A round counts toward your Handicap Index only if it meets every one of these: played by the Rules of Golf, in the company of at least one other person, on a course with a current Course Rating and Slope Rating, during that course's active season, in an authorized format, and over at least the minimum number of holes your national association sets. Miss any one and the score is not acceptable (Rules of Handicapping 2.1).
The ChartDoes this round count?
| Your round | Counts? | What the rule says |
|---|---|---|
| Played with a friend, on a rated course, in season, by the Rules | Yes | This meets every requirement in Rule 2.1. |
| Played alone, nobody with you | No | Rule 2.1 asks for at least one other person. That person can also be your marker. |
| Course has no current Course Rating and Slope Rating | No | Rule 2.1 requires a current Course Rating and Slope Rating. |
| Played outside the course's active season | No | Rule 2.1 requires play during the course's active season. Ask the club or committee when that is. |
| Individual 18-hole stroke play or 18-hole Stableford | Yes | These are the two formats every national association must accept (Rule 2.1a). |
| Another format, such as a scramble or best ball | Check first | Your national association picks the other acceptable formats from an authorized list (Rule 2.1a). Ask your club or committee. |
| You broke a Rule and did not apply the penalty | Generally no | Outside organized competitions, that score is generally not acceptable (Rule 2.1b). |
| You deliberately ignored a Rule | Generally no | Same rule: Rule 2.1b. The Committee decides from the circumstances. |
| You were disqualified from an organized competition | Depends | If the breach gave no significant scoring advantage, the score should stay acceptable. Any other breach makes it unacceptable. The Committee decides (Rule 2.1b). |
| Round played with mulligans | Check first | Ask your club or committee. Our gimmes, concessions and mulligans guide covers what the Rules of Golf say. |
| Played fewer holes than a 9-hole or 18-hole score needs | No | Each national association sets the minimum number of holes for a 9-hole score and an 18-hole score (Rule 2.2). |
| Stopped early for fading light, weather that stopped play, injury or illness | Yes, if enough holes | These are valid reasons. The round is usable if it meets the minimum holes. The Committee uses your expected score for the holes not played (Rules 3.2a and 3.2b). |
| Match ended before the last hole | Yes, if enough holes | A match ending early is listed as a valid reason (Rule 3.2a). The same minimum-holes test applies. |
| Skipped holes to avoid a high or low score | No | That is an invalid reason, and the score is unacceptable. The Committee may consider a penalty score (Rules 3.2a and 3.2b). |
| Started a hole and did not hole out, for a valid reason | Yes | You record a score that fits the situation and the format (Rule 3.3). |
| You do not have a Handicap Index yet | Yes | Rounds still count. Each hole is capped at par + 5 until you have an index (Rule 3.1a). |
| A 9-hole round | Yes, if enough holes | A 9-hole score can be used, and it needs the 9-hole minimum your national association sets (Rules 2.2 and 5.1). |
Source: R&A and USGA, Rules of Handicapping, Rules 2, 3 and 5 (randa.org).
The numbersWhat happens to a score that counts
| Step | The rule | Rule number |
|---|---|---|
| Highest score on a hole, before you have an index | Par + 5 | 3.1a |
| Highest score on a hole, once you have an index | Net double bogey: par + 2 strokes + any handicap strokes you receive on that hole | 3.1b |
| Scores in your Handicap Index | The lowest 8 of your most recent 20 Score Differentials, averaged and rounded to the nearest tenth | 5.2b |
| Fewer than 20 scores | The index comes from the lowest Score Differentials, with the number used set by a table | 5.2a |
| Highest Handicap Index | 54.0 | 5.3 |
| Daily course conditions adjustment (PCC) | Needs at least 8 acceptable scores that day. Counts only players with an index of 36.0 or below. Can adjust Score Differentials by -1.0, 0.0, +1.0, +2.0 or +3.0 | 5.6 |
| Soft cap on upward movement | Starts when your new index is more than 3.0 above your Low Handicap Index. The part of the rise above 3.0 is cut to 50% of the increase | 5.8 |
| Hard cap on upward movement | After the soft cap, no more than 5.0 strokes above your Low Handicap Index | 5.8 |
| Low Handicap Index | Your demonstrated ability over the 365 days before your most recent score | 5.7 |
| How long a score stays in | As long as it is among your most recent 20 scores, regardless of age | 5.5 |
| When to submit | As soon as possible on the day of play, before midnight local time | 4.3 |
| When your index updates | No later than the day after a score is submitted | 5.4 |
Source: R&A and USGA, Rules of Handicapping, Rules 3, 4 and 5 (randa.org).
