A handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer's potential playing ability based on the tees
played for a given course.
It is used to calculate a net score from the number of strokes actually played during a
competition, thus allowing players of different proficiency to play against each other on
somewhat equal terms.
The higher the handicap of a player, the poorer the player is relative to those with lower
handicaps.
"Official" handicaps are administered by golf clubs or national golf associations.
Exact rules relating to handicaps can vary from country to country.
Handicap systems are not used in professional golf.
Amateur golfers who are not members of golf clubs are generally ineligible for "official"
handicaps.
Overview A handicap is calculated with a specific arithmetic
formula that approximates how many strokes above or below par a player might be able
to play, based on the ten best scores of their last twenty rounds.
The R&A, based in St Andrews, Scotland has no jurisdiction over handicapping.
The administration of handicapping systems in countries affiliated to the R&A is the
responsibility of the national golf associations of those countries.
These bodies specify slightly different ways to perform this calculation for players.
The details of these calculations are presented below.
A golfer's net score is determined by subtracting the player's handicap from the gross score.
The net scores of all the competing golfers are compared and the person with the lowest
score wins.
Contrary to popular opinion, a player's handicap is intended to show a player's potential,
not a player's average score.
The frequency by which a player will play to their handicap is a function of that golfer's
handicap, as low handicappers are statistically more consistent than higher handicappers.
The USGA refers to this as the "average best" method.
So in a large, handicapped competition, the golfer who shoots the best with respect to
his abilities and the normal variations of the score should win.
While there are many variations in detail, handicap systems are generally based on calculating
an individual player's playing ability from his recent history of rounds.
Therefore, a handicap is not fixed but is regularly adjusted to increases or decreases
in a player's scoring.
In the United States, handicaps are calculated using several variables: The player's scores
from his most recent rounds, and the course rating and slope from those rounds.
A "handicap differential" is calculated from the scores, using the course slope and rating,
and the player's handicap differentials are used to calculate the player's handicap.
Scratch and bogey golfers A golfer whose handicap is zero is called
a "scratch golfer."
A golfer whose handicap is approximately 18 is called a "bogey golfer."
It is possible to have a handicap below 0; these are referred to as 'plus' handicaps,
and at the end of the round, a 'plus' handicap golfer must add his handicap to his score.
If his handicap is a plus number, like +3, then adding that number to the number of total
strokes will actually increase that golfer's final score.
If a player shoots a 69 and has a plus 3 handicap, his final score will be 72.
Course rating and slope
In the United States each officially rated golf course is described by two numbers, the
course rating and the slope rating.
The course rating of a particular course is a number generally between 67 and 77 that
is used to measure the average "good score" by a scratch golfer on that course.
The slope rating of a particular course is a number between 55 and 155 that describes
the relative difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer.
These two numbers are used to calculate a player's handicap differential, which is used
to adjust a player's score in relation to par according to the slope and rating of the
course.
The slope rating for a golf course of average difficulty is 113.
For each officially posted round, the player's handicap differential is calculated according
to the following formula:
ESC score is the equitable score control adjustment, which allows for a maximum number of strokes
per hole, for handicap computation purposes only, based on the player's course handicap.
The differential is rounded to the nearest tenth.
The handicap index is then calculated using the average of the best 10 differentials of
the player's past 20 total rounds, multiplied by 0.96.
Any digits in the handicap index after the tenths are truncated.
If a golfer has at least 5 but fewer than 20 rounds posted, the index is calculated
using from one to nine differentials according to the following schedule:
Updates to a golfer's index are calculated periodically according to schedules provided
by state and regional golf associations.
The handicap index is used with the course's slope rating to determine the golfer's course
handicap according to the following formula:
The course rating is not used to determine a course handicap.
The result is rounded to the nearest whole number.
The course handicap is the number of strokes to be deducted from the golfer's gross score
to determine the net score.
For example, the following table shows the impact of the same score at two different
tee positions at the same course, and the resulting handicap differential:
White tees: Gross score: 85
Course rating: 69.3 Course slope: 117
Yields a handicap differential of 15.2.
