What is my golf handicap?
Enter your recent 18-hole scores with the course rating and slope rating of each round. The golf handicap calculator gives your Handicap Index and a course handicap.
- Handicap Index
- 14.2
Your Handicap Index is 14.2; score differentials used: 1.
- Differentials used
- 1
- Adjustment
- 0
- Average of the lowest
- 14.2
- Score differentials
- 14.2, 18.7, 14.8, 17.3, 17.8
- Lowest differentials used
- 14.2
Handicap Index: 14.2. Your Handicap Index is 14.2; score differentials used: 1.
How to calculate
Computes a golf Handicap Index by the World Handicap System from up to 20 recent 18-hole scores with their course and slope ratings, and the course handicap for a chosen course.
Example with the default inputs (Your rounds [Adjusted gross score 85, Course rating 69.3, Slope rating 125; Adjusted gross score 95, Course rating 73.5, Slope rating 130; Adjusted gross score 88, Course rating 71.2, Slope rating 128; Adjusted gross score 92, Course rating 72, Slope rating 131; Adjusted gross score 90, Course rating 70.5, Slope rating 124]): Your Handicap Index is 14.2; score differentials used: 1.
Method: score differential = (113 ÷ slope rating) × (adjusted gross score − course rating − PCC), rounded to 0.1; Handicap Index = average of the lowest differentials (Rule 5.2a) + adjustment, rounded to 0.1, at most 54.0.
- Follows the World Handicap System, Rules of Handicapping effective January 2024 (USGA and R&A): Rules 5.1, 5.2 and 6.1a.
- Enter 18-hole rounds only, 3 to 20 of them, most recent first or last: all rounds entered count as your scoring record. 9-hole scores are not combined here.
- Scores are adjusted gross scores: each hole already capped at net double bogey.
- The exceptional score reduction and the soft and hard caps, which need your handicap history, are not applied.
- Every step is exact; a value exactly halfway rounds up (toward plus infinity), so 5.65 is 5.7 and −5.65 is −5.6.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Your rounds 85 69.3 125; 95 73.5 130; 88 71.2 128 gives Handicap Index 12.2, Differentials used 1, Adjustment -2, Score differentials 14.2, 18.7, 14.8, Lowest differentials used 14.2, Average of the lowest 14.2.Source: USGA Handicap System manual, Section 10 (113 ÷ 125 × (85 − 69.3) = 14.2), https://www.usga.org/custom-search-pages/rules/handicap-manual/rule-14389.html; SCGA, How is a Handicap Index calculated? ((95 − 73.5) × 113 ÷ 130 = 18.7), https://help.scga.org/knowledge/how-is-a-handicap-index-calculated; Rules of Handicapping 2024, Rule 5.2a (3 differentials: lowest 1, −2.0)
- Your rounds 85 69.3 125; 95 73.5 130; 88 71.2 128; 92 72 131; 90 70.5 124; 84 70.1 119 gives Handicap Index 12.7, Differentials used 2, Adjustment -1, Lowest differentials used 13.2, 14.2, Average of the lowest 13.7.Source: Rules of Handicapping 2024, Rule 5.2a (6 differentials: average of the lowest 2, −1.0)
- Your rounds 80 73.5 130; 67 73.5 130; 72 72 113 1 gives Score differentials 5.7, -5.6, -1.0, Lowest differentials used -5.6, Handicap Index -7.6.Source: USGA Rules of Handicapping, Rule 5.1c, rounding of minus score differentials (−1.55 rounds to −1.5), https://www.usga.org/content/usga/home-page/handicapping/roh/Content/rules/5%201c%20Calculation%20of%20a%20Score%20DifferentialRoundingMinus.htm
- Your rounds 85 69.3 125; 95 73.5 130; 88 71.2 128; 92 72 131; 90 70.5 124, Slope rating 135, Course rating 72.4, Par 72 gives Handicap Index 14.2, Differentials used 1, Course handicap 17.Source: Rules of Handicapping 2024, Rule 6.1a (Course Handicap = Handicap Index × Slope Rating ÷ 113 + (Course Rating − par))
How it works
This follows the World Handicap System, Rules of Handicapping effective January 2024.
1. A score differential for each round (Rule 5.1):
differential = (113 ÷ slope rating) × (adjusted gross score − course rating − PCC)
rounded to the nearest tenth. A value exactly halfway rounds up, toward plus infinity: 12.25 becomes 12.3, and −1.55 becomes −1.5 (Rule 5.1c). PCC, the playing conditions calculation, is 0 unless you enter one (−1 to +3).
2. The Handicap Index (Rule 5.2): the average of your lowest differentials, plus an adjustment, rounded to the nearest tenth the same way, and at most 54.0. How many of the lowest count depends on how many rounds you enter (Rule 5.2a):
| Rounds | Lowest used | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | 1 | −2.0 |
| 4 | 1 | −1.0 |
| 5 | 1 | 0 |
| 6 | 2 | −1.0 |
| 7 to 8 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 to 11 | 3 | 0 |
| 12 to 14 | 4 | 0 |
| 15 to 16 | 5 | 0 |
| 17 to 18 | 6 | 0 |
| 19 | 7 | 0 |
| 20 | 8 | 0 |
The average is of the rounded differentials. If two differentials are equal, which one counts makes no difference.
