How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap

Golf. It is a sport that is rising in popularity in the United States and it dates back at least 150 years. 

Currently, there are over 25 million people who play golf. These 25 million people vary greatly in skill levels. Some can shoot a 70 score on almost any course while others may consider it a great day if they can shoot below 100. 

One thing that can greatly help even out these types of golfers besides Kissimmee golf lessons is a golf handicap. A golf handicap takes off a certain amount of strokes from the weaker player's game to get them more in line with somebody that may be a scratch golfer (they shoot around par). 

While the golf handicap formula is not as simple as subtracting your score from the course's par, it is not overly complicated either once you break the formula down. 

So, how do you calculate your golf handicap? This is your step-by-step guide. 

Golf Handicap Variables 

Before you can start getting down to the actual formula, you need to know the variables that go into the formula. There are three that you need to be aware of to fully understand the numbers. 

Adjusted Gross Score

Simply put, this is the score that you would have on a particular golf course. This is as easy as keeping track of how many strokes it takes you on each hole and then adding up the total score after 18 holes. If you are mainly a 9-hole course golfer, then multiply your total score by two. 

Course Rating 

With this, you basically need to know what the average scratch golfer is expected to get on a particular course. 

It is mainly around the par score for each hole that is displayed and then the total par scores of those holes.

However, this can vary slightly depending on the obstacles and hazards that are on each course. More hazards can add a few strokes to the course rating, while limited hazards can take away some strokes. 

Slope Rating 

While the course rating is around the average score that a scratch golfer will get, the slope rating is the opposite. Basically, this score is used to measure how difficult the course is for an average golfer. 

This rating tries to consider a wider skill range for golfers. However, it is typically the most accurate for someone that averages a bogey or a double bogey in their golf score. 

Calculating Your Handicap 

Now that you understand what goes into calculating a golf handicap, you are ready to see the formula in action. Like the above, the formula is generally done in three steps. 

Score Differential 

The first thing you need to figure out to come up with your golf handicap is your score differential. 

What you will need is your adjusted gross score minus the course rating. Then, you will multiply that total by 113 because that is about the average slope rating across the world. Once you come up with that number, you will then divide that by your course's slope rating. 

So, let's say for example that your adjusted gross score is 105 and the course rating is 75. You would then subtract those two numbers, then multiply the difference by 113. 

In this example, we will use 120 as the slope rating. So, you would divide the above total by 120 to get your score differential. Here is a better visual example of it: 

(105-75) x 113 / 120 

30 x 113 / 120 

3,390 / 120 = 28.25 

So, with the above numbers, your score differential would be 28.2 because you have to go to the nearest tenth.  

Average Score Differential 

Next, you need to figure out what your average score differential is. This is generally used from your last 20 rounds of golf. 

However, if you have fewer rounds of golf under your belt, then you would just take it from a smaller collection. 

In this example, let's say you have 20 rounds of golf that you can take into this equation. Generally, you would go with your 10 lowest score differentials to get your average. Once you find your 10 lowest score differentials, you would just add all of those up and divide the total by 10. 

Here is an example using the 10 lowest score differentials: 

28.2, 28.5, 27.9, 28.3, 27.8, 28.1, 28.5, 27.7, 28.4, 28.6 

The total number there would be 282. So, 282 / 10 would give you an average score differential of 28.2. 

Handicap Index 

Finally, this is arguably the easiest step of all to your formula. Here, you are just multiplying your average score differential by .96. The reason it is by .96 is that that number is used to cover anomalies such as an exceptionally great round or an exceptionally bad round. 

Using the above average score differential, you would multiply 28.2 by .96. 

28.2 x .96 = 27.072 (27.0) 

Just like before, you need to take away any number until you get to the nearest tenth. For those of you who are math magicians, you do not use your normal rules here when it comes to rounding up. You are supposed to leave the nearest tenth number as is.

Following the rules above, the handicap index here would be exactly 27. That means that a golfer with this handicap can subtract 27 strokes from their next total score if they are playing a handicap round of golf. 

Use Kissimmee Golf Lessons to Lower Your Handicap 

The above is an explanation of how to calculate a golf handicap. However, if you are not satisfied with your handicap, there are ways of improving golf handicaps. One way to do this is to simply practice and take some golf lessons to work on your game. 

Do you want to lower your handicap? Sign up for Kissimmee golf lessons to get on the right track.