Golf Handicap Calculator
Work out a World Handicap System handicap index from your scores or score differentials, and the course handicap an index gives on a set of tees.
Result
Handicap index: 15.5
Before the soft and hard caps and any exceptional score reduction, which need your full scoring history.Calculated by the rules as written. Your official index is issued through your club or golf association and can differ where caps or committee adjustments apply.
- Scores in the record
- 8
- Lowest differentials counted
- 2
- Their average
- 15.5
- Adjustment from the table
- 0.0
https://calcgallery.com/sports/golf-handicap-calculator/
Results are exact arithmetic on the numbers you enter, following the rule or formula the page names. Official records are kept by the league, federation or association concerned, and their figures and rulings control. Read the full disclaimer
How to use the Golf Handicap Calculator
- Choose what to work out, a handicap index from your scores or differentials, or a course handicap from an index.
- For an index, enter up to your 20 most recent 18-hole rounds, each with its adjusted gross score and the Course Rating, Slope Rating and PCC of the tees you played.
- If your handicap app already lists your score differentials, choose that option and enter them instead.
- For a course handicap, enter your index and the Slope Rating, Course Rating and par of the tees you are about to play.
How a handicap index is calculated
A handicap index is the World Handicap System’s measure of your demonstrated ability, expressed against a course of standard difficulty. It is built from score differentials: each round’s score, adjusted for how hard the course played.
Rule 5.1a, the score differential. For each 18-hole round:
Score differential = (113 ÷ Slope Rating) × (adjusted gross score − Course Rating − PCC)rounded to the nearest tenth, with a half rounded upwards. When a differential is negative, upwards means towards zero, so −1.55 becomes −1.5 (Rule 5.1c). The Course Rating is what a scratch player is expected to shoot from those tees; the Slope Rating, from 55 to 155, says how much harder the tees play for everyone else. 113 is the Slope Rating of a course of standard relative difficulty, which is why every differential is scaled by 113 over the slope actually played.
Rules 5.2a and 5.2b, the index. With 20 differentials in your record, the index is the average of the lowest 8, rounded to the nearest tenth. With fewer, this table from Rule 5.2a sets how many count and adjusts the result:
| Differentials in the record | Used in the calculation | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Lowest 1 | −2.0 |
| 4 | Lowest 1 | −1.0 |
| 5 | Lowest 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Average of lowest 2 | −1.0 |
| 7 or 8 | Average of lowest 2 | 0 |
| 9 to 11 | Average of lowest 3 | 0 |
| 12 to 14 | Average of lowest 4 | 0 |
| 15 or 16 | Average of lowest 5 | 0 |
| 17 or 18 | Average of lowest 6 | 0 |
| 19 | Average of lowest 7 | 0 |
| 20 | Average of lowest 8 | 0 |
Fewer than three scores give no index. No index above 54.0 can be issued (Rule 5.3), so the page stops there and says so.
The page works in whole tenths of a stroke, so a result that lands exactly on a half is rounded the way the rules say rather than the way computer arithmetic happens to fall.
How a course handicap is calculated
Rule 6.1a. Your index is measured against standard difficulty; the course handicap turns it into strokes on the tees you are playing:
Course handicap = Handicap index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − par)Rounding to the nearest whole number, with a half rounded upwards, is the last step. On tees with a Slope Rating above 113 you receive more strokes than your index, and where the Course Rating is above par you receive the difference as well. The rules recommend applying any handicap allowance to the unrounded figure, which the page shows too, because rounding twice can give two players whose indexes are nearly two strokes apart the same playing handicap.
What the page leaves to your club
The page calculates what the rules define from the numbers you give it. Some parts of the system need data it does not have, so it does not attempt them:
- Net double bogey. You enter the adjusted gross score, already capped hole by hole.
- Nine-hole scores. The page takes 18-hole rounds only. Nine-hole scores are combined with an expected score, which needs your scoring record.
- Soft cap and hard cap (Rule 5.8), which limit how far an index can rise above your Low Handicap Index, the lowest of the 365 days before your most recent score.
- Exceptional score reductions (Rule 5.9) and committee adjustments (Rule 7).
- Penalty and incomplete rounds, which a committee handles.
Your official index is the one issued through your club or golf association. Use this page to see how the number is built, check a calculation, or estimate where your index is heading.
With your numbers
- Round 1: (113 ÷ 128) × (92 − 71.2 − 0) = 18.36, to the tenth 18.4
- Round 2: (113 ÷ 125) × (88 − 70.4 − 0) = 15.91, to the tenth 15.9
- Round 3: (113 ÷ 133) × (95 − 72.1 − 1) = 18.61, to the tenth 18.6
- Round 4: (113 ÷ 128) × (90 − 71.2 − 0) = 16.6, to the tenth 16.6
- Round 5: (113 ÷ 121) × (86 − 69.8 − 0) = 15.13, to the tenth 15.1
- Round 6: (113 ÷ 133) × (97 − 72.1 − 2) = 19.46, to the tenth 19.5
- Round 7: (113 ÷ 125) × (89 − 70.4 − -1) = 17.72, to the tenth 17.7
- Round 8: (113 ÷ 128) × (91 − 71.2 − 0) = 17.48, to the tenth 17.5
- Rule 5.2a with 8 scores: the lowest 2 count, adjustment 0.0
- Lowest 2: 15.1, 15.9; average 15.5
- Handicap index = 15.5 + (0.0) = 15.5
Quick reference
Calculated by the rules as written. Your official index is issued through your club or golf association and can differ where caps or committee adjustments apply.