If this golfer's handicap index is 10.5, the course handicap would be and the net score
would be 85 − 11 = 74.
Blue tees: Gross score: 85
Course rating: 71.9 Course slope: 124
Yields a handicap differential of 11.9.
If this golfer's handicap index is 10.5, the course handicap would be and the net score
would be 85 − 12 = 73.
Additionally, before making the above calculation, the gross score must be adjusted using the
equitable score control table, which removes the effect of abnormally high individual hole
scores by establishing a maximum score per hole depending on the player's handicap index.
For example, a golfer with a course handicap of 20 through 29 can record a maximum of 8
strokes on any one hole for handicap calculation purposes only.
Calculating a score The handicap is used to determine on which
holes a player is granted extra strokes.
These are then used to calculate a "net" score from the number of strokes actually played.
To find how many strokes a player is given, the procedures differ between match play and
stroke play.
In match play, the difference between the players' handicaps is distributed among the
holes to be played.
For example, if 18 holes are played, player A's handicap is 24, and player B's handicap
is 14, then A is granted ten strokes: one on each of the ten holes identified by the
handicap numbers 1 through 10 on the scorecard and no strokes on the remaining eight.
If A's handicap is 36 and B's handicap is 14, A is granted 22 strokes: one on each of
the 18 holes to be played, and an additional one on each of the four holes identified by
the handicap numbers 1 through 4 on the scorecard.
The procedure in stroke play is similar, but each player's individual handicap is used
to calculate extra strokes.
Therefore, a player with handicap 10 is granted one stroke on each of the ten holes identified
by the handicap numbers 1 through 10 on the scorecard and no extra strokes on the remaining
eight.
A player with a handicap of 22 is granted 22 strokes: one on each of the 18 holes and
an additional one on each of the four holes identified by the handicap numbers 1 through
4 on the scorecard.
Example for the calculation of "net" results: Assume that A is granted one stroke on a par
four hole and player B is granted none.
If A plays six strokes and B plays five, their "net" scores are equal.
Therefore, in match play the hole is halved; in stroke play both have played a "net" bogey.
If both play five strokes, A has played better by one "net" stroke.
Therefore, in match play A wins the hole; in stroke play A has played a "net" par and
B a "net" bogey.
Specific example Let's say that we have four golfers: Adam,
Brian, Chris, and Dan, of various abilities who are in a competition against each other.
To the right are the players and their handicap indices.
The course has the following slope: 120.
So, using the formulas above, here are their course handicaps from the tees being played:
And, finally, to the right are their gross and their net scores.
Dan wins because he is the only one in the group who actually shot better than his handicap.
Slope rating The slope rating is the USGA mark that indicates
the measurement of the relative difficulty for a bogey golfer compared to the course
rating.
Slope rating is computed from the difference between the bogey rating and the course rating.
The lowest slope rating is 55 and the highest is 155.
The average slope rating is 113.
To compute the handicap strokes from a given set of tees on a specific course with a slope
of "s" given a handicap index of "h," the following formula is used:*h rounded to the
nearest integer.
Example: A male golfer plays a course with Slope Rating 126, and Course Rating 72.5.
Per the formula, compute 126 / 5.381 + 72.5 = 95.9 - which predicts the bogey golfer's
average of his ten best scores would be approximately 95.9 from this particular set of tees.
Based on the above, the correct formula would be18 + 72.5 = 92.5 for a bogey golfer on a
slope rating 126 course.
History of the USGA system The USGA has often resorted to the courts
to protect the integrity of its handicap system.
In one such case, the California Court of Appeal summarized the system's history:
Handicapping in the United Kingdom and Ireland In the UK and Republic of Ireland, a "scratch
score" system was previously in place in order to rate courses and be fair to golfers of
varying ability, and to make allowances that courses may play "easier" or "harder" than
par, overall, to the amateur field.
For this reason, a "standard scratch score" is used as a baseline for how the course plays
in practice.
Akin to the SSS is the Competition Scratch Score.
The principle is the same, only this describes how easy or difficult the course played during
a given competition.
