Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 3: Calculating the exact handicap
• Part 2 of 3: Calculating the playing handicap (handicap)
• Part 3 of 3: Improving Your Handicap
• Tips

The golf handicap system was introduced in 1911 to allow players of all skill levels to compete on a level playing field. Knowing your exact handicap, you can determine the value of the playing handicap (handicap) for the field on which you play. Once you and your golf partners determine the handicap, you can adjust the final score to accommodate and offset the difference in player skill.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Calculating the exact handicap

1. 1 Calculate the adjusted total score. To calculate the handicap, a golfer must play at least five rounds (and no more than 20).
   • Play five rounds on an 18-hole course or ten rounds on a 9-hole course to calculate the adjusted total score.
   • To calculate the adjusted total score, add the number of strokes and subtract the score for each hole from this value. Most golf clubs provide score information for each hole on a specific course. Open the golf club website or contact its administration.
   • For example, if you hit 8 strokes on a certain hole and the score on that hole is 5, count 5 points (not 8) for that hole when adding up the number of strokes.
2. 2 Calculate the handicap differential.
   • The formula for calculating the handicap differential is: (adjusted total score - field rating) x 113 / difficulty rating.
   • The field rating has a numerical value, which is determined by the sports organizations. Course rating is the approximate number of strokes a reference golfer will take to complete the entire course. Most golf clubs provide course rating information. Open the golf club website or contact its administration.
   • Difficulty rating characterizes the difficulty of the average golfer passing the course and is calculated by comparing the course rating with the results of dozens of bogey golfers. Most golf clubs provide difficulty rating information. Open the golf club website or contact its administration.
   • For example, your Adjusted Total Score is 85, the Field Rating is 69.3 and the Difficulty Rating is 117. By plugging these values ​​into the formula, you get: (85 - 69.3) x 113/117, for a handicap differential of 15.2.
3. 3 Calculating the exact handicap. Formula: (sum of differentials / number of differentials) x 0.96.
   • The 0.96 multiplier represents the "perfection bonus".
   • Determination of the number of differentials. If you've played 5-6 rounds, use one smallest differential; if you played 7-8 rounds, use the two smallest differentials; if you've played 9-10 rounds, use the three lowest differentials (and so on).The maximum number of rounds is 20 (in this case, use the 10 smallest differentials). Open the differentials table for more details.
   • For example, if you played 8 rounds, you will use the two smallest differentials. Let's say they are 10 and 11. Average the differentials by adding their values ​​and dividing the total by 2. Then multiply the resulting value by 0.96 and round the result to tenths. The calculations will look like this: 10 + 11 = 21; 21/2 = 10.5; 10.5 x 0.96 = 10.08. Round the result down (to tenths) and get: 10.0.

Part 2 of 3: Calculating the playing handicap (handicap)

1. 1 To calculate the playing handicap (handicap), you first need to find the exact handicap (see previous section).
   • The playing handicap is the number of handicap strokes that a golfer can qualify for, which is the number of strokes that you can subtract from the total number of strokes at the end of the round. The playing handicap also depends on the gender of the player and the difficulty parameters of the particular field.
2. 2 Find the difficulty rating. Most golf clubs provide difficulty rating information.
   • To do this, open the golf club website or contact its administration.
3. 3 Calculate your playing handicap. Formula: (exact handicap) x (difficulty rating) / 113. Round the result to one.
   • The divisor 113 defines the standard difficulty rating set by the UGSA.
   • Many golf clubs have special charts that allow players to instantly find a head start (without having to use a formula). The UGSA website also has a list of tables for finding the playing handicap for a specific field.
   • For example, if your exact handicap is 10.0 and your difficulty rating is 117, then: (10.0 x 117) / 113, that is, your playing handicap is 10.

Part 3 of 3: Improving Your Handicap

1. 1 Exercise more. The better you hit your shots, the faster you will go through the fields.
   • Train more often and more regularly.
   • Hone your hitting technique.
2. 2 Check your inventory. Old or unsuitable equipment can greatly reduce your performance.
   • Make sure your inventory is in good working order. If not, buy new inventory.
   • Purchase golf clubs that are the right size. Sticks that fit your body can make a positive contribution to the quality of your play.
3. 3 Challenge yourself to improve and diversify your golfing skills.
   • Play on different fields. You should not constantly play on the course of the nearest golf club or your favorite one. Play on other fields to develop new skills in the game.
   • Play in different weather conditions. If it is windy, raining or other not very good weather, do not sit at home - go to the golf course. This will diversify and enhance your golfing skills, which will come in handy while playing in normal weather conditions.

Tips

• If you're not good at math, you can find online handicap calculators on the Internet.
• Some players believe that the exact handicap characterizes the player's rating; this is not true and is a common misconception.
• Exact handicap and playing handicap are different values. Don't confuse them!
• An exact handicap value of 18 or below is considered a good indicator, an exact handicap value of less than 10 characterizes a great player, but highly professional players have an exact handicap of less than 5.