Golf Handicap Calculator
Your Handicap Index is the average of the lowest 8 of your last 20 Score Differentials, where each differential is (113 ÷ Slope) × (score − Course Rating). Enter your rounds below, or switch to Course Handicap to see how many strokes you get on a given tee.
Handicap calculator
How the handicap math works
Score Differential = (113 ÷ Slope Rating) × (Adjusted Gross Score − Course Rating − PCC) Handicap Index = average of the lowest 8 of the last 20 differentials Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par) Playing Handicap = Course Handicap × allowance
113 is the Slope Rating of a course of standard difficulty, so the first formula converts your score on any course into what it would be on an average one. PCC is the playing conditions calculation: a daily adjustment of −1 to +3 that GHIN applies when scores across the field come in unusually high or low. On most days it is zero, so the calculator leaves it out.
Worked example: five rounds with differentials of 18.4, 16.0, 19.8, 16.6, 16.1. With five scores, Rule 5.2a uses the lowest one with no adjustment, so the Handicap Index is 16.0. With 20 scores you would average the lowest 8.
Fewer than 20 scores
| Scores in record | Differentials used | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Lowest 1 | −2.0 |
| 4 | Lowest 1 | −1.0 |
| 5 | Lowest 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Average of lowest 2 | −1.0 |
| 7 or 8 | Average of lowest 2 | 0 |
| 9 to 11 | Average of lowest 3 | 0 |
| 12 to 14 | Average of lowest 4 | 0 |
| 15 or 16 | Average of lowest 5 | 0 |
| 17 or 18 | Average of lowest 6 | 0 |
| 19 | Average of lowest 7 | 0 |
| 20 | Average of lowest 8 | 0 |
The result is rounded to the nearest tenth, and no Handicap Index can be higher than 54.0.
From Handicap Index to strokes on the course
A 14.2 index on tees with a Course Rating of 71.2, Slope 128 and par 72 gives 14.2 × 128 ÷ 113 + (71.2 − 72) = 15.28, a Course Handicap of 15. In individual stroke play the recommended allowance is 95%, so the Playing Handicap is 15. You receive those strokes on the holes with the lowest stroke index numbers on the scorecard: a Course Handicap of 15 means one stroke on each of holes ranked 1 to 15.
What this calculator does not do
Your official index can differ slightly from this estimate. GHIN also applies the soft cap and hard cap (which limit how fast an index can rise above your lowest index of the past year), reductions after an exceptional score, and the daily PCC. 9-hole scores are combined with an expected score to make an 18-hole differential. Use your club or GHIN for the number that counts in competition.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my golf handicap?
Turn each round into a Score Differential: (113 ÷ Slope Rating) × (adjusted gross score − Course Rating). Then average the lowest 8 of your most recent 20 differentials and round to the nearest tenth. A 92 on a course rated 71.2 with a Slope of 128 is a differential of 18.4.
How do I calculate a handicap with fewer than 20 scores?
Rule 5.2a uses fewer differentials: the lowest 1 for 3 to 5 scores (with a −2.0 adjustment for 3 and −1.0 for 4), the average of the lowest 2 for 6 to 8 (−1.0 for 6), and so on up to the lowest 8 of 20.
How do I work out my Course Handicap?
Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par), rounded to the nearest whole number. A 14.2 index on tees rated 71.2 / 128, par 72: 14.2 × 128 ÷ 113 + (71.2 − 72) = 15.28, so 15 strokes.
What score do I enter: gross or adjusted?
The adjusted gross score. For handicap purposes each hole counts at most net double bogey: par + 2 + any handicap strokes you receive on that hole. GHIN applies this for you when you post hole by hole.
Is this my official Handicap Index?
No. An official index comes from your club through GHIN, which also applies the playing conditions calculation, the soft and hard caps and exceptional-score reductions. This calculator uses the same formulas so you can check or estimate the number.
Related guides
This tool is part of our handicap guide, which also covers:
- What Is a Good Golf Handicap? Averages and What They Mean: What a 5, 15 or 25 handicap means, and where average golfers sit.
- How to Calculate a Golf Handicap (World Handicap System): Score differentials, the lowest-8-of-20 rule and a worked example.
Sources
- Rules of Handicapping, Rule 5.1: Score Differential, USGA. Used for: Score Differential formula and rounding.
- Rules of Handicapping, Rule 5.2a: For Fewer Than 20 Scores, USGA. Used for: table for 3 to 19 scores, and the 54.0 maximum.
- Rules of Handicapping, Rule 5.2b: For 20 Scores, USGA. Used for: lowest 8 of the most recent 20.
- Rules of Handicapping, Rule 6.1: Course Handicap Calculation, USGA. Used for: Course Handicap formula.
- Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C: Handicap Allowances, USGA. Used for: 95% allowance in individual stroke play.
- Rules of Handicapping, Rule 3.1: Maximum Hole Score for Handicap Purposes (net double bogey), USGA. Used for: net double bogey as the maximum hole score.
Found a number that does not match its source? Send a correction.