The Golf Handicap – Threat or Menace?

How are handicaps calculated? I’ve read (and written) a number of explanations and they seem
to fall into two main groups 1) detailed, complete, sleep inducing and for the most part longer
than a Tolstoy novel. And 2) short concise and so devoid of detail that they don’t actually answer
the question. Since I am (among other things) the handicap committee for our league I am more
familiar with the ins and outs of handicapping than any rational man should be. So I thought I'd
try to explain just how we do things. For the most part, we follow the USGA handicapping
system but with a few modifications to better suit our league. If you really want to know all
about the USGA handicapping system, you can read about it here:

http://www.usga.org/Handicapping/handicap-manual.html#!rule-14367

For the rest of us, I’ll give you the short version and then expand on the various steps if you are
still interested. Here goes

Handicapping – the short version

We begin with your hole-by-hole scores from the weekly scorecards. Before these scores can be
used for handicap purposes they are subject to several adjustments. Chief amongst these is the
application of “equitable stroke control” (ESC). Basically, if you do VERY badly on a
particular hole, not all of the strokes will count toward your handicap calculations. If you look at
the “latest results” page on our website you will see gross scores (Tot) adjusted scores (Adj) and
net scores (Net) that is your gross score minus your course handicap.

The other major source of adjustments is missing holes. Sometimes, for whatever reason, a
player does not complete all 9 holes in a match (arrived late, left early, got injured etc). When
that happens, we need to do a little slight of hand in the scoring and handicapping area. I’ll
supply details later but for now, just know that the “adjusted score” will account for the missing
holes and it is this “adjusted score” that will be used when calculating handicaps.

Next, your adjusted score needs to be normalized in some way to allow for the varying
difficulty of different golf courses. The USGA assigns every golf course 2 numbers that measure
difficulty: The rating and the slope. These appear on the score card usually something like
“70.7/127”. This means a course rating of 70.7 and a slope of 127. The meaning of these
numbers will need some explanation (see below) but for now, just know that that they measure
difficulty and that the higher the number the harder the course.

So, based on your adjusted score, along with the course rating and slope we calculate what is
known as a “differential”. Simply put, this is a single number that sums up how good/bad your
score for the round really was. It normalizes your score for par, for the difficulty of the course
and makes allowances for any abnormally bad or missing holes. ESC even accounts for your
level of play (i.e. how bad is an abnormally bad hole for someone of YOUR ability). The
formula used to calculate differentials is:

Differential = ((adjusted score – rating) X (113/slope))

Once you play a few rounds we can use you various differentials to calculate a handicap. The
USGA calculates your “handicap index” by averaging the lowest 8 of your 20 most recent 18
hole differentials. For league purposes, we average the lowest 5 of your 10 most recent 9 hole
differentials. That’s your handicap. Please note, the handicap index is portable. The whole
rating/slope thing means that the handicap index is independent of what course/set of tees you
play from.

Now, when you play a specific course, you need to adjust this “portable handicap” based on the
difficulty of that particular course. For any given golf course, a course handicap can be
calculated using your handicap index and the course rating and slope. Once again, if you look at
the “handicaps” page of our website you’ll see your handicap index, as well as your course
handicap for both the north and the south courses.

The formula used to calculate course handicaps is:

Course handicap = (handicap index) X (slope / 113) + (Course Rating – par)

So there you go, that’s the short version. Now let me offer a little more detail into these steps
Handicapping - The Long Version
Equitable Stroke Control
For scoring purposes, the Rules of Golf do not limit the number of strokes a player may take on
any one hole. If it requires seventeen strokes to hole out (including penalty strokes) then your
score for that hole is "17". However, there is a maximum number of strokes that will be counted
for handicapping purposes. This maximum score varies according to your current handicap.
The mechanism used to do all this is called “equitable stroke control” or “ESC”. In the past,
there are different handicapping schemes in use worldwide and they use several different ESC
mechanisms but at its simplest there is “the US system” (as defined by the USGA) and “the
British system” (as defined by the Royal and Ancient aka “CONGU”). Note there was also a
continental European scheme (EGA) as well as several others in the southern hemisphere

The US system utilized a table that provides a maximum number of strokes on any hole (in most
cases, regardless of par for that hole) based on a player’s course handicap. For example, if your
18-hole course handicap is between 20 and 29 your maximum hole score (FOR HANDICAP
PURPOSES) is an 8. That would be triple bogey on a par 5 and quintuple on a par 3.

