Golf Handicap 101: The Basics of Golf Handicapping
Your Ultimate Guide to Golf Handicapping InculdingCalculations and Formulas
Golf’s handicap system plays an important role in the game.
But what exactly is golf handicapping? And how does it work? Our guide covers all the basics!
Handicapping has always been a big part of golf
One of the many reasons why people love golf is due to the sport’s handicap system, as it levels up the field and allows everyone to enjoy the game, regardless of their level of expertise.
Let’s take a look at everything you need to know about golf handicapping!
What is a Golf Handicap?
A golf handicap is like your secret weapon on the golf course, as it's a way to level the playing field when you're out there with friends or competing in tournaments.
The history of golf handicaps dates back over a century, evolving from a system involving referees and players to the modern concept we know today.
The term "handicap" itself was adopted in 1850. Nowadays, your handicap reflects your skill level based on your scores compared to a course's par.
How Do Handicaps Work?
Men start with a handicap of 28, while women begin with 36. The better you get, the lower your handicap.
After a round, you tally up your total shots and subtract your handicap to calculate your net score. For example, if your handicap is 20 and you score a gross 90, your net score is 70.
So, let's break it down further with a concrete example.
Imagine you and a friend are hitting the links on an 18-hole course with a par of 70. Your buddy has a golf handicap of six, which means they're expected to finish the round six strokes over par. Meanwhile, your own handicap is 12, so you should be 12 strokes over par.
Now, let's say you shoot an 82, and your friend finishes with an 80. Technically, your friend shot the lower round, but thanks to handicaps, you're the winner!
Your handicap of -3 (yes, it can be negative) puts you ahead of your friend's +2.
In a nutshell, your golf handicap isn't just a number; it's a fair play card that makes the game enjoyable for golfers of all levels.
So next time you tee off, remember that your handicap is your ticket to a balanced and competitive round of golf with people of any ability.
Why Golf Handicaps Matter
Handicaps, as we saw in our example, are a game-changer on the golf course. But they’re not just about going head-to-head with your golf buddies. Instead, they help you measure your performance against your own average level of play.
Handicaps make it possible for players to go up against more skilled golfers and come out on top, all based on how they performed on that particular day.
Handicaps aren't just for friendly games; they're used in all sorts of tournaments, from casual scrambles with pals to intense club championships.
The beauty of the golf handicap system is that it lets golfers of all abilities compete on an even playing field.
The New Way of Calculating Your Golf Handicap (Since 2020)
Creating and understanding your golf handicap may seem like a complex process, but breaking it down step by step makes it manageable.
If you are tech-savvy, there are several apps or programmes that will do the calculations for you. However, if you want to know how to do it yourself, here is our guide.
Understanding “Getting Handicap”
Simple as it may be, “getting handicap” is still a procedure you need to go through. If you're new to golf, you won't have a handicap right away.
You need to start by keeping track of your nine and 18-hole scores on a scorecard. Here's the key: both you and a playing partner need to sign the scorecard.
This double signature system helps ensure the accuracy of your scores and it minimises any funny business. You’ll also need to sign up for your handicap at your home course as many golf clubs tend to include a small fee for annual membership for handicap.
If you’re not a member, you can sign up on your own by registering online at USGA.
It usually costs around $30-40 per year, and once your application is accepted, you’ll receive your own GHIN number that will allow you and others to post your scores online and compare them.
Understanding the Number of Scores Needed
As of January 2020, you need to submit three 18-hole scores that can come from a mixture of nine-hole and 18-hole rounds in order to establish a Handicap Index.
The Handicap Index gets updated twice a month, on the first and 15th of the month.
Keep in mind that the updates happen daily, but you need to add your third 18-hole score before midnight to be included in that day's revision.
The Changes in Golf Handicap Calculation From 2020
A couple of changes happened to the golf handicap calculations in 2020; namely, before 2020, calculating your course handicap involved the formula:
Handicap Index x Slope Rating / 113
However, in 2020, the new formula became:
Handicap Index x (Slope Rating / 113) + (Course Rating - Par)
The reason behind this adjustment was to make handicapping more equitable for players who play from different tees, ensuring fair competition.
Understanding the Course Handicap Calculation Formula
Calculating your course handicap isn't as tricky as it might seem. While there are apps and programmes that can do this for you, it's good to know the manual process in case you need it.
Here's how it's done in a few easy steps!
1. Adjust Your Gross Scores
Simply put, individual handicaps are done based on a formula created by USGA.
