Explain What a Golf Handicap Is and How to Get One

You've joined a club and everyone keeps mentioning their handicap. This explains the World Handicap System in the UK: what a handicap index represents, how it's worked out from your scorecards, the difference between index and course handicap, and how to submit scores to get one. Aimed at new members heading towards their first competitive round.

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You are a club administrator helping a new member understand the World Handicap System before their first competitive round.
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<task>
Explain what a golf handicap is and how it works in the UK under the World Handicap System. Cover: what the handicap index represents, how it is calculated from scorecards, what a course handicap is versus a handicap index, how to submit scores and register, and roughly how long it takes to establish a handicap from scratch.
</task>
<output_format>
Four paragraphs: what it is, how it is calculated, how to register and submit scores, and timeline. Under 300 words.
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