Calculate Usga Handicap

USGA Handicap Index Calculator (WHS)

Enter your Adjusted Gross Score, Course Rating, and Slope Rating for up to 10 recent rounds. The calculator will determine your Handicap Index based on the World Handicap System (WHS) rules for the number of scores provided.

Round 1




Round 2




Round 3




Round 4




Round 5




Round 6




Round 7




Round 8




Round 9




Round 10




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Understanding Your USGA Handicap Index (World Handicap System)

The USGA Handicap Index, now part of the global World Handicap System (WHS), is a numerical measure of a golfer's demonstrated ability relative to the difficulty of the courses played. It allows golfers of different skill levels to compete fairly against each other by adjusting their scores based on course difficulty.

Key Components of the Handicap Index Calculation:

  • Adjusted Gross Score: This is your raw score for a round, adjusted for any abnormal hole scores. Under the WHS, this adjustment is typically limited to a maximum of Net Double Bogey for each hole. It ensures that one or two bad holes don't disproportionately inflate your handicap. For this calculator, we assume you are entering an already adjusted gross score.
  • Course Rating: This is the USGA's evaluation of the playing difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer (a golfer who can play to a zero handicap). It's expressed in strokes to one decimal place (e.g., 72.1).
  • Slope Rating: This is the USGA's evaluation of the relative difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer (a golfer with a handicap of approximately 20-24) compared to a scratch golfer. It ranges from 55 to 155, with 113 being the standard. The higher the Slope Rating, the greater the difference in difficulty for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer.
  • Score Differential: This is the core calculation for each round played. It normalizes your score based on the course's difficulty. The formula is:
    (Adjusted Gross Score - Course Rating) * 113 / Slope Rating
    A lower Score Differential indicates a better performance relative to the course's difficulty.

How the Handicap Index is Calculated:

The World Handicap System uses your most recent 20 Score Differentials to calculate your Handicap Index. However, if you have fewer than 20 scores, the system uses a sliding scale to determine how many of your best differentials are used:

  • 3 to 5 Scores: Best 1 Score Differential
  • 6 to 8 Scores: Best 2 Score Differentials
  • 9 to 10 Scores: Best 3 Score Differentials
  • 11 to 12 Scores: Best 4 Score Differentials
  • 13 to 14 Scores: Best 5 Score Differentials
  • 15 to 16 Scores: Best 6 Score Differentials
  • 17 Scores: Best 7 Score Differentials
  • 18 to 20 Scores: Best 8 Score Differentials

Once the appropriate number of best Score Differentials are selected, they are averaged. This average is then multiplied by a Handicap Factor of 0.96 (to provide a slight incentive for improvement) and truncated to one decimal place. This final number is your Handicap Index.

Example Calculation:

Let's say you have 5 valid Score Differentials: 11.2, 9.5, 14.2, 13.7, 9.4.

  1. Sort Differentials: 9.4, 9.5, 11.2, 13.7, 14.2
  2. Select Best: For 5 scores, the WHS uses the best 1. So, 9.4 is selected.
  3. Calculate Average: The average of the selected differentials is 9.4.
  4. Apply Handicap Factor: 9.4 * 0.96 = 9.024
  5. Truncate: Truncating to one decimal place gives a Handicap Index of 9.0.

If you had 10 valid Score Differentials, the system would use the best 3, average them, multiply by 0.96, and truncate.

This calculator provides an estimate of your Handicap Index based on the rounds you provide, following the WHS rules for the number of scores entered.

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