It is against this CSS score that a player's handicap is adjusted by the club.
Golfers with a handicap of 5 or lower are said to be Category 1 players.
Higher handicap players are categorised as Category 2, 3, or 4.
For every stroke the Category 1 golfer's net score is below the CSS, his handicap is reduced
by 0.1.
For Category 2 golfers, this figure is 0.2, for Category 3 golfers it is a 0.3 reduction,
and 0.4 for Category 4 golfers.
Similarly, amateur golfers are allowed a buffer zone to protect their handicap on "off-days".
For Cat 1 this is 1 stroke, for Cat 2 this is 2 strokes, etc.
This means that if a Category 1 golfer's net score is one stroke higher than the CSS, his
handicap will not increase.
If a golfer's net score is higher than the CSS plus buffer zone combined, his handicap
will increase by 0.1.
This 0.1 increase covers all golfers and does not vary by category.
The Home Unions of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland are members of the Council of
National Golf Unions, who publish the handicapping rules for both men and women.
Although they can be done manually, computer software now must be used to calculate the
CSS and in Ireland and England handicaps are now published to a Centralised Database of
Handicaps.
CDHs are also being introduced in Scotland and Wales in 2011.
EGA Handicap System The “EGA Handicap System” is the EGA’s
method of evaluating golf abilities so that players of different standards can compete
in handicap events on equal terms.
An “EGA Playing Handicap” is the number of Handicap Strokes a player receives for
a specific set of Tees at the course being played.
The Playing Handicap is expressed as a whole number rounds upwards to 0 and -1.5 to -1.
Note 1: If a player’s Playing Handicap is negative he gives Handicap Strokes to the
course, commencing at stroke index 18.
Note 2: The Playing Handicap is considered to be the “Handicap” referred to in Rule
6-2 of the Rules of Golf.
The “EGA Playing Handicap Formula” converts EGA Exact Handicaps into EGA Playing Handicaps:
Playing Handicap = Exact Handicap x + Under the EGA system, final scores might be
amended using the Competition Stableford Adjustment method.
Australian Handicap System Australian Golf handicaps are maintained by
GOLFLink which was a world-first computerised handicapping system developed by Golf Australia’s
predecessor, the Australian Golf Union in the 1990s.
The AGU operated from 1898 until it merged with Women's Golf to form GA in 2006.
Together with its State/Territory bodies, GA represents 445,000 amateur golfers belonging
to 1530 Golf Clubs, and sits alongside bodies representing the Pros, Superintendents, Managers
and Architects.
When GOLFLink was first introduced it contained two key characteristics that set it apart
from other world handicapping systems: 1.
It relied on a Calculated Course Rating to determine how difficult the course was on
the day, and upon which handicap adjustment was made
2.
It utilised a 'swipe' card that enabled a player to access his handicap from any GOLFLink
terminal in Australia In April 2010 GA adopted the USGA calculation
method using the average of the best 10 differentials of the player's past 20 total rounds, multiplied
by 0.96.
In September 2011 this was altered to the best 8 out of 20 rounds, multiplied by 0.93.
In addition an ‘anchor’ was introduced so that no player is permitted to increase
his handicap by more than 4 in a rolling 12 month period.
The reasons for these changes were cited to restore equity between high and low markers.
Rather than introduce the USGA Slope system, GA intends to introduce a more sophisticated
version of CCR – The Daily Scratch Rating.
References ^ "USGA Handicap System Manual – usga.org
– Retrieved June 18, 2011".
usga.com.
Retrieved June 18, 2011.
^ Kelley, Brent.
"What is Slope Rating at Golf Courses?".
About.com.
Retrieved 20 May 2014.
^ United States Golf Ass'n v. Arroyo Software Corp., 69 Cal.
App.
4th 607.
^ "www.ausgolf.com.au | Australia's most informative golf website".
Retrieved 20 May 2014.
External links USGA Handicap System
Unified Handicapping System by the Council of National Golf Unions
South African Golf Association Handicap System Golf handicap FAQ
EGA Handicap System Free Golf Handicap Calculator