The British system, on the other hand, caped your max hole score as “net double bogey”. Thus,
under the British system, your maximum hole score would be higher on par 5’s and lower on par
3’s. It would also take into account the relatively difficulty (i.e., handicap order) of each hole.

In the past, we used the US system; however, beginning in 2017 we switched to the British
system, it’s just a better way to do things. If you don’t believe me ask Dean Knuth (aka: The
Pope of Slope). He wrote a great piece comparing the various handicapping schemes
(http://www.popeofslope.com/scotland/usscothandicaps.html) that included the following

I have thought for years that “Net Double Bogey” is a superior Equitable Stroke Control
System to the current USGA System. Allowing a maximum hole score of double bogey,
plus any handicap strokes that the player gets on that hole is much more fair than a fixed
number such as a maximum of a 7 (10-19 handicaps) on both a par 3 and a par 5 used by
the USGA (I was head of USGA Handicapping staff when that system was adopted, but
that is another story).

And there you have it. If the head of the USGA handicapping staff that dreamed up the US
scheme says he likes the British scheme better…that’s good enough for me (plus…he’s the Pope
of Slope…you just can’t argue with the Pope).

Fun fact: In Feb 2018, the governing bodies of golf (The USGA and the Royal and Ancient)
announced a new and improved handicapping scheme starting in 2020. This combines aspects of
the SIX (!) major handicapping schemes in use worldwide into one globally consistent
handicapping system. As part of this change the whole world will switch to using the “net
double bogey” method of ESC (so we were 3 years ahead of the curve).
The reasons for using a scheme like ESC are twofold. First, the whole idea of establishing a
handicap is to predict what a given golfers “typical” round should look like. As we all know,
even a good golfer will occasionally have a truly awful hole. These Hindenburg class failures are
in no way “typical” and giving them full weight in the handicapping calculation will unduly
influence things. Secondly....no one likes a sandbagger. By using ESC, the USGA discourages
“handicap management” (i.e. intentionally 6 putting after you know you’ve lost the hole, just to
inflate your score and keep you handicap higher for next week). If you want to run up your score
on a given hole, I can’t stop you. BUT I won’t be counting all of those strokes toward your
handicap either.

Please note: Although there is no limit to the number of strokes you may make on a hole, there
is a practical limit to the number of strokes you should attempt on a hole. It is
generally considered bad form to take more than 10 strokes on a hole because it holds up the
groups behind you and will cause the marshal to visit you with a warning to speed up your play.
Not to mention some ugly confrontations in the parking lot when the group behind you finishes
playing their 6 hour round. If you have not holed out after 10 strokes, just pick up the ball and
mark the scorecard with an “X”.

As mentioned earlier, the other major “adjustment” using in handicapping concerns any missing
holes. In the event a player arrives late and misses a hole (or 2 or 3), or needs to leave before the
match is complete, he/she will receive the most likely score, based upon handicap (net par), FOR
HANDICAP CALCULATION PURPOSES ONLY. However, for the purposes of match
scoring, the hole will be treated as if the missing player was “the blind” and points will be
awarded as described elsewhere. If a Player completes fewer than 6 holes, his score will be
discarded and he will be treated as “the Blind”. If a match is abandoned before completion (i.e.
bad weather or darkness and all four players walk off) a similar scheme will be used. When
calculating handicaps, all 4 players will get net pars for the missing holes. When calculating
match points all the missing holes will be treated as ties (1/2 points all around).

