The golf handicap calculation is something that most golfers never have to worry about. If you carry an official USGA Handicap Index, the calculation is performed for you by other people (or, far more likely, by a computer). You can also get an unofficial estimate of your handicap by using a golf handicap calculator.
But you want the nuts and bolts of the handicap formula, don’t you? You want to know the math behind figuring handicaps. OK, you asked for it, you got it.
What You’ll Need for the Handicap Formula
What numbers do you have to have in order to perform the handicap index calculation? The formula requires the following:
Your scores: a minimum of five and up to 20. And these are your adjusted gross scores (meaning they follow the equitable stroke control per-hole maximums). The USGA course ratings of the golf courses you’ve played. The USGA slope ratings of the courses you’ve played.
Have all that? OK, we’re ready to get into the math of the handicap formula.
Step 1 In Handicap Formula: Calculate the Differentials
Using your adjusted gross scores, the course ratings, and slope ratings, Step 1 is calculating the handicap differential for each round entered using this formula:
(Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Slope Rating
For example, let’s say your score is 85, the course rating 72.2, the slope 131. The formula would be:
(85 - 72.2) x 113 / 131 = 11.04
The sum of that calculation is called your “handicap differential.” This differential is calculated for each round entered (minimum of five, maximum of 20).
(Note: The number 113 is a constant and represents the slope rating of a golf course of average difficulty.)
Step 2: Determine How Many Differentials To Use
Not every differential that results from Step 1 will be used in the next step. If only five rounds are entered, only the lowest of your five differentials will be used in the following step. If 20 rounds are entered, only the 10 lowest differentials are used. Use this chart to determine how many differentials to use in your handicap calculation.
Number of Differentials UsedThe number of rounds you are reporting for handicap purposes determines the number of differentials used in the USGA handicap calculation, as follows:
Rounds Entered Differentials Used
5-6 rounds Use 1 lowest differential
7-8 rounds Use 2 lowest differentials
9-10 rounds Use 3 lowest differentials
11-12 rounds Use 4 lowest differentials
13-14 rounds Use 5 lowest differentials
15-16 rounds Use 6 lowest differentials
17 rounds Use 7 lowest differentials
18 rounds Use 8 lowest differentials
19 rounds Use 9 lowest differentials
20 rounds Use 10 lowest differentials
Step 3: Average Your Differentials
Get an average of the differentials used by adding them together and dividing by the number used (i.e., if five differentials are used, add them up and divide by five).
Step 4: Arriving At Your Handicap Index
And the final step is to take the number that results from Step 3 and multiply the result by 0.96 (96-percent). Drop all the digits after the tenths (do not round off) and the result is handicap index.
Or, to combine Steps 3 and 4 into a single formula:
(Sum of differentials / number of differentials) x 0.96
Let’s give an example using five differentials. Our differentials worked out to (just making up some numbers for this example) 11.04, 12.33, 9.87, 14.66 and 10.59. So we add those up, which produces the number 58.49. Since we used five differentials, we divide that number by five, which produces 11.698. And we multiply that number by 0.96, which equals 11.23, and 11.2 is our handicap index.
Thankfully, as we said at the beginning, you don’t have to do the math on your own. Your golf club’s handicap committee will handle it for you, or the GHIN system if you log in to post scores.
Just imagine: Once upon a time, these calculations were all done by hand. Reason to be thankful for computers, right?
Watch Now: How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap
Handicap Differential in Golf
What Is the Highest Handicap a Golfer Can Have?
If You Want a Golf Handicap, You Need a Certain Number of Scores
Course Handicap: What Is It and How Is It Used?
How Golf Handicaps Work: Overview of Their Role and Function
Explaining Golf’s ‘Course Rating’ and the USGA Course Rating System
Golf Calculators to Estimate Your Handicap
What You Need to Know About Golf’s World Handicap System
Are 9-Hole Golf Scores or Incomplete Rounds OK for Handicap Scores?
