Calculate Your Golf Handicap Index
Calculate your USGA handicap index from your recent scores. See your course handicap for any course.
How Golf Handicap Is Calculated
The USGA Handicap Index uses your best score differentials from recent rounds. Score differential = (Score - Course Rating) × 113 ÷ Slope Rating. With 20 scores, your handicap uses the best 8 of 20 differentials, averaged and multiplied by 0.96. With fewer scores, fewer differentials are used. A 15.0 handicap means you typically shoot about 15 over par on a course of average difficulty.
Course Handicap vs Handicap Index
Your Handicap Index is portable — it represents your ability regardless of course. Your Course Handicap adjusts for the specific course difficulty: Course Handicap = Handicap Index × Slope Rating ÷ 113. A 15.0 index on a course with 140 slope = 18.6 course handicap (harder course = more strokes). On a 110 slope course = 14.6 (easier course = fewer strokes).
The handicap system makes golf the only sport where a beginner can compete fairly against an expert. A 20-handicap golfer gets 20 strokes over a scratch golfer in match play. This is why corporate golf outings work — the CEO who shoots 95 can compete with the sales rep who shoots 75. No other sport has an equivalent leveling system.
