What is a tour pro's handicap index?

Most PGA Tour players hold club memberships and many even post scores to establish a handicap index. A cursory check of handicaps of tour pros living in Southern California, via the Southern California Golf Association's website, showed this:

Fred Couples, a member at the Palms Golf Club in La Quinta, is a +5.6, though he has not posted a score since January of 2008.

Paul Goydos, who has three club affiliations listed (Dove Canyon Country Club inDove Canyon and El Dorado Park Golf Club and Virginia Country Club in Long Beach), is a +4.8 and has been as low as a +5.8. Goydos, who enjoys playing with friends and fellow club members, has posted 32 scores this year.

Tom Pernice, a member at Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, is a +5.3 and routinely posts scores.

Retired PGA Tour and Champions Tour players Gene Littler and Billy Casper also have handicap indexes -- Littler a 1.1 at Fairbanks Ranch Country Club in Rancho Santa Fe, Casper a 5.6 at San Diego Country Club.

Other notables with handicaps:

Former baseball star Mark McGwire is a +2.8 at the Madison Club in La Quinta (and Shady Canyon Golf Club in Irvine).

Tim Mickelson, Phil's brother, is a +2.7 at the Farms in Rancho Santa Fe (he's been as low as a +4.4).

Scotty Cameron, the putter maven, is a +0.2 at the Bridges in Rancho Santa Fe.

-- John Strege