Equitable Stroke Control in Golf and Maximum Scores Per Hole
Are ‘Handicap’ and ‘Handicap Index’ the Same?
How to Play the Stableford or Modified Stableford Golf Format
Reserve and National Guard Retirement Pay System
Calculate Your Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment – GMROI
Navy Enlisted Promotion System Point Calculation
What Is Earnings Per Share or EPS?
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LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
The golf handicap calculation is something that most golfers never have to worry about. If you carry an official USGA Handicap Index, the calculation is performed for you by other people (or, far more likely, by a computer). You can also get an unofficial estimate of your handicap by using a golf handicap calculator.
But you want the nuts and bolts of the handicap formula, don’t you? You want to know the math behind figuring handicaps. OK, you asked for it, you got it.
What You’ll Need for the Handicap Formula
What numbers do you have to have in order to perform the handicap index calculation? The formula requires the following:
Your scores: a minimum of five and up to 20. And these are your adjusted gross scores (meaning they follow the equitable stroke control per-hole maximums). The USGA course ratings of the golf courses you’ve played. The USGA slope ratings of the courses you’ve played.
Have all that? OK, we’re ready to get into the math of the handicap formula.
Step 1 In Handicap Formula: Calculate the Differentials
Using your adjusted gross scores, the course ratings, and slope ratings, Step 1 is calculating the handicap differential for each round entered using this formula:
(Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Slope Rating
For example, let’s say your score is 85, the course rating 72.2, the slope 131. The formula would be:
(85 - 72.2) x 113 / 131 = 11.04
The sum of that calculation is called your “handicap differential.” This differential is calculated for each round entered (minimum of five, maximum of 20).
(Note: The number 113 is a constant and represents the slope rating of a golf course of average difficulty.)
Step 2: Determine How Many Differentials To Use
Not every differential that results from Step 1 will be used in the next step. If only five rounds are entered, only the lowest of your five differentials will be used in the following step. If 20 rounds are entered, only the 10 lowest differentials are used. Use this chart to determine how many differentials to use in your handicap calculation.
Number of Differentials UsedThe number of rounds you are reporting for handicap purposes determines the number of differentials used in the USGA handicap calculation, as follows:
Rounds Entered Differentials Used
5-6 rounds Use 1 lowest differential
7-8 rounds Use 2 lowest differentials
9-10 rounds Use 3 lowest differentials
11-12 rounds Use 4 lowest differentials
13-14 rounds Use 5 lowest differentials
15-16 rounds Use 6 lowest differentials
17 rounds Use 7 lowest differentials
18 rounds Use 8 lowest differentials
19 rounds Use 9 lowest differentials
20 rounds Use 10 lowest differentials
Step 3: Average Your Differentials
Get an average of the differentials used by adding them together and dividing by the number used (i.e., if five differentials are used, add them up and divide by five).
Step 4: Arriving At Your Handicap Index
And the final step is to take the number that results from Step 3 and multiply the result by 0.96 (96-percent). Drop all the digits after the tenths (do not round off) and the result is handicap index.
Or, to combine Steps 3 and 4 into a single formula:
(Sum of differentials / number of differentials) x 0.96
Let’s give an example using five differentials. Our differentials worked out to (just making up some numbers for this example) 11.04, 12.33, 9.87, 14.66 and 10.59. So we add those up, which produces the number 58.49. Since we used five differentials, we divide that number by five, which produces 11.698. And we multiply that number by 0.96, which equals 11.23, and 11.2 is our handicap index.
Thankfully, as we said at the beginning, you don’t have to do the math on your own. Your golf club’s handicap committee will handle it for you, or the GHIN system if you log in to post scores.
Just imagine: Once upon a time, these calculations were all done by hand. Reason to be thankful for computers, right?
Watch Now: How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap
Handicap Differential in Golf
What Is the Highest Handicap a Golfer Can Have?
If You Want a Golf Handicap, You Need a Certain Number of Scores
Course Handicap: What Is It and How Is It Used?