Rating and Slope

The USGA has a theoretical model of what a scratch golfer (zero handicap) should be able to do.
He should hit his drive so far with so much accuracy etc. They use this model to calculate how a
scratch golfer should be able to get around the course from a given set of tees. For example, they
may say that their imaginary scratch golfer should hit his tee shot so many yards with a certain
level of accuracy. So his average drive should end up about yonder with a certain percentage in
the left rough, the right rough, the fairway, a bunker etc. Thus his typical second shot on a given
hole would be so many yards with a certain percentage coming from the fairway/rough/bunker.
Based on the distance and the size of the green, they calculate how many approach shots would
land on the green / in the rough / in a bunker and so on and so on until they come up with what
they consider the typical score for a zero handicapper should be. Please note, this calculation
also takes into account such things as forced layups (doglegs and water), the severity of the
rough, the prevailing wind direction and a host of other factors. It’s a major big deal to calculate.
This theoretical number is calculated to the 1/10 of a stroke and becomes the “USGA rating” for
that course. Also note, the course rating may be greater or less than par.
In addition, the USGA has a model of the theoretical bogey golfer (“a player who has a course
handicap of approximately 20 on a course of standard difficulty” whatever the hell that means).
Using the same methodology, they calculate what a bogey golfer should be able to do on the
same course. Note, the bogey golfer’s score could differ from the scratch golfer’s score by more
or less than 18 strokes. “Why” you ask? Consider a hole with a 200 yard forced carry over
water. This is a big problem for the bogey golfer but merely “scenic” for the scratch golfer. On
this hole the bogey golfers’ average score is likely to be more than one stroke greater than the
scratch golfer. On the other hand consider a hole with a forced lay-up off the tee (10 North). The
scratch golfers additional length off the tee is wasted (everybody has to lay up short of the water)
and since the fairway is so wide, added accuracy is of little value (on 10 North, you can spray
things pretty badly and still find the fairway SOMEWHERE). On this hole the scratch golfers
increased ability is of limited value and the bogey golfers’ average score is likely to be less than
one stroke worse than the scratch golfer.

Based on the difference between the two theoretical scores, the USGA calculates a number
called “the slope” which is normalized around an arbitrary constant (113). Note, some sources
claim that 113 is the average slope for courses in the US. It is not. It was chosen based on what
the creators of the handicap scheme THOUGHT the average slope might be (turns out they were
wrong). In the end it doesn’t matter, it’s just a number. In any event, the higher the slope, the
more difficult the course will be for high handicappers. So if a high handicapper and a low
handicapper play together on a low slope course their scores should be (relatively) close to one
another. As the slope increases, so should the spread between the two golfer’s scores. BTW: on
the kind of courses that we play, a typical slope would be around 125. If you play a new course
and a peek of the scorecard shows a slope below 120… you should have an easy round. If you
see a slope above 130… you’re going to get beat up. When I played Sawgrass, the scorecard
listed a slope of 140. It was bloody.

Please note that rating and slope are calculated separately for each set of tees and that there is a
separate theoretical model for male and female golfers. If you go to the USGA database, (
https://ncrdb.usga.org ) they will list rating and slope for both male and female players for most
sets of tees (so for example there will be separate male and female numbers for the white tees).
On the scorecard, most courses list only the male numbers for the blues and whites and only the
female numbers for the reds, but, for example, if a male player wants to play from the reds
(senior), those numbers are available and relatively easy to find online.

Taken together the rating and the slope can be used to provide an “apples to apples” comparison
of scores from different courses. As I said earlier, use of these numbers, along with adjusted
score (i.e. after application of equitable stroke control) yields a number called a “differential”.
Differentials are typically calculated to 1/10th stroke and sum up numerically how good or bad a
round you just had. It accounts for the course played, the tee boxes used, the expected level of
proficiency based on your past play (i.e. handicap). One simple number sums it all up. Genius!

