Golf Handicap
What is a golf handicap?
A golf handicap is a measure of an amateur player’s ability to play golf. In short, a golf handicap is calculated as the average number of strokes above par a player is likely to score for any given round. Upon completion of a round of golf, each player subtracts their individual golf handicap from their score, resulting in a net score. This system allows golfers of differing degrees of skill to compete against each other.
The maximum handicap for men is 36.4 and the maximum handicap index for women is 40.4.
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Different countries have different rules for calculating a player’s golf handicap. In the US, the United States Golf Association (USGA).
rules for calculating golf handicaps are used.
Course rating and slope
As no two courses are the same, some are easier to play than others, each course is given a Course Rating and Slope. The course rating of a given course is used to measure the average score by a scratch golfer on that golf course. The slope rating indicates the relative difficulty of the golf course for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer. A slope rating of 113 is given to a golf course with average difficulty. The two numbers, course rating and slope, are used together to calculate a player's handicap differential.
Handicap differential = ((Equitable Stroke Control - course rating) * 113) / slope rating
Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) is the number of strokes taken after the Equitable Score Adjustment (ESA) which permits a maximum number of shots per hole in order to calculate your handicap.
Handicap Calculation
A golfers handicap is calculated using the average of the best 10 differentials over the last 20 rounds. This number is then multiplied by 0.96. If you have less than 20 rounds but more than 5, you handicap is calculated using the table below:
| Rounds of Golf |
Differentials |
| 5 or 6 |
lowest 1 |
| 7 or 8 |
lowest 2 |
| 9 or 10 |
lowest 3 |
| 11 or 12 |
lowest 4 |
| 13 or 14 |
lowest 5 |
| 15 or 16 |
lowest 6 |
| 17 |
lowest 7 |
| 18 |
lowest 8 |
| 19 |
lowest 9 |
| 20 |
lowest 10 |
The handicap index and the slope rating are used to calculate your course handicap:
Course Handicap = ((Handicap index * Slope)) / 113
The course handicap is then used to know which hole a player receives additional strokes.
To find out more about how we calculate your free golf handicap here at My Online Golf Club see the Free Golf Handicap Calculator information page here.