3. A course handicap (Rule 6.1a), if you enter the slope rating, course rating and par of the tees you will play:
course handicap = Handicap Index × slope rating ÷ 113 + (course rating − par)
using the Handicap Index as shown (one decimal), rounded to the nearest whole number, a half rounding up (16.5 becomes 17, −2.5 becomes −2).
Rules
- Enter 3 to 20 rounds of 18 holes. Every round entered counts, so enter your most recent 20 at most.
- Adjusted gross score: a whole number from 18 to 250. Course rating: 20 to 90. Slope rating: a whole number from 55 to 155. PCC: a whole number from −1 to 3, or empty for 0.
- For a course handicap, enter all three of slope rating (55 to 155), course rating (20 to 90) and par (27 to 90); with only some of them there is no answer: "Enter the slope rating, course rating and par of the course for its course handicap."
- Not applied: 9-hole scores, the exceptional score reduction, and the soft and hard caps.
What the calculator shows
- Handicap Index: the rounded tenths value, shown without a trailing zero (14.0 shows as 14). Below 0 it is a plus handicap.
- Differentials used and Adjustment, from the table.
- Average of the lowest: the exact average of the lowest differentials used, before the adjustment and rounding.
- Score differentials: each round’s differential with one decimal, in the order entered, separated by ", ", negative ones with a leading "-" (for example "5.7, -5.6, -1.0").
- Lowest differentials used: the same format, from lowest up.
- Course handicap: a whole number.
Worked examples by hand
The differentials:
- 85 on 69.3 / 125: 113 ÷ 125 × (85 − 69.3) = 0.904 × 15.7 = 14.1928 → 14.2
- 95 on 73.5 / 130: 113 ÷ 130 × 21.5 = 18.688 → 18.7
- 88 on 71.2 / 128: 113 ÷ 128 × 16.8 = 14.831 → 14.8
- 92 on 72.0 / 131: 113 ÷ 131 × 20 = 17.252 → 17.3
- 90 on 70.5 / 124: 113 ÷ 124 × 19.5 = 17.770 → 17.8
- 84 on 70.1 / 119: 113 ÷ 119 × 13.9 = 13.199 → 13.2
Three rounds (the first three): the lowest 1 is 14.2; minus 2.0 gives a Handicap Index of 12.2.
Six rounds (all six): the lowest 2 are 13.2 and 14.2; average 13.7; minus 1.0 gives 12.7.
Five rounds (the first five): the lowest 1 is 14.2, so the Handicap Index is 14.2. On tees rated 72.4 with a slope of 135 and par 72: 14.2 × 135 ÷ 113 + (72.4 − 72) = 16.965 + 0.4 = 17.365, a course handicap of 17.
Halves round up. 80 on 73.5 / 130: 113 ÷ 130 × 6.5 = 5.65 exactly → 5.7. 67 on 73.5 / 130: 113 ÷ 130 × (−6.5) = −5.65 → −5.6. 72 on 72.0 / 113 with a PCC of +1: 72 − 72 − 1 = −1.0. With these three rounds the lowest 1 is −5.6; minus 2.0 gives −7.6 (a +7.6 handicap).
Other questions people ask
How is a golf handicap calculated?
For each round, the score differential is (113 ÷ slope rating) × (adjusted gross score − course rating − PCC), rounded to one decimal. The Handicap Index is the average of your lowest 8 differentials out of your most recent 20, rounded to one decimal. With fewer than 20 scores a table decides how many count.
What is a score differential?
It measures one round against the course’s difficulty. A score of 95 on a course rated 73.5 with a slope of 130 gives (95 − 73.5) × 113 ÷ 130 = 18.69, so the differential is 18.7.
How many scores do I need for a handicap?
Three 18-hole scores. With 3 scores the Handicap Index is your lowest differential minus 2.0; with 4 it is the lowest minus 1.0; with 5 the lowest; with 6 the average of the lowest 2 minus 1.0; and more scores use more differentials, up to the lowest 8 of 20.
What is the adjusted gross score?
Your score after each hole is capped at net double bogey: par + 2 + any handicap strokes you get on that hole. It keeps one very bad hole from raising your handicap too much. Enter scores after this adjustment.
What is the difference between a Handicap Index and a course handicap?
The Handicap Index travels with you; the course handicap is the strokes you get from a particular set of tees: Handicap Index × slope rating ÷ 113 + (course rating − par). A 14.2 index on tees rated 72.4 with a slope of 135 and par 72 gives 14.2 × 135 ÷ 113 + 0.4 = 17.36, a course handicap of 17.
What does a negative Handicap Index mean?
It is a plus handicap, written with a plus sign in golf: an index of −1.2 is shown as +1.2 on a handicap card. It means you usually score better than the course rating, and you give strokes back to the course.
Is this my official handicap?
No. An official Handicap Index comes from your golf association, which also applies the exceptional score reduction and the soft and hard caps from your handicap history. This calculator gives the basic calculation so you can check it or estimate one.