Golf Handicap Calculator
Enter your recent rounds as score, course rating and slope. You get each round's score differential, your Handicap Index, and optionally your Course Handicap for the course you will play.
Your numbers
How we calculate it
In the World Handicap System each round gets a score differential: 113 ÷ slope × (adjusted gross score − course rating − PCC), rounded to a tenth. The Handicap Index is the average of the best differentials among the most recent 20. How many count depends on how many rounds you have: the lowest 1 of 3 to 5 rounds (with an adjustment of −2.0 for 3 and −1.0 for 4), the lowest 2 of 6 to 8 (−1.0 for 6), 3 of 9 to 11, 4 of 12 to 14, 5 of 15 and 16, 6 of 17 and 18, 7 of 19 and 8 of 20. The result is rounded to a tenth and cannot be above 54.0.
The Course Handicap is the number of strokes you get on a particular course: Handicap Index × slope ÷ 113 + (course rating − par), rounded to a whole number. For example, with the default eight rounds the two best differentials are 11.8 and 12.7, which average 12.25 and round up to a Handicap Index of 12.3. On a course rated 71.6 with a slope of 128 and a par of 72, that is 12.3 × 128 ÷ 113 − 0.4 = 13.5, so a Course Handicap of 14.
Assumptions and limits
- Enter the adjusted gross score (your score after the maximum hole score is applied). List the rounds from oldest to newest, and use the most recent 20 at most. The PCC (playing conditions calculation) is a whole number from −1 to 3 and defaults to 0.
- This follows the basic World Handicap System rules. It does not include the soft cap and hard cap on increases, the exceptional score reduction, or a playing handicap allowance for a format of play, so an official index from your golf association can differ.
- A Handicap Index below zero is a plus handicap and is shown with a minus sign here.
Frequently asked questions
How is a golf handicap calculated?
Each score becomes a differential using the course rating and slope. Your Handicap Index is then the average of the best of your last 20 differentials. With fewer than 20 rounds, fewer differentials count.
What is the difference between a Handicap Index and a Course Handicap?
The Handicap Index measures your playing ability on a course of standard difficulty. The Course Handicap adjusts it for the slope and rating of the course you are actually playing, to give the number of strokes you receive.
How many rounds do I need?
You need at least 3 rounds to get a Handicap Index. The more rounds you have, up to 20, the more of your best scores are used.
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Worked example (a fixed example using the starting numbers, it does not change as you type)
Inputs: Rounds, each as score course-rating slope (and optional PCC), separated by ; = 88 71.6 128; 91 71.6 128; 85 71.6 128; 94 71.6 128; 87 71.6 128; 90 71.6 128; 86 71.6 128; 92 71.6 128; Course rating of the course you will play = 71.6; Slope rating of that course = 128; Par of that course = 72.
- Handicap Index 12.3
- Scores used The lowest 2 of 8 differentials
- Rounds entered 8
- Course Handicap 14
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