Handicap Calculator

Golf Handicap Calculator

Enter your Adjusted Gross Score, Course Rating, and Slope Rating for each round. You can enter up to 20 rounds.

Round 1

Round 2

Round 3

Round 4

Round 5

Round 6

Round 7

Round 8

Round 9

Round 10

Round 11

Round 12

Round 13

Round 14

Round 15

Round 16

Round 17

Round 18

Round 19

Round 20

Please enter valid numbers for at least 3 rounds.

function calculateHandicap() { var differentials = []; var numRounds = 20; // Max number of rounds for (var i = 1; i 0) { var differential = (score – courseRating) * 113 / slopeRating; differentials.push(differential); } } if (differentials.length = 3 && differentials.length = 5 && differentials.length = 7 && differentials.length = 9 && differentials.length = 11 && differentials.length = 13 && differentials.length = 15 && differentials.length = 17 && differentials.length <= 20) { numDifferentialsToUse = 8; } else { // This case should ideally not be hit if differentials.length < 3 is handled // and max rounds is 20. But as a fallback, use a reasonable default. numDifferentialsToUse = Math.floor(differentials.length / 2); // Example fallback } var sumOfBestDifferentials = 0; for (var j = 0; j < numDifferentialsToUse; j++) { sumOfBestDifferentials += differentials[j]; } var averageBestDifferentials = sumOfBestDifferentials / numDifferentialsToUse; // USGA/WHS Handicap Index calculation includes a 0.96 multiplier var handicapIndex = averageBestDifferentials * 0.96; document.getElementById("result").style.backgroundColor = "#d4edda"; document.getElementById("result").style.color = "#155724"; document.getElementById("result").innerHTML = "Your Handicap Index: " + handicapIndex.toFixed(1) + ""; }

Understanding the Golf Handicap Calculator

A golf handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer's ability, used to allow players of different skill levels to compete against each other on an equitable basis. The lower a player's handicap, the better their skill level. This calculator helps you determine your Handicap Index based on your recent golf rounds, following the principles of the World Handicap System (WHS), which is largely based on the former USGA Handicap System.

Why is a Golf Handicap Important?

The primary purpose of a golf handicap is to level the playing field. Imagine a professional golfer playing against an amateur; without a handicap, the professional would almost always win. With handicaps, the amateur receives strokes, making the competition fair and enjoyable for everyone. It also allows golfers to track their improvement over time and compare their performance with others.

How is the Handicap Index Calculated?

The calculation of a Handicap Index involves several steps, primarily focusing on your best recent scores relative to the difficulty of the courses you played. Here's a breakdown of the key components:

1. Adjusted Gross Score: This is your raw score for a round, adjusted for any maximum hole scores (e.g., Net Double Bogey under WHS rules) to prevent one or two bad holes from disproportionately affecting your handicap. For simplicity, in this calculator, we assume you are entering your already adjusted gross score.
2. Course Rating: This is a numerical value, typically to one decimal place (e.g., 72.5), that represents the playing difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer (a golfer with a handicap of zero) under normal course and weather conditions.
3. Slope Rating: This value indicates the relative difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer (a golfer with a handicap of approximately 20-24) compared to a scratch golfer. Slope ratings range from 55 to 155, with 113 being the average. The higher the slope, the more difficult the course is for a bogey golfer.
4. Handicap Differential: For each round, a Handicap Differential is calculated using the formula:

   Handicap Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score - Course Rating) × 113 / Slope Rating

   The '113' is the average slope rating, used to normalize differentials across courses.
5. Selecting Best Differentials: To calculate your Handicap Index, the system doesn't use all your differentials. Instead, it takes a certain number of your best (lowest) differentials from your most recent 20 rounds. The number of differentials used depends on how many valid rounds you have submitted:
   • 3-4 rounds: Use 1 best differential
   • 5-6 rounds: Use 2 best differentials
   • 7-8 rounds: Use 3 best differentials
   • 9-10 rounds: Use 4 best differentials
   • 11-12 rounds: Use 5 best differentials
   • 13-14 rounds: Use 6 best differentials
   • 15-16 rounds: Use 7 best differentials
   • 17-20 rounds: Use 8 best differentials
6. Averaging and Index Calculation: The selected best differentials are averaged. This average is then multiplied by a factor (typically 0.96 for the USGA/WHS system) to arrive at your Handicap Index, which is usually rounded to one decimal place.

How to Use This Calculator

To use this Golf Handicap Calculator, simply input the following information for each of your recent golf rounds (up to 20 rounds):

• Adjusted Gross Score: Your score after any necessary adjustments for maximum hole scores.
• Course Rating: The Course Rating for the tees you played.
• Slope Rating: The Slope Rating for the tees you played.

Once you've entered your data for at least 3 rounds, click the "Calculate Handicap Index" button. The calculator will then process your inputs and display your estimated Handicap Index.

Example Calculation:

Let's say you have the following 5 rounds:

Round	Adjusted Gross Score	Course Rating	Slope Rating	Differential
1	85	72.5	130	(85 – 72.5) * 113 / 130 = 10.87
2	88	71.8	128	(88 – 71.8) * 113 / 128 = 14.32
3	82	70.0	125	(82 – 70.0) * 113 / 125 = 10.85
4	90	73.0	135	(90 – 73.0) * 113 / 135 = 14.22
5	86	72.0	129	(86 – 72.0) * 113 / 129 = 12.25

Steps:

1. Calculate Differentials: As shown in the table above.
2. Sort Differentials: 10.85, 10.87, 12.25, 14.22, 14.32
3. Select Best Differentials: For 5 rounds, we use the best 2 differentials: 10.85 and 10.87.
4. Average Best Differentials: (10.85 + 10.87) / 2 = 10.86
5. Calculate Handicap Index: 10.86 * 0.96 = 10.4256
6. Round to one decimal: 10.4

Your Handicap Index would be 10.4.

Keep in mind that official handicap systems often have additional rules for extreme scores, playing conditions, and caps on how much a handicap can change, which are not included in this simplified calculator. For an official handicap, you should register with your national golf association.