Calculate your golf handicap
A golf handicap is a number reflecting a player's ability, allowing players of different levels to compete on equal terms. A lower handicap means a better player. This calculator estimates your handicap index based on three rounds.
How is the handicap index calculated?
The handicap index is calculated by taking your score differentials and multiplying by 0.96. A score differential is: (Score โ Course Rating) ร 113 / Slope Rating. This formula normalises your scores so they can be compared across courses with varying difficulty.
Slope and course rating
Slope rating (55-155, standard 113) measures the course's relative difficulty for bogey golfers compared to scratch golfers. Course rating is the expected number of strokes for a scratch golfer. A course with high slope is relatively harder for weaker players.
Handicap categories
Handicaps are typically categorised into groups. Under 4.5 is category 1, 4.5-11.4 is category 2, 11.5-18.4 is category 3, 18.5-26.4 is category 4, and 26.5-36.0 is category 5. The average handicap for recreational golfers is around 25-30.