The CalculatorFind your Course Handicap and Playing Handicap
Use the Slope Rating, Course Rating and par for the tees you are playing today. Your Handicap Index stays the same everywhere. The other numbers change with every set of tees. This is for an 18-hole round.
Want to know which holes the strokes go on? Take the Course Handicap, or the Playing Handicap if the competition uses one, to the strokes received chart.
The MathHow the two numbers are worked out
Both calculations come from Rule 6 of the Rules of Handicapping, the rulebook behind the World Handicap System. The Course Handicap converts your index into strokes on a particular set of tees. The Playing Handicap then adjusts that for the format you are playing.
Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par)
Playing Handicap = Course Handicap × handicap allowance
Source: USGA, FAQs on calculating a Course Handicap and Playing Handicap (Rules of Handicapping, Rules 6.1 and 6.2); The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, Rule 6.
The 113 is the Slope Rating of a course of standard difficulty. A course rated above 113 raises your strokes and one rated below lowers them. The part in the second bracket adds a stroke for every point the Course Rating sits above par and takes one off for every point below it.
How the rounding works
The Course Handicap is a whole number. Half a stroke rounds up, so 9.5 becomes 10. It is the number used to count the strokes you receive on the course and to work out net double bogey.
The allowance goes on the unrounded Course Handicap. The R&A says allowances should be applied to the unrounded Course Handicap, to avoid what it calls the undue effect of double rounding. The Playing Handicap is rounded once, at the end. The calculator does it that way. In the example above it keeps 20.04, not 20, before it takes 95%.
The R&A does allow a shortcut. A player who has no way to see the unrounded figure can apply the allowance to the rounded Course Handicap. The result can be a stroke off. This table is the R&A's own illustration, for a course with a Course Rating of 71.0, Slope Rating of 125 and par 71 in four-ball stroke play at 85%.
| Player | Handicap Index | Unrounded Course Handicap | Playing Handicap, allowance on unrounded | Playing Handicap, allowance on rounded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | 8.6 | 9.51 | 8 | 9 |
| B | 10.3 | 11.39 | 10 | 9 |
Source: The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, Clarification 6.2a/1.
Rounding the Course Handicap first leaves both players on 9, even though their indexes are 1.7 apart. Applying the allowance to the unrounded figures gives 8 and 10, which keeps the gap.
Plus handicaps. A Handicap Index better than scratch is a plus handicap. The calculation is the same, with the index counted as a negative number, so the Course Handicap can come out negative and is shown with a plus sign. The R&A says a player with a plus Playing Handicap moves up towards zero when an allowance is applied, including the rounding. A plus Playing Handicap gives strokes back to the course, starting at stroke index 18.
AllowancesWhich percentage goes with which format
The allowance is a percentage of the Course Handicap, set for each format so that players of different abilities have a fair chance. The R&A publishes recommended figures. The table also lists the team formats, which combine the handicaps of the partners and are not in the calculator above.
| Format of play | Type of round | Recommended handicap allowance |
|---|---|---|
| Stroke play | Individual, Individual Stableford, Individual Par/Bogey, Individual Maximum Score | 95% |
| Stroke play | Four-Ball, Four-Ball Stableford | 85% |
| Stroke play | Four-Ball Par/Bogey | 90% |
| Match play | Individual | 100% |
| Match play | Four-Ball | 90% |
| Other | Foursomes | 50% of combined team handicap |
| Other | Greensomes, Pinehurst/Chapman | 60% low / 40% high |
| Other | Best 1 of 4 stroke play | 75% |
| Other | Best 2 of 4 stroke play | 85% |
| Other | Best 3 of 4, or all 4 of 4, stroke play | 100% |
| Other | Scramble, 4 players | 25% low / 20% / 15% / 10% high |
| Other | Scramble, 3 players | 30% low / 20% / 10% high |
| Other | Scramble, 2 players | 35% low / 15% high |
Source: The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C: Handicap Allowances.
In match play, the lowest Playing Handicap plays off zero. Everyone else receives the difference between their own Playing Handicap and the lowest one. A 9 and a 16 in singles match play at 100% means the 16 receives 7 strokes. In stroke play, each player simply receives their full Playing Handicap.
Where to LookHow to find your Slope Rating and Course Rating
Start with the scorecard. Courses are required to make the Course Rating, Slope Rating and par for each set of tees readily available. The scorecard usually prints them in a small block beside or under each tee name, as two numbers such as 71.2 / 128. The first is the Course Rating and the second is the Slope Rating.
If the card does not show them, ask in the pro shop or check the club website. Many clubs also post a Course Handicap table by the first tee or in the locker room, which already does this sum for each index.
Know what each one means. The Course Rating is the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot from those tees, shown to one decimal. The Slope Rating reflects the gap between what a bogey golfer and a scratch golfer are expected to score there, so a bigger number means the course punishes weaker players more. It is a whole number, and 113 is the figure for a course of standard difficulty. Both belong to one set of tees, so a course with four tee boxes has four pairs of numbers.
Source: The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, Appendix G: The Golf Course, Course Rating and Slope Rating.
Common MistakesWhere the numbers go wrong
Using the Handicap Index as your strokes. The index is a portable measure of ability. The strokes you receive are the Course Handicap, and they change with the tees.
Using the wrong tees. Slope Rating, Course Rating and par all belong to a single set of tees. Mixing the white tee rating with the blue tee par gives a wrong answer.
Leaving out the second bracket. The Course Rating minus par part can add or remove several strokes on a course that is rated well above or below par. A calculator that only multiplies by the slope will be off.
Rounding too early. Round the Course Handicap for counting strokes, but apply the allowance to the unrounded figure. The table above shows how a stroke goes missing otherwise.
Treating a plus handicap as a minus. A plus handicap is written with a plus sign. The R&A advises organizers to query an index that carries a minus sign, so enter it with the plus.
Using 18-hole ratings for nine holes. The calculation for a nine-hole round must use the Course Rating and Slope Rating for those nine holes. This calculator is for 18 holes only.
Forgetting the competition's own allowance. The percentages here are recommendations. The terms of the competition decide, so check the notice before you work out your strokes.
FAQQuick answers
What is the difference between a Course Handicap and a Playing Handicap?
The Course Handicap is your Handicap Index converted into strokes for the tees you are playing. The Playing Handicap takes that number and applies the allowance for the format, such as 95% in individual stroke play. With a 100% allowance the two are the same.
Why is my Playing Handicap sometimes different from a rounded Course Handicap times 95%?
The allowance is applied to the unrounded Course Handicap, and the result is rounded once. If you round the Course Handicap first, you can end up a stroke away. The R&A found that rounding twice gives a different Playing Handicap about a quarter of the time.
How do I enter a plus handicap?
Tick the plus box and enter the number without a sign. A plus 2.4 goes in as 2.4 with the box ticked. You can also type the plus sign in front of the number. The result shows with a plus sign too, which means you give strokes back to the course.
Does my Course Handicap change from course to course?
Yes. Your Handicap Index is the same everywhere, but the Slope Rating, Course Rating and par change with every course and set of tees. A harder set of tees gives you more strokes. An easier one gives you fewer.
How many strokes do I get in match play?
Work out each player's Playing Handicap with the match play allowance. The player with the lowest one plays off zero, and the others receive the difference. In four-ball match play the recommended allowance is 90% before that difference is taken.
Can I use this calculator for nine holes?
No. A nine-hole Course Handicap has to use the Course Rating and Slope Rating issued for those nine holes, and this tool uses 18-hole figures. Ask the club for the nine-hole ratings and check how they want the handicap calculated.