How Golf Handicaps Work: Overview of Their Role and Function
Explaining Golf’s ‘Course Rating’ and the USGA Course Rating System
Golf Calculators to Estimate Your Handicap
What You Need to Know About Golf’s World Handicap System
Are 9-Hole Golf Scores or Incomplete Rounds OK for Handicap Scores?
Equitable Stroke Control in Golf and Maximum Scores Per Hole
Are ‘Handicap’ and ‘Handicap Index’ the Same?
How to Play the Stableford or Modified Stableford Golf Format
Reserve and National Guard Retirement Pay System
Calculate Your Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment – GMROI
Navy Enlisted Promotion System Point Calculation
What Is Earnings Per Share or EPS?
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
The golf handicap calculation is something that most golfers never have to worry about. If you carry an official USGA Handicap Index, the calculation is performed for you by other people (or, far more likely, by a computer). You can also get an unofficial estimate of your handicap by using a golf handicap calculator.
But you want the nuts and bolts of the handicap formula, don’t you? You want to know the math behind figuring handicaps. OK, you asked for it, you got it.
What You’ll Need for the Handicap Formula
What numbers do you have to have in order to perform the handicap index calculation? The formula requires the following:
Your scores: a minimum of five and up to 20. And these are your adjusted gross scores (meaning they follow the equitable stroke control per-hole maximums). The USGA course ratings of the golf courses you’ve played. The USGA slope ratings of the courses you’ve played.
Have all that? OK, we’re ready to get into the math of the handicap formula.
Step 1 In Handicap Formula: Calculate the Differentials
Using your adjusted gross scores, the course ratings, and slope ratings, Step 1 is calculating the handicap differential for each round entered using this formula:
(Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Slope Rating
For example, let’s say your score is 85, the course rating 72.2, the slope 131. The formula would be:
(85 - 72.2) x 113 / 131 = 11.04
The sum of that calculation is called your “handicap differential.” This differential is calculated for each round entered (minimum of five, maximum of 20).
(Note: The number 113 is a constant and represents the slope rating of a golf course of average difficulty.)
Step 2: Determine How Many Differentials To Use
Not every differential that results from Step 1 will be used in the next step. If only five rounds are entered, only the lowest of your five differentials will be used in the following step. If 20 rounds are entered, only the 10 lowest differentials are used. Use this chart to determine how many differentials to use in your handicap calculation.
Number of Differentials UsedThe number of rounds you are reporting for handicap purposes determines the number of differentials used in the USGA handicap calculation, as follows:
Rounds Entered Differentials Used
5-6 rounds Use 1 lowest differential
7-8 rounds Use 2 lowest differentials
9-10 rounds Use 3 lowest differentials
11-12 rounds Use 4 lowest differentials
13-14 rounds Use 5 lowest differentials
15-16 rounds Use 6 lowest differentials
17 rounds Use 7 lowest differentials
18 rounds Use 8 lowest differentials
19 rounds Use 9 lowest differentials
20 rounds Use 10 lowest differentials
Step 3: Average Your Differentials
Get an average of the differentials used by adding them together and dividing by the number used (i.e., if five differentials are used, add them up and divide by five).
Step 4: Arriving At Your Handicap Index
And the final step is to take the number that results from Step 3 and multiply the result by 0.96 (96-percent). Drop all the digits after the tenths (do not round off) and the result is handicap index.
Or, to combine Steps 3 and 4 into a single formula:
(Sum of differentials / number of differentials) x 0.96
Let’s give an example using five differentials. Our differentials worked out to (just making up some numbers for this example) 11.04, 12.33, 9.87, 14.66 and 10.59. So we add those up, which produces the number 58.49. Since we used five differentials, we divide that number by five, which produces 11.698. And we multiply that number by 0.96, which equals 11.23, and 11.2 is our handicap index.
Thankfully, as we said at the beginning, you don’t have to do the math on your own. Your golf club’s handicap committee will handle it for you, or the GHIN system if you log in to post scores.
