Handicap System

What You Should Understand About The Handicap System

When people talk about having a golf handicap, do you just nod apprehensively to make them think that you know what they are talking about? If so, read on...

The USGA (United States Golf Association) introduced a handicap system in the early 20th Century. The purpose of the system has always been to attempt to level the playing field for golfers of differing abilities, so that those golfers can compete equally. For example, imagine someone whose average score is 92 trying to compete against someone whose average score is 72. Without a handicapping system, it can't be done. At least not fairly.

Let's say you are about to play a hole which is a 'par 4'. What this means is that, if you get the ball in the hole in 4 shots (or strokes) then you are 'par' for that hole. The same applies to 'par 3's' and 'par 5's'. Get the ball in the hole in the allocated number of strokes and you've got yourself a par!

Let's imagine that each of the 18 holes on the golf course are all par 4's. This means that par for the course would be 72 (18 * 4 = 72). If you went round the course in 75 strokes, then your handicap would be 3, because you have taken 3 more strokes than the allocated par for the course, which is 72.

Another important point to make is that your golf handicap is not usually calculated over one round of golf. It is more likely calculated over 3 rounds of golf, to give a more realistic handicap. After this, most golfers usually hand in their most recent scorecards to the clubhouse, in order to recalculate their handicap.

A player's official USGA Handicap Index is derived from a complicated formula (that, thankfully, players themselves do not have to figure) that takes into account adjusted gross score, course rating and slope rating.

With as few as five rounds, a player can get a handicap index by joining clubs authorized to issue them. Eventually, handicap index is calculated using the 10 best of a golfer's 20 most recent rounds.

Once a USGA Handicap Index is issued - say, 14.8 - the golfer uses that to determine his or her course handicap.

Course handicap - not handicap index - is what actually tells a golfer how many strokes they are allowed on a particular course. Most golf courses have charts golfers can consult to get their course handicap. Alternately, golfers can use various online course handicap calculators, such as the one here. All that is needed is a USGA Handicap Index plus the slope rating of the course.

Once armed with course handicap, a golfer is ready to play on an equal basis with any other golfer in the world.