Golf Handicap Calculator
Enter your recent golf scores, along with the Course Rating and Slope Rating for each course played, to calculate your estimated Handicap Index.
Round Scores
| Round | Gross Score | Course Rating | Slope Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | |||
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 | |||
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Calculation Results
"; resultsHtml += "- ";
for (var i = 1; i 0 && courseRating > 0 && slopeRating > 0) {
// Handicap Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score – Course Rating) * 113 / Slope Rating
// For simplicity in this calculator, Gross Score is used as the Adjusted Gross Score.
var differential = ((grossScore – courseRating) * 113) / slopeRating;
differentials.push(differential);
resultsHtml += "
- Round " + i + " Differential: " + differential.toFixed(2) + " "; } else if (document.getElementById(grossScoreId).value !== "" || document.getElementById(courseRatingId).value !== "" || document.getElementById(slopeRatingId).value !== "") { resultsHtml += "
- Round " + i + ": Invalid or incomplete data. Skipped. "; } } resultsHtml += "
Understanding Your Golf Handicap
A golf handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer's ability, allowing players of different skill levels to compete fairly against each other. It's essentially a way to level the playing field, making golf more enjoyable and competitive for everyone.
What is a Handicap Index?
Your Handicap Index is a portable measure of your demonstrated ability. It's a single number, typically expressed to one decimal place (e.g., 12.5), that represents your potential scoring ability on a course of standard difficulty. This index is then used to calculate your "Playing Handicap" for a specific course, which adjusts for that course's unique difficulty.
Key Components of Handicap Calculation:
- Gross Score: This is your total score for a round of golf before any handicap adjustments.
- Course Rating: A numerical value, typically between 67 and 77, that indicates the playing difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer (a golfer with a handicap of 0). It's based on yardage and obstacles.
- Slope Rating: A numerical value, typically between 55 and 155, that 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. The higher the Slope Rating, the more difficult the course is for a higher-handicap golfer. The standard Slope Rating is 113.
- Handicap Differential: This is calculated for each round you play. The formula is:
(Adjusted Gross Score - Course Rating) × 113 / Slope Rating(Note: "Adjusted Gross Score" accounts for maximum hole scores, but for simplicity, this calculator uses your raw Gross Score.)
How This Calculator Works:
This calculator helps you estimate your Handicap Index by taking multiple recent scores into account. You'll input your Gross Score, the Course Rating, and the Slope Rating for each round. The calculator will then:
- Calculate a Handicap Differential for each valid round.
- Collect all valid differentials.
- Sort them from lowest to highest.
- Based on the number of valid rounds entered, it will select and average a certain number of your lowest differentials to determine your estimated Handicap Index. This method aligns with the principles of the World Handicap System (WHS), which aims to reflect your demonstrated ability.
Example Calculation:
Let's say you have the following scores:
- Round 1: Gross Score 85, Course Rating 72.0, Slope Rating 125
- Round 2: Gross Score 88, Course Rating 71.5, Slope Rating 128
- Round 3: Gross Score 92, Course Rating 73.2, Slope Rating 130
- Round 4: Gross Score 83, Course Rating 70.8, Slope Rating 122
- Round 5: Gross Score 90, Course Rating 72.5, Slope Rating 127
The calculator would first determine the Handicap Differential for each round:
- Round 1: (85 – 72.0) × 113 / 125 = 11.75
- Round 2: (88 – 71.5) × 113 / 128 = 14.56
- Round 3: (92 – 73.2) × 113 / 130 = 16.34
- Round 4: (83 – 70.8) × 113 / 122 = 11.30
- Round 5: (90 – 72.5) × 113 / 127 = 15.56
With 5 valid rounds, the calculator uses the lowest differential. In this case, the lowest is 11.30 (from Round 4). So, your estimated Handicap Index would be 11.3.
Important Notes:
- This calculator provides an estimated Handicap Index. For an official handicap, you must register with your national golf association (e.g., USGA in the United States, R&A in the UK).
- Official handicap systems often include additional rules like "Net Double Bogey" adjustments for maximum hole scores, exceptional score reductions, and soft/hard caps, which are not factored into this simplified calculator.
- The more scores you enter, the more accurate your estimated Handicap Index will be.