how to calculate golf course index

by Matteo Gutkowski 9 min read

The USGA provides a formula with which you first can calculate a number that is the same no matter what course you play. This number is your WHS "Index." Using this Index, you can calculate a second number - your golf "Course Handicap" - for any specific course and tee. Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Slope Rating / 113 + (Course Rating - Par)

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).Dec 10, 2013

Full Answer

How do you calculate golf handicap index?

The formula requires the following:

  • Your scores: a minimum of five and up to 20. And these are your adjusted gross scores (meaning they follow the equitable stroke contro l per-hole maximums).
  • The USGA course ratings of the golf courses you've played.
  • The USGA slope ratings of the courses you've played.

How to determine your golf handicap calculator?

Determine the average of your net handicap differentials by multiplying them by 0.96. In our example: 24.0 x 0.96 = 23.0. Finally! Calculate your course handicap. You made it! You can now calculate your course handicap. You will need it to calculate the number of strokes any given player receives on a particular course.

How to calculate golf handicap with 9 holes?

To post a general play score from any venue, a golfer is required to:

  • Pre-register the round with the host club. ...
  • Play and enjoy the round in accordance with the Rules of Golf
  • Enter the score using the My England Golf App or ask the host club to enter the score on your behalf either onto the WHS platform or their club software

How to calculate course handicap from index?

World Handicap System

  • Course handicap data. Golfers can find a full list of course and slope ratings using The R&A’s Course Rating and Slope Database.
  • Social and General Play Scores. ...
  • Competitive and Competition Handicaps. ...
  • World Handicap System Member FAQs. ...
  • Preferred Lies. ...

How do I calculate my golf index?

Once you have 20 scores in your scoring record, your Handicap Index is calculated by first averaging the best 8 Score Differentials™ out of your most recent 20 scores.

How is golf Index 2020 calculated?

Course Handicap Calculation Pre-2020 the calculation to find the Course Handicap was: Handicap Index X Slope Rating/ 113. The new calculation for Course Handicap will be Handicap Index x (Slope Rating/113) + (Course Rating- Par). The reason for this change is to accommodate players who play off different tees.

How do I calculate my course handicap index?

USGA Handicap System (pre-2020)U: A Course Handicap represents the number of strokes a player receives in relation to the UCourse RatingU of the tees being played. The formula is: Course Handicap = Handicap Index x Slope Rating / 113.

How is golf handicap index calculated manually?

Calculate your Handicap Index. The formula for your Handicap Index is the sum of your differentials divided by the number of differentials, multiplied by 0.96, or (Sum of Differentials / Number of Differentials) x 0.96.

How do I calculate my 2021 course handicap?

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.

How do you calculate a 2021 handicap?

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.

What is the difference between handicap and handicap index?

The Difference Between Handicap and Handicap Index Handicap is a general term for a golfer's average score in relation to par (e.g., 14-over means 14 handicap); Handicap index is a term specific to an official handicapping system and refers to a rating of the golfer's game produced as part of that system.

What is a golf index?

The index is a mathematical calculation, which is always expressed in a decimal. The number represents each golfer's playing ability on a 113 Slope golf course, a course of standard difficulty. If a golfer played every round on a 113 Slope golf course, his. index and his playing handicap would be the same.

Is golf handicap based on 9 or 18 holes?

Each golf course that has an 18-hole Course Rating™ and Slope Rating® also has nine-hole Ratings. These can be found in the Course Rating and Slope Database™. You have a Handicap Index® which is designed to convert to a Course Handicap™ for 18-hole play.

How do I calculate my golf handicap?

To quickly figure out what your handicap should be, you need to subtract your number of strokes with the overall Course Rating. For example, on an average par-72 course, if you were finished with 100 strokes, you would subtract 72 from 100 and receive a handicap of 28.

How is a golf handicap calculated example?

The Course Handicap formula: Handicap Index x (Slope Rating of Tees Played/113) + (Course Rating - par). For example, your Handicap Index is 16.7 and the tee box slope is 127, the course rating is 70.5 and par is 72.

What is the average golf Handicap Index?

According to the USGA, the average handicap index among golfers in the United States is 16.4. Among those 2.4 million golfers with an index, approximately 40,000 of them are scratch or plus, meaning their have a handicap index of 0.0 or a plus handicap.

USGA Handicap Index History

From 1912 to 1987 the USGA had a "one-handicap-fits-all-courses" method of calculating a golfer's handicap. What this meant in practice was that wh...

How to Calculate A USGA Handicap Index

Calculating your USGA Handicap Index is not high math, but it can be high hassle. You definitely want to find software to do it for you. The math i...

Who Can Issue An Official USGA Handicap Index?

Although an individual could manually calculate an Index, use a spreadsheet or dedicated software, the resulting number, even if accurate, is not c...

Golfsoftware.Com's Handicap System

Whether you want to calculate and maintain a USGA Handicap Index, RCGA Factor or a local custom (best 5 out of most recent 10 scores, for instance?...

What is a course rating?

