Last Updated on March 28, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
As a professional golfer who’s worked at many country clubs, I had to understand the ins and outs of the golf handicap system. The golf handicap system is designed to make the game more fair and allow players of different abilities to play against each other. I will break down for you what the golf handicap system is, how it works, and even how to calculate your golf handicap. If you’ve ever wondered how golf handicap works, you won’t in a few minutes!
Golf Handicap Explained: How Does Golf Handicap Work
The golf handicap system determines a golfer’s skill level based on the average of their last rounds.
Simply put, the better you are at golf, the lower your handicap. If you are a low handicap golfer and want to have a match with a high handicap golfer, you’ll give them some strokes.
The first step in figuring out how to play a golf match using handicaps is determining your handicap index.
A golf handicap takes into account
- Recent scores
- Course rating
- Slope rating
- An adjustment factor
Golfers can use the New World handicap system and find a service that keeps track of handicap for them, or you can calculate your handicap outside of the system.
Calculating your handicap on your own is great for a round of golf with friends or to check on progress, but to play in tournaments, you’ll need to use the official handicapping system.
How To Calculate Your Golf Handicap
The easiest way to understand how to calculate your golf handicap is to look at a player example. We are going to look at Shawn, a golfer who shoots anywhere from 85 to 95 for most of his rounds. We will take his last five rounds and break down his handicap.
Step 1: Collect Scores
Here are the last five scores at a golf course with a course rating of 72 and a slope rating of 120.
| Round | Score | Course Rating | Slope Rating | Handicap Differential |
| 1 | 95 | 72 | 120 | 21.66 |
| 2 | 90 | 72 | 120 | 16.95 |
| 3 | 88 | 72 | 120 | 15.07 |
| 4 | 92 | 72 | 120 | 18.83 |
| 5 | 85 | 72 | 120 | 12.24 |
Step 2: Calculate Handicap Differentials
You’ll see in the chart above that the handicap differential is already in place. The way to determine the handicap differential is to use this formula:
Handicap Differential=(Score−Course Rating/Slope Rating) × 113
For the first round, you would have a formula that looks like this:
Round 1 Handicap Differential = (95-72/120) X 113
Step 3: Select and Average
In this example, we are using the best 3 of the last 5 rounds to keep things simple.
The World Handicap System uses the best 8 of the last 20. We will take the differentials from rounds 2, 3, and 5 and average them. The result is 14.75.
Step 4: Apply The Handicap Formula
Now, there is even more math to be done! You will take that average of 14.75 and multiply it by the adjustment factor of 0.96.
A golf handicap is supposed to represent a golfer’s potential in future rounds, so this adjustment factor helps to ensure that it stays fair. It’s a universally accepted factor regardless of the area where you are playing.
The result is 14.16, which is the golfer’s handicap index. When calculating your player’s handicap, you can simply round to the nearest whole number and get a 14.
| Calculation Step | Value |
| Average of Selected Differentials | 14.75 |
| Multiplied by Adjustment Factor | 14.16 |
| Final Handicap (Rounded) | 14 |
Step 5: Conversion To A Course Handicap
Once you have a handicap index in place, you can then take that with you to play any golf course with an adjusted course handicap.
Since every golf course differs, you’ll need to convert your handicap index to a course handicap.
To do that, you can follow these steps:
- Multiply the handicap index by the slope rating of the course you are playing
- Divide that result by 113
- Next, take the course rating and subtract from it par for the course
- Add the result of the second step to the result of the third step
- Your final number is rounded to get a course handicap
For our 14 handicap golfer above, we can convert his course handicap when playing at a course with a par of 71, a course rating of 71.2, and a slope rating of 130. It would look like this:
- 130 X 14 = 1820
- 1820/113 = 16.11
- 71.2-71 = .2
- 16.11 + .2 = 16.31
- Course handicap is 16
This tells us that the golf course the 14 handicap index player is heading to is actually quite difficult. They will need a slightly higher playing handicap to have a fair match and accurate representation of their game.
Golf Handicap Terminology
I wanted to give you a full run down of how to calculate a handicap so you can get a better idea as to what your average score is. However, we went through a lot of terminology in this explanation.
Here are some of the golf handicap-related terms that you need to be aware of to help you understand how this all works.
Handicap: A numerical measure of a golfer’s potential ability (an estimate of how many over or under par a golfer will be for their next round).
Handicap Differential: The difference between a player’s score and the course rating, adjusted for slope rating.
Course Rating: A measure of the difficulty of a golf course for a scratch golfer (a golfer with a handicap of 0), expressed as the number of strokes expected to be scored.
Slope Rating: A measure of the relative difficulty of a course for bogey golfers compared to scratch golfers, indicating how much harder the course plays for golfers who are not as good as scratch players.