Just imagine: Once upon a time, these calculations were all done by hand. Reason to be thankful for computers, right?
Watch Now: How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap
The golf handicap calculation is something that most golfers never have to worry about. If you carry an official USGA Handicap Index, the calculation is performed for you by other people (or, far more likely, by a computer). You can also get an unofficial estimate of your handicap by using a golf handicap calculator.
But you want the nuts and bolts of the handicap formula, don’t you? You want to know the math behind figuring handicaps. OK, you asked for it, you got it.
What You’ll Need for the Handicap Formula
What numbers do you have to have in order to perform the handicap index calculation? The formula requires the following:
- Your scores: a minimum of five and up to 20. And these are your adjusted gross scores (meaning they follow the equitable stroke control per-hole maximums).
- The USGA course ratings of the golf courses you’ve played.
- The USGA slope ratings of the courses you’ve played.
Have all that? OK, we’re ready to get into the math of the handicap formula.
Step 1 In Handicap Formula: Calculate the Differentials
Using your adjusted gross scores, the course ratings, and slope ratings, Step 1 is calculating the handicap differential for each round entered using this formula:
For example, let’s say your score is 85, the course rating 72.2, the slope 131. The formula would be:
The sum of that calculation is called your “handicap differential.” This differential is calculated for each round entered (minimum of five, maximum of 20).
(Note: The number 113 is a constant and represents the slope rating of a golf course of average difficulty.)
Step 2: Determine How Many Differentials To Use
Not every differential that results from Step 1 will be used in the next step. If only five rounds are entered, only the lowest of your five differentials will be used in the following step. If 20 rounds are entered, only the 10 lowest differentials are used. Use this chart to determine how many differentials to use in your handicap calculation.
Number of Differentials UsedThe number of rounds you are reporting for handicap purposes determines the number of differentials used in the USGA handicap calculation, as follows:
Rounds Entered Differentials Used
5-6 rounds Use 1 lowest differential
7-8 rounds Use 2 lowest differentials
9-10 rounds Use 3 lowest differentials
11-12 rounds Use 4 lowest differentials
13-14 rounds Use 5 lowest differentials
15-16 rounds Use 6 lowest differentials
17 rounds Use 7 lowest differentials
18 rounds Use 8 lowest differentials
19 rounds Use 9 lowest differentials
20 rounds Use 10 lowest differentials
Step 3: Average Your Differentials
Get an average of the differentials used by adding them together and dividing by the number used (i.e., if five differentials are used, add them up and divide by five).
Step 4: Arriving At Your Handicap Index
And the final step is to take the number that results from Step 3 and multiply the result by 0.96 (96-percent). Drop all the digits after the tenths (do not round off) and the result is handicap index.
Or, to combine Steps 3 and 4 into a single formula:
(Sum of differentials / number of differentials) x 0.96
Let’s give an example using five differentials. Our differentials worked out to (just making up some numbers for this example) 11.04, 12.33, 9.87, 14.66 and 10.59. So we add those up, which produces the number 58.49. Since we used five differentials, we divide that number by five, which produces 11.698. And we multiply that number by 0.96, which equals 11.23, and 11.2 is our handicap index.
Thankfully, as we said at the beginning, you don’t have to do the math on your own. Your golf club’s handicap committee will handle it for you, or the GHIN system if you log in to post scores.
Just imagine: Once upon a time, these calculations were all done by hand. Reason to be thankful for computers, right?
Watch Now: How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap
Step 3: Average Your Differentials
Get an average of the differentials used by adding them together and dividing by the number used (i.e., if five differentials are used, add them up and divide by five).
Step 4: Arriving At Your Handicap Index
And the final step is to take the number that results from Step 3 and multiply the result by 0.96 (96-percent). Drop all the digits after the tenths (do not round off) and the result is handicap index.
