Learn How To Calculate Your Golf Handicap Score

By Author: Golffrontiers
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The purpose of Golf Handicap system has always been to attempt to create a level playing field for golfers based on their different abilities, so that those golfers can compete equally. For example, suppose someone whose average score is 92 trying to compete against someone whose average score is 72. Without a handicapping system, it can't be done.

The main confusion is that how we calculate the score for handicap players. In this article, we will take an inside look at the golf handicap system and how your handicap gets calculated. The methodof calculating your score is:-

"When two golfers with different handicaps play together, the handicaps are used to even the playing field. At it's most basic, if a person with a golf handicap of 2 plays against someone with a golf handicap of 10, the first person cuts two strokes off his or her final score, while the second person cuts 10 strokes off his or her final score. The scores are then compared to see who won.".

But we only understand the term of "how to calculate ...
... the golf handicap score". That's is just a one side of page. We need to understand the another side of the page and that's "how the golf handicap system work". In golf handicap system we need to understand the three terms that are used to calculate a golf handicap score:-

Course RatingSlope RatingAdjusted Gross Score

The handicap system used in the United Kingdom (UK) and Ireland is known as the CONGU Unified Handicapping System. This has recently been updated and was re-launched on 1st February 2004.

The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) publishes the handicap scheme.

What is a handicap?.
Your golf handicap represents the number of strokes you are typically going to take above that taken by a "scratch" golfer. A "scratch" golfer is someone who plays of a 0 handicap.

How does your Handicap Change?.
Handicap adjustments are worked out on your adjusted golf score for the round.The maximum score you can get for each hole is 2 shots above its par.If you score 6 on a par 3 your adjusted score will be worked out on a score of 5 for that hole.If you scored 5 and get a shot for the hole your adjusted score for that hole would be 4.

Using then Stroke Index (SI).
The number of shots received per hole is determined by the holes stroke index (SI).If the hole has a stoke index (SI) of 6 then any golfer with a handicap of 6 and over will get a shot for this hole.If a golfer has a handicap of 24 or more then they will receive 2 shots for the hole because (18+6 = 24).

Calculating the change.


Subtract your adjusted score from the Standard Scratch Score (SSS) for the course.
Take this value (Gross Score) and subtract your current handicap to get your Net Score.

Course Rating It's a single number indicating the difficulty of a golf course to an expert golfer, a "par golfer". The figure is used when calculating handicaps.

The Course Rating is a number, close to par for the course, and is expressed with a single decimal digit. For example: If par for a course is 72, it's Course Rating might be 71.4. Course rating should always be included on the scorecard, and it plays a role in figuring handicap indexes.

Slope rating: : (Where the slope system is being adopted) (USA and other courses globally but not the UK) The slope rating is a number that describes the difficulty of a particular course for a bogey golfer. (This does not apply to the UK). A slope rating can assume any value between 55 and 155. The easiest course will have a slope rating of 55; and the hardest course, a slope rating of 155. A course of average difficulty will have a slope rating of 113.

Actually, each course has several different slope ratings, depending on the tees that a golfer plays from. Thus, the slope rating might be 128 from the gold tees, 122 from the blue tees, 117 from the white tees, 110 from the green tees, and 115 from the red tees.

The slope ratings from each tee are usually stated on the course scorecard.The slope rating is used to compute both a handicap index and a course handicap.

Adjusted Gross Score: The adjusted gross score is the same as a golfer's gross score, except for one thing: The number of strokes you can record on any one hole is limited, based on your course handicap.By using an adjusted gross score to compute a handicap index, the USGA eliminates the effect of "disaster holes" (e.g., losing four balls and 4-putting on a single hole). It also prevents sandbaggers from posting unrealistically large scores to raise their handicaps.Handicaps can be used to level the competition between two players or in a larger tournament. In a tournament setting, each player's golf handicap is applied to his or her gross score, and the net score is used to determine the winner.

We hope after read this article you simply understand the concepts of "how we calculate the handicap score" or "how it works".

About the author:

For more info you can visit our website Golffrontiers.com. The author, Lee Reynolds is associated with Golffrontiers.com, website dealing with Official Golf Handicaps, Golf Course membership and also organizing Amateur Golf Tounaments.