Adjusting your score doesn’t mean making it look better. USGA has a set of basic handicapping scores that you can use to adjust your score.
Start by adjusting your gross scores using the USGA's equitable stroke control (ESC). ESC limits the number of strokes you can record on a hole based on your handicap range.
2. Check the Slope on the Scorecard
If you have played or watched golf in the past, you know that no two courses are created equally, so when doing your calculations, the slope needs to be taken into consideration.
Since playing at your municipal golf club and playing on a professional golf course is not the same experience, every course has its own slope and course rating assigned by the USGA.
The higher the numbers, the more complex the golf course.
Note: The slope rating provides insight into the course's difficulty for players at a bogey golfer level, roughly around an 18 handicap, while the course rating indicates how challenging the course is for a scratch golfer, someone with a zero handicap.
3. Calculate the Handicap Differential
This formula comes into play:
Handicap Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Slope Rating
This takes your adjusted score (when you first set up your handicap, including hole maximums) minus the rating of the course, which we explained before.
Then, this number is multiplied by 113. This represents the slope rating of a course of average difficulty and then finally it’s divided by the actual course rating from the selected set of tees.
This matters as the Course Rating is the score a new golfer would typically achieve, and the Slope Rating reflects the course's relative difficulty.
4. Select the Lowest Differential
From your handicap differentials, choose the lowest ones. If you've entered more than 20 scores, use the top 10 from your most recent 20 rounds.
5. Calculate the Average
For 10 differentials, calculate the average of the lowest three HDs.
For 15 HDs, calculate the average of the lowest six. Always use the 10 best from your most recent 20 scores once you have at least 20 scores.
Note that once you get to 20 scores, the 10 lowest differentials of your last 20 scores determine your overall handicap - and you also need to take the average differential and multiply it by 0.96 to get your Handicap Index.
Don’t worry, USGA’s software automatically updates your handicap based on your scores every two weeks.
6. Truncating
No rounding—just truncate any decimal to the 10th place. According to USGA rules, in an 18-hole golf match, the maximum allowable Handicap Index should be 40.4 for women and 36.4 for men.
For a nine-hole course, these limits are set at 20.2 for women and 18.2 for men.
If your average handicap differential after multiplying by 0.96 is 15.372, it would be truncated to 15.3 in compliance with these guidelines.
7. Course Handicap Calculation
Finally, determine your course handicap using the formula:
Handicap Index x (Slope Rating / 113) + (Course Rating - Par)=Course Handicap
This course handicap tells you the number of strokes you receive on a particular course.
Learn more! Did you know that, unfortunately, weather conditions do not factor into your handicap as there is no fair way to monitor this for each player?
To learn more about your USGA’s Handicap Index, listen to USGA’s explanation of the handicap system (below).
What is the Highest Score You Can Enter?
The highest score you can enter for your golf handicap is:
a. 0-9 handicap – the maximum score of double-bogey
b. 10-19 handicap – maximum score of 7
c. 20-29 handicap – maximum score of 8
d. 30-39 handicap – maximum score of 9
e. 40 or above handicap – maximum score of 10
Should You Enter Every Score?
It depends on where you’re playing. If you’re playing a casual round, you can take a few mulligans and not enter it, but if you want to play seriously or with someone, then we encourage you to keep a score and finish every hole, making sure you enter them all.
How to Improve and Lower Your Handicap
There is no way around it, you need to put in the work. Fortunately, there are plenty of helpful posts you can find that will give you in-depth knowledge on how you can improve and lower your handicap.
Here is a brief summary of our handicapping tips:
Forget about the score and focus on the game ahead of you
Make your own solid pre-shot routine and practice your shot game 2:1 over a long game
Don’t get discouraged - our thoughts and words affect our mind and mood, which in turn affect our game. Mastering your emotions will lead to mastering your game
Practice with purpose and make sure you use positive self-talk each time you play
Mind your game and have a solid tee-box strategy for your game (not your partner's strategy)
Put tech to good use and video your swing. This will help you notice how to improve your swing, track your progress, find patterns and learn what to change
Check out our golf blog for more handy tips and tricks!
At first, it may seem hard to calculate your golf handicap, but don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by the numbers; once you get the hang of it, it will become second nature.
Your golf handicap is your key to fair competition. It helps golfers of all skill levels enjoy the game together.
So, go out there, track your scores and embrace the world of golf handicaps!