A fun fact about the handicap system developed by the Royal and Ancient (known as CONGU
after the Council of National Golf Unions). They based their scheme on what they call the
“Standard Scratch Score” or SSS. This purports to measure exactly the same thing as the USGA
rating but it is calculated using a very different methodology.
Let me take a moment and talk about handicapping scheme around the world. There were 3
major handicap systems (USGA, CONGU and European Golf Assoc) in use in the northern
hemisphere. In addition, there are several other handicapping schemes in use regionally
(principally, The Argentine Golf Council, South African Golf Assoc and Golf Australia). Once
upon a time, in the UK, there were different handicapping schemes for men and women (not just
different ratings etc, whole different systems). Thankfully the Ladies Golf Union switched to
CONGU. They were all different and it was nearly impossible to convert a handicap from one
system to another (so a USGA handicap can’t really be used in a CONGU tournament).

Before 2020, most golfers in the U.S. used the USGA scheme (course rating and slope).
CONGU used SSS (similar to course rating) but no slope. EGA is based on CONGU but uses
USGA style rating and slope and their own system of equitable stroke control (based on
Stableford scoring no less). Then, just for variety, the national golf union of several countries
(notably Ireland) as well as the Ladies Golf Union in England have adopted the USGA
methodology for rating courses. So, they used CONGU but their SSS ratings were from the
USGA system. Also, CONGU implemented a CSS (competition scratch score). Basically, they
adjust the course rating to account for conditions on the day of play (so if the course is wet or the
wind is blowing hard, the rating is adjusted). BUT they only calculate CSS for tournaments
(casual rounds with your friends use SSS). This whole situation is what people in the know call
a “cluster” ™. This all got fixed. Starting in 2020 there is one new and improved handicap
scheme (appropriately named the “world handicap system”) that borrows the best aspects of the
six older schemes and supersedes all of the schemes shown in the graphic above.
https://www.golfdigest.com/story/usga-randa-unveil-new-world-handicap-system-set-to-debut-
in-2020

Handicap Index
The USGA calculates your “handicap index” by averaging the lowest 8 of your 20 most recent
18-hole differentials. We use the lowest 5 of your 10 most recent 9-hole differentials (it makes
handicaps move up and down more quickly and that suits our league).

NOTE: As I said earlier, no one likes a sandbagger. Since your handicap is based on only the
best 5 of your 10 most recent rounds, it discourages the aforementioned handicap management.
If you were to intentionally run up your score on a given round, then that round would NOT be
one of you best 5 and would NOT be considered when calculating you handicap (so knock it
off).

BIG HONKING NOTE: Many people think that that the handicap scheme should ensure that
their average net score should be right at par (36 for 9 holes). This is NOT the case. Please note
that the handicap calculation only considers ½ of your scores (the better half). Also, remember
that the expected average score of a zero handicapper is NOT par (it’s the course rating). If you
enjoy math puzzles, it is possible to calculate the expected average score for your “good” rounds
(better half of rounds played) but...what’s the point?

Course Handicap
Based on your handicap index and the slope of a given course it is possible to calculate a course
handicap using the following formula:

Course handicap = (handicap index) X (slope / 113) + (Course Rating – Par)

Note: This formula is for the “world handicap” system. It is somewhat different than the one
used in the older USGA scheme.

How do our league handicaps differ from USGA handicaps?

The short answer is very little. In the past, the scheme we used had diverged from the USGA in
a number of subtle ways. With the introduction of the world handicap system, our handicap
scheme is VERY close to the “official” system. If you have a very high handicap or play a very
small number of rounds, or often play in unusual course conditions (wind, rain, etc) there might
be a difference but for the most part, out handicaps are on the up and up.

So what does this mean to you? Not all that much really. If you want to enter any serious
tournaments you will not be able to use our league handicaps. You will need to establish a
USGA handicap typically through the GHIN system (ask me, I’ll explain). However, since our
handicap calculations are so close to the world handicap system our league handicaps should be
pretty close to their "official" equivalents. You should be able to use our league handicaps in less
formal competitions (just remember to double our 9-hole handicap index to get an 18-hole
handicap).

If you have any questions about the handicapping scheme, buy me a beer and I will happily bore
you to tears droning on about the whole she-bang. Otherwise.....just trust me. Your handicap
numbers will appear on the league website every week. One final note: If you really, really,
really want to nitpick over 1/10 strokes on your handicap index...you may find yourself the brand
new chairman of the handicap committee. You have been warned