Full Answer
A handicap allowance is the percentage of the Course Handicap recommended for a handicap competition. Percentages will vary with the type of golf competition format used. Using handicap allowances prevents an unfair advantage for golfers with low or high handicaps.
What is a Course Handicap? Your Course Handicap will be the number of strokes a player receives, before handicap allowances, from a specific set of tees as determined by the Slope Rating: For example, for a golfer with a Handicap Index of 12.0, playing a course with a Slope Rating of 127, the calculation would be:
Handicap Competitions: For organized competitions, the Committee should specify the handicap allowance within the Terms of the Competition. In general, after handicap allowances have been applied in stroke play formats, a player receives their full Playing Handicap.
For example, for a golfer with a Handicap Index of 12.0, playing a course with a Slope Rating of 127, the calculation would be: 12.0 x (127/113) = 13.4867256637 This means the player’s Course Handicap will be 13.
A Course Handicap represents the number of strokes needed to play to par of the tees being played. This is the number used to adjust hole scores for net double bogey or net par.
A handicap allowance is the percentage of the Course Handicap recommended for a handicap competition. Percentages will vary with the type of golf competition format used. Using handicap allowances prevents an unfair advantage for golfers with low or high handicaps.
Playing Handicap = Course Handicap x handicap allowance.
Handicap differential = (Adjusted Gross Score-rating of the course) X 113 / Course slope ratings. The course rating is simply the scores of a new golfer on a normal course under a normal playing condition. Slope rating is the rating of 113 for a course based on the standard difficulty.
A Playing Handicap is calculated by applying the appropriate handicap allowance to a player's Course Handicap. For formats of play where a handicap allowance of 100% is adopted, the Playing Handicap will be the same as the Course Handicap.
A Course Handicap is determined by applying your Handicap Index to a Course Handicap Table or Course Handicap Formula, which is just simple math! Take your Handicap Index, multiply it by the Slope Rating of the tees played, then divide by 113 (this is the average Slope Rating).
A player's Course Handicap is determined by multiplying their Handicap Index by the the Slope Rating and dividing by the neutral Slope Rating of 113.
When you play a course with a Slope Rating higher than 113, your Course Handicap will be higher than your USGA Handicap Index. When you play a course with a Slope Rating lower than 113, your Course Handicap will be lower than your Handicap Index.
Central Database of HandicapYour Central Database of Handicap (CDH) card is your proof of your handicap and links to your handicap record. Remember to take it to open competitions at your local course or when you're visiting any club in England.
Handicap Differential. A Handicap Differential is the difference between a player's adjusted gross score and the USGA Course Rating of the course on which the score was made, multiplied by 113, then divided by the Slope Rating from the tees played and rounded to the nearest tenth, e.g., 12.8.
Adjusted Gross Score. A player's gross score, including any penalty strokes, adjusted for when: The player exceeds their maximum hole score, A hole is not played, or. A hole is started but the player does not hole out.
Use the following formula to compute the Handicap Differential: Handicap differential = (The Adjusted Gross Score -The Course Rating) X 113 / The Course slope ratings. The course rating refers to the score of a new golf player on a course under standard playing conditions.