Scratch Golfer: A golfer with a handicap of 0, who is expected to play to the course rating.
Bogey Golfer: A golfer with a handicap of around 18, this is the player who typically scores one over par on most holes.
Adjustment Factor: A constant value (0.96) is applied in the handicap calculation to ensure that the handicap represents the player’s potential rather than their pure average performance.
Equitable Stroke Control (ESC): A system used to adjust an individual hole score for handicap purposes in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential scoring ability, the reason you don’t put a 14 down on the scorecard.
Handicap Index: A number that represents a golfer’s demonstrated ability as calculated using their recent rounds of golf.
Course Handicap: The number of strokes a player receives on a particular course, calculated from their Handicap Index and the Slope Rating of the course.
Course Rating vs. Slope Rating
Course rating is a number that indicates the average score a scratch golfer would shoot at a course. These numbers are usually around 72, but you’ll see some over 73 (indicating a harder course) and others under 70, indicating an easier golf course.
Slope rating is a number that shows how difficult a golf course is for a bogey golfer. The slope rating of 113 is standard, and that’s why it’s used in the formula for calculating a handicap. The slope rating runs on a scale ranging from 55 to 105.
The higher slope rating, the more difficult the course is.
Equitable Stroke Control (ESC)
If you have had a Tin Cup moment on a golf course, you know that it’s not a representation of the type of golfer you are.
Therefore, the handicapping system takes into account an equitable stroke control system. If you are struggling, chances are this round won’t even count towards your handicap, and it’s certainly not a representation of the player you are. If you are using the official USGA Handicap system or World Handicap System, these are the guidelines for ESC based on your course handicap:
| Course Handicap | Maximum Score on Any Hole |
| 9 or less | Double Bogey |
| 10 to 19 | 7 |
| 20 to 29 | 8 |
| 30 to 39 | 9 |
| 40 and above | 10 |
Changes In The Golf Handicap System (2020-2024)
The World Golf Handicap system we use for you to develop your official handicap index has gone through some changes in the last few years.
Essentially, there was no global standard to help level the playing field. With golfers playing all over the world, that had to change. The biggest change we saw was the use of the last 8 out of 20 instead of the last 10.
In addition, you’ll notice that there are daily updates when scores are submitted instead of monthly or bimonthly. Limits for the highest handicap allowance also increased, making the game more inclusive.
| Feature | Up to 2020 | 2020-2024 (WHS) |
| Standardization | No global standard, different systems by country. | Unified system worldwide. |
| Handicap Calculation | Varied methods (e.g., USGA used 10 of 20 scores). | Best 8 of the last 20 rounds. |
| Playing Conditions Adjustment | Limited adjustments. | Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) adjusts for daily conditions. |
| Maximum Handicap | Varied limits (e.g., USGA 36.4 for men, 40.4 for women). | Set to 54.0 for all players. |
| Course Difficulty | Course and Slope Rating are not universally applied. | Universal use of Course Rating and Slope Rating. |
| Handicap Updates | Monthly or after a set number of rounds. | Daily updates when scores are submitted. |
| Inclusivity | Different maximum handicaps for genders. | No gender distinction, a higher maximum index. |
| Portability | Handicaps are not directly comparable worldwide. | Handicaps are portable and comparable globally. |
| Scores Consideration | Mostly, competition scores counted. | All verified rounds (competitive and recreational) can count. |
Frequently Asked Questions
How Does Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) Work In The Game of Golf?
A new addition to the World handicap system was the Playing Conditions Calculation, which takes into account the difficulty of the course that day based on course and weather conditions. The system is adjusted accordingly if the scores posted on a day are unusually high or low.
The range of adjustment is from -1 to +3. The PCC only kicks in where there are significant deviations from normal playing conditions.
What does a 7 handicap mean in golf?
A 7 handicap is a golfer who typically shoots around 77 for a round of 18 holes. Any golfer with a single-digit handicap is considered to be a better player.
How does handicap golf work?
A golf handicap is a way to represent the average score that a golfer shoots. A higher handicap player would be more strokes over par after 18 holes than a lower handicap golfer.
What is my handicap if I shoot 100?
If you shoot 100 on an 18-hole course, your golf handicap would be about a 30. New golfers with a handicap of 30 are considered to be quite good. Breaking 100 in golf is an accomplishment.
Do I need a handicap index to be a member of a club?
You do not need a handicap index to be a member of a golf club. However, you will need one to play in club tournaments and events. The club will set one up for you and fill you in on how to post your golf scores.
Final Thoughts
There is a lot of information here about golf handicaps and how the system works. I hope you now feel as though you can apply this to calculating your handicap. Even if you use a computer-based system, it’s good to see how this works and ensure you follow the process properly. Give yourself the best chance to win your next handicap event by following the process accordingly.