| Example | Result |
|---|---|
| Eight rounds | Handicap index: 15.5 |
| Twenty rounds | Handicap index: 11.0 |
| First three rounds | Handicap index: 13.9 |
| Differentials 15.3, 15.2 and 16.6 | Handicap index: 13.2 |
| Six differentials | Handicap index: 37.4 |
| Index 8.6, slope 125, rating 71.0, par 71 | Course handicap: 10 |
| Index 20.0, slope 140, rating 74.1, par 72 | Course handicap: 27 |
| Plus 1.2, slope 130, rating 73.5, par 72 | Course handicap: 0 |
Where the numbers come from
The fixed figures this calculator relies on, and the published source each one was checked against. How the calculators are built and checked
16 sources
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.1a, "Score Differential = (113 ÷ Slope Rating) x (adjusted gross score – Course Rating – PCC adjustment)"; Rule 6.1a, "Course Handicap = Handicap Index x (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating – par)"; Appendix G, "A golf course of standard relative difficulty has a Slope Rating of 113."
Used for
- The Slope Rating of a golf course of standard relative difficulty, which a handicap index is measured against.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.3, "The maximum Handicap Index that can be issued to a player is 54.0."
Used for
- The largest handicap index that can be issued.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "3" score differentials in the scoring record: "Lowest 1".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 3.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "3" score differentials in the scoring record: adjustment "-2.0"; the rows for 5, 7 or 8, and 9 or more show an adjustment of 0.
Used for
- Strokes taken off the handicap index calculated from a record of 3 score differentials: the table's adjustment of −2.0.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "4" score differentials in the scoring record: "Lowest 1".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 4.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "4" score differentials in the scoring record: adjustment "-1.0"; the rows for 5, 7 or 8, and 9 or more show an adjustment of 0.
Used for
- Strokes taken off the handicap index calculated from a record of 4 score differentials: the table's adjustment of −1.0.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "5" score differentials in the scoring record: "Lowest 1".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 5.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "6" score differentials in the scoring record: "Average of lowest 2".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 6.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "6" score differentials in the scoring record: adjustment "-1.0"; the rows for 5, 7 or 8, and 9 or more show an adjustment of 0.
Used for
- Strokes taken off the handicap index calculated from a record of 6 score differentials: the table's adjustment of −1.0.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "7 or 8" score differentials in the scoring record: "Average of lowest 2".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 7 or 8.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "9 to 11" score differentials in the scoring record: "Average of lowest 3".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 9 to 11.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "12 to 14" score differentials in the scoring record: "Average of lowest 4".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 12 to 14.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "15 or 16" score differentials in the scoring record: "Average of lowest 5".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 15 or 16.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "17 or 18" score differentials in the scoring record: "Average of lowest 6".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 17 or 18.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "19" score differentials in the scoring record: "Average of lowest 7".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 19.
USGA and The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, effective January 2024 (© 2023), read from the Internet Archive copy (19 September 2024) of https://www.usga.org/content/dam/usga/pdf/2024-revision/2024-Rules-of-Handicapping-USGA.pdf because usga.org refuses automated access, Rule 5.2a, table row "20" score differentials in the scoring record: "Average of lowest 8".
Used for
- How many of the lowest score differentials a handicap index averages when the record holds 20.
Common questions about the Golf Handicap Calculator
- What is an adjusted gross score?
- Your gross score after each hole is capped at its maximum for handicap purposes, which for most rounds is net double bogey: par, plus two, plus any handicap strokes you receive on that hole. A player without an index yet is capped at par plus five. This page does not apply the cap for you, because it needs your course handicap and the stroke index of every hole. Enter the adjusted gross score your scorecard, club software or handicap app shows.
- Why is my official index different from this page?
- Several parts of the system need your full scoring history, which this page does not have. The soft and hard caps limit how far an index can rise above your lowest index of the past 365 days. An exceptional score, one at least 7 strokes better than your index, triggers an extra reduction. Committees can adjust an index after a review. Nine-hole scores are combined with an expected score. And your association may have posted a PCC of other than 0 for a day you played. Any of these makes the official figure differ from a plain calculation.
- What is PCC?
- The playing conditions calculation. After a day's scores are in, the system checks whether the course played noticeably harder or easier than expected, because of weather or set-up, and if so posts an adjustment of −1.0, +1.0, +2.0 or +3.0 that applies to everyone who played that day. On most days it is 0. Your handicap app shows it beside each score.
- How do I enter a plus handicap?
- As a negative number: a plus 2.1 index is −2.1. The rules note that a plus handicap is a negative number in the arithmetic, and ask players to write it with a + sign on entry forms. The page shows a plus index or course handicap the same way, with a note giving it as +.
- What is the difference between a course handicap and a playing handicap?
- The course handicap is the strokes your index gives you on a particular set of tees, adjusting for how hard they play relative to standard. A playing handicap then applies the handicap allowance for the format, such as 95% in individual stroke play or 85% in four-ball stroke play, to the unrounded course handicap. The page gives the course handicap and its unrounded value so an allowance can be applied to the right figure.