal, playing in a winter league or enjoying a game with friends.
The Golf Canada app is available as a free download from the App Store and Google Play. Download the app.
Does every outdoor round during the active season count?
The active season is one requirement. The round must also meet the other conditions in the Rules of Handicapping.
These include playing an authorized format, completing the required minimum number of holes, playing in the company of at least one other person and following the Rules of Golf. The course must also have current course and slope ratings.
If you’re unsure whether a round qualifies, ask your club’s handicap committee or see the Rules of Handicapping.
What should I do before the season ends?
Review your scoring record for missing rounds and ask your club for help correcting any omissions or errors.
For your remaining outdoor rounds, submit acceptable scores as soon as possible on the day you play, before midnight local time. That allows your score to be included in the playing conditions calculation and your handicap index to be updated for the following day. Find score-posting guidance.
Wherever you play this winter, keep the Golf Canada app handy. Post acceptable outdoor scores while travelling and record your indoor rounds to keep tracking your game until spring.
