Golf Reference - More
on Handicaps
A golf handicap is a
numerical measure of an amateur golfer's playing ability. It can be used
to calculate a so-called "net" score from the number of strokes actually
played, thus allowing players of different proficiency to play against
each other on equal terms. Handicaps are administrated by golf clubs or
national golf associations.
Handicap systems are not used in professional golf.
Determining a player's handicap
While there are many variations in detail, handicap systems are based on
calculating an individual player's golfing ability from his or her
recent history of rounds. Therefore, a handicap is not fixed but is
regularly adjusted to increases or decreases in a player's scoring.
A player's handicap is roughly equal to the average number of strokes
that he or she plays above the par of a course. Thus, an expert golfer
who plays a course in even par (scratch golfer) will have a handicap of
0. A player who constantly plays a 100 on a par-72 course will have an
approximate handicap of 100 − 72 = 28. (See below for the precise
calculation required.)
The par of each golf course can be said to be the number of strokes it
would take a scratch golfer to complete a round in which two putts were
taken on each green.
In the U.K., a "Scratch Score" system was previously in place in order
to rate courses and be fair to golfers of varying ability, and to make
allowances that courses may play "easier" or "harder" than par, overall,
to the amateur field. For this reason, a Standard Scratch Score (SSS) is
used as a baseline for how the course plays in practice (e.g. an SSS
lower than par indicates a course which golfers find slightly easier,
and vice versa).
Akin to the SSS is the Competition Scratch Score (CSS). The principle is
the same, only this describes how easy or difficult the course played
during a given competition. It is against this CSS score that a player's
handicap is adjusted by the club. Golfers with a handicap of 5 or lower
are said to be Division 1 players. Higher handicap players are
categorised as Division 2, 3, or 4. For every stroke the Division 1
golfer's net score is below the CSS, their handicap is reduced by 0.1.
For Division 2 golfers, this figure is 0.2, for Division 3 golfers it is
a 0.3 reduction, and 0.4 for Division 4 category golfers.
Similarly, amateur golfers are allowed a buffer zone to protect their
handicap on "off-days". For Div 1 this is 1 stroke, for Div 2 this is 2
strokes, etc. This means that if a Division 1 golfer's net score is one
stroke higher than the CSS, their handicap will not increase. If a
golfer's net score is higher than the CSS plus buffer zone combined,
their handicap will increase by 0.1. This 0.1 increase covers all
golfers and does not vary by division.
Note that it is possible to have a handicap below 0 (scratch). Handicaps
below 0 are referred to as 'plus' handicaps, and at the end of the
round, a 'plus' handicap golfer must add his handicap to his score.
Example, a golfer playing with a handicap of 'plus' 2 who shoots a score
of 70 would have a net score of 72.
A professional golfer plays off scratch, but has no actual handicap.
Course rating
In the United States (and elsewhere) each officially rated golf course
is described by two numbers, the course rating and the course slope. For
each posted round, the handicap differential is calculated according to
the following formula:
Handicap differential = (gross score − course rating) × 113 / (course
slope).
The full handicap index is calculated using the average of the best 10
scores (using the formula above) of the past 20, times 0.96. Updates to
a golfer's index are calculated monthly.
For example, the following table shows the impact of the same score at
two different tee positions at the same course, and the resulting
handicap differential:
White tees:
Gross score: 85 Course rating: 69.3 Course slope: 117
Yields a handicap differential of 15.16.
Blue tees:
Gross score: 85 Course rating: 71.9 Course slope: 124
Yields a handicap differential of 11.94.
How to edit a handicap the correct way:
Let's say you shoot 77 and the course rating is 71.2 and the slope is
121.
First you take your score and subtract that by the course rating. Which
in this case is 5.8. you then take the differential in this case 5.8 and
muliply that by the slope which in this case is 121. Then you take that
number 700.8 in this case and divide it by 113. 113 is the standard
slope rating for most courses. This means that his actual handicap is
6.2
Example:
85-Course Rating=Z
Z x Slope=A
A/113 = Handicap
Before making the above calculation, the gross score must be adjusted
using the equitable stroke control table, which removes the effect of
abnormally high individual hole scores by establishing a maximum score
per hole depending on the player's handicap index. For example, a golfer
with a handicap index of 20 through 29 can record a maximum of 8 strokes
on any one hole.
A player's handicap is not meant to reflect what they shoot in a typical
round, but rather what their best score would most likely be per
approximately every four rounds.
Calculating a score
The handicap is used to determine on which holes a player (or team) is
granted extra strokes. These are then used to calculate a "net" score
from the number of strokes actually played ("gross" score).
To find how many strokes a player is given, the procedures differ
between in matchplay and stroke play. In match play, the difference
between the players' (or teams') handicaps is distributed among the
holes to be played. For example, if 18 holes are played, player A's
handicap is 24, and player B's handicap is 14, then A is granted ten
strokes: one on each of the ten most difficult holes and no strokes on
the remaining eight. If A's handicap is 36 and B's handicap is 14, A is
granted 22 strokes: one on each of the 18 holes to be played, and an
additional one on each of the four most difficult holes.
The procedure in stroke play is similar, but each player's individual
handicap (rather than the difference between two players' handicaps) is
used to calculate extra strokes. Therefore, a player with handicap 10 is
granted one stroke on each of the ten most difficult holes and no extra
strokes on the remaining eight. A player with a handicap of 22 is
granted 22 strokes: one on each of the 18 holes and an additional one on
each of the four most difficult holes.
Example for the calculation of "net" results: Assume that A is granted
one stroke on a par four hole and player B is granted none. If A plays
six strokes and B plays five, their "net" scores are equal. Therefore,
in match play the hole is halved; in stroke play both have played a
"net" bogey (one over par). If both play five strokes, A has played
better by one "net" stroke. Therefore, in match play A wins the hole; in
stroke play A has played a "net" par and B a "net" bogey.
From:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_handicap
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