| Your golf handicap is calculated with a formula that | | | | scratch, but has no actual handicap. |
| averages how a player should be able to play better | | | | In the United States, handicaps are calculated using the |
| than par. | | | | player's most recent game scores, along with the |
| There are two slightly different ways to calculate your | | | | course ratings and slopes from the courses played. |
| handicap which I detail below. | | | | Here's how to calculate your golf handicap. |
| A wide spread belief amongst golfers is that a player's | | | | Step 1. Take the scores from the last five rounds (18 |
| handicap is their average score, when in fact your golf | | | | holes each) that you played. |
| handicap is only the potential of your game. Most | | | | Step 2. Get the rating and slope for each course that |
| golfers play their handicap 25% of the time which is | | | | you played for each of these five scores. You can |
| know as playing your "average best". So in a large, | | | | find this information on the the course's scorecard. |
| handicapped competition, the golfer who shoots the | | | | Step 3. Now subtract the course rating from the score |
| best with respect to his or her abilities and the normal | | | | you earned on that course. |
| variations of the score should win. | | | | Step 4. Then multiply that number by 113. |
| While there are many variations, handicap systems are | | | | Step 5. Then simply divide that number by the slope of |
| generally based on calculating an individual player's | | | | the course. This number is known as your differential. |
| playing ability from his or her recent history of rounds. | | | | Step 6. And last... Take the lowest of your five |
| Therefore, a handicap is not fixed but is regularly | | | | differentials and multiply it by 0.96, and you'll have your |
| adjusted to increases or decreases in a player's | | | | handicap! |
| scoring. | | | | Now as you may have figured out from the above, |
| A golfer whose handicap is zero is called a "scratch | | | | recalculating your handicap every time you play can |
| golfer." A golfer whose handicap is 20 is called a | | | | be time-consuming and annoying. So you may want to |
| "bogey golfer." It is possible to have a handicap below | | | | look up some great Golf Handicap Tracker software |
| 0; these are referred to as 'plus' handicaps, and at the | | | | packages that can do all the leg work for you in one |
| end of the round, a 'plus' handicap golfer must add his | | | | single swoop. |
| handicap to his score. A professional golfer plays off | | | | |