Or, to combine Steps 3 and 4 into a single formula:
Let’s give an example using five differentials. Our differentials worked out to (just making up some numbers for this example) 11.04, 12.33, 9.87, 14.66 and 10.59. So we add those up, which produces the number 58.49. Since we used five differentials, we divide that number by five, which produces 11.698. And we multiply that number by 0.96, which equals 11.23, and 11.2 is our handicap index.
Thankfully, as we said at the beginning, you don’t have to do the math on your own. Your golf club’s handicap committee will handle it for you, or the GHIN system if you log in to post scores.
Just imagine: Once upon a time, these calculations were all done by hand. Reason to be thankful for computers, right?
Watch Now: How to Calculate Your Golf Handicap
Handicap Differential in Golf
What Is the Highest Handicap a Golfer Can Have?
If You Want a Golf Handicap, You Need a Certain Number of Scores
Course Handicap: What Is It and How Is It Used?
How Golf Handicaps Work: Overview of Their Role and Function
Explaining Golf’s ‘Course Rating’ and the USGA Course Rating System
Golf Calculators to Estimate Your Handicap
What You Need to Know About Golf’s World Handicap System
Are 9-Hole Golf Scores or Incomplete Rounds OK for Handicap Scores?
Equitable Stroke Control in Golf and Maximum Scores Per Hole
Are ‘Handicap’ and ‘Handicap Index’ the Same?
How to Play the Stableford or Modified Stableford Golf Format
Reserve and National Guard Retirement Pay System
Calculate Your Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment – GMROI
Navy Enlisted Promotion System Point Calculation
What Is Earnings Per Share or EPS?
Handicap Differential in Golf
Handicap Differential in Golf
What Is the Highest Handicap a Golfer Can Have?
What Is the Highest Handicap a Golfer Can Have?
If You Want a Golf Handicap, You Need a Certain Number of Scores
If You Want a Golf Handicap, You Need a Certain Number of Scores
Course Handicap: What Is It and How Is It Used?
Course Handicap: What Is It and How Is It Used?
How Golf Handicaps Work: Overview of Their Role and Function
How Golf Handicaps Work: Overview of Their Role and Function
Explaining Golf’s ‘Course Rating’ and the USGA Course Rating System
Explaining Golf’s ‘Course Rating’ and the USGA Course Rating System
Golf Calculators to Estimate Your Handicap
Golf Calculators to Estimate Your Handicap
What You Need to Know About Golf’s World Handicap System
What You Need to Know About Golf’s World Handicap System
Are 9-Hole Golf Scores or Incomplete Rounds OK for Handicap Scores?
Are 9-Hole Golf Scores or Incomplete Rounds OK for Handicap Scores?
Equitable Stroke Control in Golf and Maximum Scores Per Hole
Equitable Stroke Control in Golf and Maximum Scores Per Hole
Are ‘Handicap’ and ‘Handicap Index’ the Same?
Are ‘Handicap’ and ‘Handicap Index’ the Same?
How to Play the Stableford or Modified Stableford Golf Format
How to Play the Stableford or Modified Stableford Golf Format
Reserve and National Guard Retirement Pay System
Reserve and National Guard Retirement Pay System
Calculate Your Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment – GMROI
Calculate Your Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment – GMROI
Navy Enlisted Promotion System Point Calculation
Navy Enlisted Promotion System Point Calculation
What Is Earnings Per Share or EPS?
What Is Earnings Per Share or EPS?
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
Home
Home
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
About Us Advertise Careers Privacy Policy Editorial Guidelines Contact Terms of Use EU Privacy
About Us
Advertise
Careers
Privacy Policy
Editorial Guidelines
Contact
Terms of Use
EU Privacy
Entertainment
Careers
Activities
Humor
LiveAbout is part of the Dotdash Meredith publishing family.
When you visit the site, Dotdash Meredith and its partners may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. You can find out more about our use, change your default settings, and withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future by visiting Cookies Settings, which can also be found in the footer of the site. Cookies Settings Reject All Accept Cookies