Each set of tees at a course are rated for both a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer. The course rating - really a rating for a specific tee on a specific course - is what a scratch golfer would be expected to score on average. It is the measure of the difficulty of a course (and tee) for a scratch golfer under normal conditions.

What is the USGA handicap index?

The golf index - USGA Handicap Index - is official when issued by an authorized golf club or association which is licensed to use the USGA Handicap System. According to the USGA Handicap Manual, an authorized golf association "is a golf association that has jurisdiction and has been licensed by the USGA to utilize the USGA Handicap System ...

What is the slope rating of a golf course?

The slope rating is an indication of the relative difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch golfers. A course with a standard difficulty has a slope rating of 113.

How many members are in a golf club?

A golf club is an "organization of at least ten individual members that operates under bylaws with committees (especially a handicap committee) to supervise golf activities, provide peer review, and maintain the integrity of the USGA HandicapSystem .

When did golf index change?

With the change in 1987, golfers no longer had a "handicap," but a Handicap Index or just "Index.". Calculating a USGA Handicap Index is a bit more complex than things used to be before 1987, but it's still not "rocket science.". The golf index took into account the difficulty of the course. Since 1987 there has been a course rating ...

When did the USGA start using one handicap?

From 1912 to 1987 the USGA had a "one-handicap-fits-all-courses" method of calculating a golfer's handicap. What this meant in practice was that whether you were at your 5,800 yard municipal course or the 6,800 yard championship tees at Pebble Beach, you received the same number of handicap strokes. In this way of calculating a handicap, ...

Why do we have an index in golf?

The main reason is to provide a way for golfers of different abilities to play and compete on a relatively even basis at any course. A secondary reason is to provide a rating system that indicates a golfer's ability relative to other golfers.

What is a scratch golfer?

"Scratch golfers" and "bogey golfers" are terms that are often used in relation to golf handicaps. A scratch golfer is a golfer whose handicap is zero, while a bogey golfer is one whose handicap is ...

What is a rating of slope?

A rating of slope in contrast, is a number (typically between 55 and 155) describing the relative difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer. A handicap of course indicates the number of strokes that a golfer receives at a particular golf course. It can be thought of as an adjustment to a golfer's handicap ...

What is a golf handicap adjustment?

It is the number of strokes that should be deducted from a golfer's gross score to determine net score.

How does weather affect golf scores?

Since golf is a game that is played outdoors, weather or other conditions can significantly affect a player's scores. As such, in an effort to more accurately represent a player's scores, an adjustment, referred to as the Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC), based on playing conditions for the course is included. This involves factoring in a number, ranging from -1 (when conditions make the course easier) to 3 (when conditions make the course more difficult), into the score differential calculation, depending on the conditions of the course for the given day.

What is the rating of a golf course?

In the United States, officially rated golf courses are described by course and rating of slope. Rating of course is a number (typically between 67 and 77) that is used to measure the average "good" score that a scratch golfer may attain on the course.

What is a golf handicap?

A golf handicap is intended as a measure of a golfer's potential playing ability. The higher the handicap of a golfer, the poorer the golfer's ability relative to that of a person with a lower handicap.

Why is it important that players submit their scores on the actual day of play?

Because this adjustment is dependent on a given day, and since it is calculated automatically , it is important that players submit their scores on the actual day of play so that the PCC will be applied to their score on the correct day.

What is adjusted gross score?

The adjusted gross score is a player’s gross score adjusted under USGA Handicap System procedures for unfinished holes, conceded strokes, holes not played or not played under the Rules of Golf, or Equitable Stroke Control.

What is a course rating?

Course Rating#N#USGA Course Rating is an evaluation of the difficulty of a golf course for scratch golfers. The number is an estimate of the average scores of the best 50-percent of rounds played by scratch golfers at that course.

Can you pick up strokes on Augusta 12th hole?

The truth is, that happens to everyone, especially if they play the 12th hole at Augusta! According to the World Handicap System, the number of strokes you can pick up on any given hole is limited . Since Pros don’t play off a handicap, they have no maximum number of strokes on any given hole.

What is the slope rating on a golf scorecard?

The course rating is the expected score of a scratch golfer playing a round of golf on a course. The slope rating is the expected score of a bogey golfer relative to the course rating, with 113 serving as the standard slope rating.

How to find handicap on scorecard?

To find his handicap for a round, a golfer locates on the scorecard the slope and course rating for the tees from which he played. The course rating is subtracted from the player's score, which is then divided by 113 and multiplied by the slope for the tees played. The resulting number is the handicap for that round.

What is stroke index?

The stroke index is a method of ranking the holes on each nine of a golf course from hardest to easiest. The front nine holes are assigned odd numbers from 1 to 17, while the back nine holes are assigned even numbers from 2 to 18, with a lower number signifying a more difficult hole.

What is handicap in golf?

The golf handicap system was developed as a method of measuring the talent level of golfers, using scores in multiple rounds weighted against the relative difficulty of the courses being played. Using handicaps, golfers can compete against players of differing skills and abilities.

How many rounds are used in a golf game?

Every two fewer cards the player has a score for, one fewer is used in the average, down to only the best score for a golfer with either five or six rounds.

image