How Golf Handicaps Work
How strokes are counted, in plain English.
IndexYour ability
Course HcpStrokes today
Stroke indexWhere they go
How it works
- Handicap Index: your ability, from the best 8 of your last 20 rounds.
- Course Handicap: Index × (Slope ÷ 113) + (Rating − Par). Harder courses give more strokes.
- Each hole has a handicap (1 = hardest). Strokes go on the hardest holes first.
- Net score = your score minus the strokes on that hole.
Example
Index 12.4 on a course with slope 130, rating 71.5, par 72.
12.4 × 1.15 − 0.5 = 13.8, so 14 strokes. One on each of the 14 hardest holes.
Tips
- In matches, play off the low: the best player plays at zero.
- Plus handicaps give strokes back.
- Check the scorecard for each hole’s handicap.
FAQ
What is slope rating?
How much harder the course plays for a bogey golfer than a scratch golfer. 113 is average.
What is a stroke index?
The hole’s handicap number on the scorecard. It decides which holes get strokes first.