In plain wordsWhat those numbers mean for you
One bad hole is trimmed. A blow-up hole does not count at full size. Before you have an index it is capped at par + 5. After that it is capped at net double bogey, which means par plus 2, plus any strokes you get on that hole. To find your strokes, use the course handicap calculator.
Your best rounds do the work. Once you have 20 scores, the index averages the lowest 8 of your latest 20 differentials. The other 12 are in the pool but are not averaged.
Your index has a ceiling and a brake. It cannot go above 54.0. And once you have a Low Handicap Index, a bad stretch can only push you up so far: the soft cap slows the rise after 3.0, and the hard cap stops it at 5.0 above your low.
Tough days get adjusted. The daily PCC compares that day's scores with what was expected and can move every differential from that day by as much as +3.0 or -1.0.
After the roundHow to post a round that counts
- Check it against the list above. Another person, a rated course, the season, enough holes, the Rules of Golf.
- Gather the details. Rule 4.1 asks for the date played and the Course Rating and Slope Rating for the tees you played. Hole-by-hole scores are strongly recommended. An adjusted gross score or Stableford points are also accepted.
- Submit it today. Rule 4.3 says as soon as possible on the day of play, before midnight local time. A late score means your index is not updated in time for the next day, and the score is left out of that day's PCC.
- Know who can submit. You can, the Handicap Committee can, the Committee in charge of the competition can, and so can anyone you authorize (Rule 4.2).
Source: R&A and USGA, Rules of Handicapping, Rule 4 (randa.org).
Nine holesDo 9-hole rounds count?
Yes, they can. A 9-hole score gets its own Score Differential when it is submitted (Rule 5.1), and it has to meet the minimum number of holes for a 9-hole score (Rule 2.2). That minimum is set by each national association, so ask your club or national association what it is where you play.
Rule 5.5 also covers a 9-hole score that is waiting for a partner nine. It is kept until it is older than your twentieth-oldest 18-hole score. For how your club pairs nine-hole scores, check with your club or committee.
Source: R&A and USGA, Rules of Handicapping, Rules 2.2, 5.1 and 5.5 (randa.org).
Using itHow to use this page
Find the closest line in the first table. If it says Yes, submit the score. If it says No, the round stays off your record. If it says Check first, ask your club or Handicap Committee before you submit, because those answers come from your national association or the Committee, not from a fixed number.
Rule numbers are shown so you can look the wording up on the R&A's Rules of Handicapping pages. For how the scorecard itself is laid out, see how to read a golf scorecard.
Watch forCommon mistakes
Posting a solo round. A round with nobody else there does not meet Rule 2.1, even on a rated course.
Assuming every course counts. The course needs a current Course Rating and Slope Rating. If you are not sure, ask the pro shop.
Leaving out the rounds you do not like. Skipping the final holes to avoid a high or low score is listed as an invalid reason (Rule 3.2a). Acceptable scores are meant to be reasonable evidence of how you play (Rule 1.3).
Entering a raw score on a blow-up hole. The hole cap is applied to your score, either automatically by hole-by-hole entry or by you when you submit an adjusted gross score (Rule 3.1b).
Waiting a few days. Rule 4.3 says submit before midnight on the day of play.
Assuming 9 holes always counts. It counts when it meets the 9-hole minimum your national association sets (Rule 2.2).
FAQQuick answers
Can I post a 9-hole score?
Yes, if it meets the minimum number of holes for a 9-hole score. Each national association sets that minimum (Rule 2.2). A 9-hole score gets its own Score Differential when it is submitted (Rule 5.1).
How many rounds do I need to get a Handicap Index?
The minimum number of holes for an initial index is set by your national association and cannot exceed 54 holes (Rule 4.5). With fewer than 20 scores, the index comes from the lowest Score Differentials using a table (Rule 5.2a). With 20 scores it averages the lowest 8 of the most recent 20 (Rule 5.2b).
Does a round count if I play alone?
No. The round has to be played in the company of at least one other person, who can also be your marker (Rule 2.1).
Do rounds with mulligans or gimmes count?
That is a question for your club or Handicap Committee. See gimmes, concessions and mulligans for what the Rules of Golf say.
How long does a score stay in my Handicap Index?
A score stays in the calculation while it is among your most recent 20 scores, regardless of how old it is (Rule 5.5).
Can one terrible round wreck my Handicap Index?
The rules limit the damage. A single hole is capped (Rule 3.1). The index averages only your lowest 8 of 20 differentials (Rule 5.2b). And once you have a Low Handicap Index, the soft cap starts at 3.0 above it and the hard cap stops the rise at 5.0 above it (Rule 5.8).