Most elite golfers have a positive handicap and give extra strokes to the course. Take Tiger Woods’ +9.4 handicap, for example.

But why would any golfer willingly give strokes away, and what does the system award them for doing so?

Why Does a Handicap Exist in Golf?

The handicap system adjusts scoring relative to course difficulty so that the competition rewards execution rather than experience. It’s worth noting that when Woods was just a teenager, he had a handicap of zero. Meaning, he competed with the elites as their equal. 

Since 2020, the World Handicap System, governed by The R&A and the US Golf Association, has operated the modern handicap framework. At its core, the handicap exists to evaluate a golfer’s potential ability and not average performance. But does everyone need to have a handicap?

When Do We Need a Handicap?

Club tournaments, net competitions, inter-club matches, and most amateur events require an official handicap index. The index is based on the different score differentials (calculated when either an 18-hole or nine-hole score is submitted). This should be updated right after the day a scorecard is submitted. Therefore, the officials tend to collect a player’s scoring trends. 

But what if the scores are exceptionally good? When a submitted round produces a score differential far below a player’s handicap index, reductions are applied automatically. For example, a score seven strokes better triggers a one-stroke adjustment, while ten strokes or more triggers a two-stroke adjustment. This safeguard prevents one unusually low round from distorting a handicap index while preserving fairness and integrity. 

And now, it’s time to address the elephant in the room.

How to Calculate a Handicap?

As per the World Handicap System, a handicap index is calculated using the best eight score differentials from a player’s most recent 20 acceptable scores. And each differential adjusts a round for course rating, slope rating, and playing conditions. 

If there are less than 20 scores available, the system applies a scaled method with safeguards. The maximum handicap index a golfer can have is capped at 54.0. One can even use the course handicap calculator provided by the USGA. All you need to do is put the handicap index, course rating, slope rating, and par in the given slots to calculate your handicap. 

Written by

Krushna Pattnaik

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar