Can You Post Golf Scores in Winter? (2026)

Calendar pages showing 2026 golf handicap seasons ending October 31, November 14 and November 30, over a frosty golf course at night

Whether you can post a golf score in winter depends on where the course is, not where you live. If the course is in its inactive season, the score is not acceptable for your Handicap Index^®. If it's in an active or year-round season, the score counts. In 2026, many northern seasons end October 31 or in mid-November.

This guide explains what the inactive season is, lists the 2026 active-season dates for the main seasonal states, and covers the question snowbirds ask every year: what happens to a round in Florida or Arizona in January. It also shows how TheGrint marks off-season rounds in your scorecards list.

If you're planning a winter golf trip, TheGrint's free golf course directory has scorecards and golfer ratings for courses in every year-round state.

What is the inactive season in golf?

The inactive season is the part of the year when scores played at courses in a given area are not acceptable for handicap purposes. The Allied Golf Association (AGA) with jurisdiction over that area sets the dates, and some areas have no inactive season at all.

It exists because of how courses are rated. The Course Rating^™ and Slope Rating^™ for each set of tees assume normal playing conditions. In colder places, winter brings frozen ground, temporary greens and tees, and limited maintenance, so a course can play very differently from the way it was rated. Leaving those rounds out keeps a Handicap Index from being distorted by conditions instead of by how you played.

Your handicap isn't turned off. Your Handicap Index stays the same until you post a new acceptable score.
You can still play. The inactive season only decides whether a score is posted, not whether the course is open.
The course decides, not you. The season that applies is the one for the course where you played that day.

When does the 2026 golf season end in my state?

The active season ends on October 31 in several northern states and in mid-to-late November in many others. These are the published active-season dates for common seasonal areas on the USGA^® schedule, checked on October 27, 2026:

State or area	Association	Active season (scores can be posted)
Michigan	Golf Association of Michigan	April 1 – October 31
Minnesota	Minnesota Golf Association	April 1 – October 31
Wisconsin	Wisconsin State Golf Association	April 1 – October 31
New York (upstate)	New York State Golf Association	April 15 – October 31
Maine	Maine Golf	April 15 – October 31
Colorado	Colorado Golf Association	March 15 – November 15
Illinois (Chicago area)	Chicago District Golf Association	March 15 – November 14
New Jersey	New Jersey Golf	April 1 – November 14
New York (metro)	Metropolitan Golf Association	April 1 – November 14
Massachusetts	Mass Golf	April 1 – November 14
Pennsylvania	GAP and Western Pennsylvania Golf Association	April 1 – November 14
Ohio (Ohio Golf Association areas)	Ohio Golf Association	March 15 – November 30
Ohio (Cleveland area)	Northern Ohio Golf Association	April 1 – November 14
Maryland	Maryland State Golf Association	March 15 – November 30
Washington	Washington Golf	March 1 – November 14

Source: USGA Handicap Active and Inactive Season Schedule. Some states are split by region or by association, such as New York, Ohio, northern and southern Nevada, and northern and southern Utah. Dates can change, so check the schedule or your AGA before you post.

States on the schedule as year-round include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, plus southern Nevada and southern Utah.

Do golf scores count if you play somewhere warm in winter?

Yes. If you play a course that is in an active or year-round season, the score is acceptable and should be posted, even if your home club is in its inactive season. In an example from the USGA, a golfer from New York who plays in Florida in January has to post that round, and it counts toward the Handicap Index.

Post it as an away score. Any round on a course other than your home course gets an Away, or "A," score type.
It can move your Index. A winter trip round is a normal acceptable score, so it can raise or lower your Handicap Index like any other.
Check the date, not the weather. A warm November day at home doesn't change the posting rule, and a cold day in an active area doesn't stop a score from counting.

For more detail, see the USGA articles on the inactive posting season and on posting away scores as a snowbird.

What happens to rounds you play during the inactive season?

A round played at a course in its inactive season is not posted to your scoring record for handicap purposes, so it doesn't change your Handicap Index. You can still keep score and track the round for yourself.

On TheGrint, if you have a linked or official Handicap ID, a round played at a course in its inactive season is marked with an O, for Off-Season, in your scorecards list. It's applied automatically from the governing association's season. The other letters in that list, such as A for Away and T for Tournament, are explained in what the letters on your scorecards list mean.

The USGA also announced in October 2026 that a forthcoming update to the GHIN^® app will let golfers in seasonal areas save off-season scores for personal tracking, even when their area isn't in an active posting window.

How can you keep improving during the golf off-season?

The off-season is a good time to look at what your scores say and plan the next season, even if you play less.

Keep scoring the rounds you play. Winter rounds won't move your Handicap Index, but your putts, fairways and penalties still tell you where strokes go.
Review last season's stats. Look for the one area that cost the most strokes, such as three-putts or penalty strokes, and pick a practice focus around it.
Plan a warm-weather trip. Our guides to the best golf courses in Florida, Arizona, Texas, South Carolina and California cover year-round states.
Get your handicap ready for spring. If you don't have an official handicap yet, see how to get an official golf handicap.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you post golf scores in the winter?

You can post a winter score if the course where you played is in an active or year-round season on that date. If the course is in its inactive season, the score is not acceptable for handicap purposes. The rule follows the location of the course, not your home state or home club.

When does the golf handicap season end?

It depends on the area. On the 2026 USGA schedule, the active season ends on October 31 in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Maine and upstate New York, and on November 14 or 15 in places such as New Jersey, Massachusetts, Colorado and the Chicago area. Year-round states have no inactive season.

Does my handicap go away in the off-season?

No. Your Handicap Index doesn't reset or turn off during the inactive season. It simply doesn't change from local rounds, because those scores aren't posted. It can still change if you post an acceptable score from a course in an active or year-round area.

Do rounds in Florida count toward my handicap in January?

Yes. Florida is a year-round state on the USGA schedule, so an acceptable round there in January counts toward your Handicap Index, even if your home club is in its inactive season. Post it as an away score, with the A score type, like any round away from your home course.

How does TheGrint handle off-season rounds?

For golfers with a linked or official Handicap ID, TheGrint marks a round with an O, for Off-Season, when the course where you played is in its inactive season. The marker is applied automatically from the governing association's season, and you can still keep score for your own tracking.

Track every round, in season or not

Keep score in TheGrint all year, with free GPS distances and stats, and let the off-season marker sort out which rounds count. In the US, you can link your GHIN number or get an official Handicap ID in the app. Get TheGrint.