An amateur golf handicap is an attempt by the United States Golf Association to rank the relative abilities of different golfers. Professional golfers, as well as a few expert amateur golfers, are known as "scratch" golfers. Scratch golfers have no handicap and, on an average round, have the ability to shoot about par on any given golf course. The vast bulk of amateur golfers, however, have golf handicaps.
Handicap Interpretation
A handicap number is a projection of the potential ability of a golfer, based on previous performance. The difference between your handicap and that of another golfer is an estimate of the average difference in scores you would record on the same course. For example, if your handicap is 10 and your fellow golfer has a handicap of 20, you are theoretically 10 shots better on average. If you were playing a scratch golfer, you could expect to post a score 10 strokes worse, on average.
Slope
Slope is one measure by which the USGA attempts to evaluate a course's difficulty. Slope ranges from 55 to 155, with the average course having a slope of 113. Different tee boxes, such as blue, white, or red tees will usually have a different slope rating. A course's difficulty as represented by slope is particularly tailored to the game of the average amateur golfer, rather than a professional golfer.
Rating
Course rating is another way in which a course's difficulty is measured, but rating is more reflective of the difficulty level for a professional golfer, rather than the average amateur golfer. Most course ratings range between the mid-60s and the mid-70s, with the rating representing the number of strokes a professional golfer would be expected to take on average to complete the course.
Golf Score
Your actual golf score is the primary component of your golf handicap. The more scores you enter into the calculation, the better the formula can assess your average and potential ability over a range of courses. For handicap calculation purposes, the USGA uses a modified scoring system known as equitable score control. Based on your handicap, the USGA limits the amount of strokes that you can enter for any one hole. The reason for ESC is to prevent a good golfer from artificially inflating their handicap based on an excess of strokes on any one hole.
Calculation
To calculate your handicap, take your golf score and subtract the course rating from where you played. Multiply this number by the slope of the course, and divide by 113. If you multiply the resulting quotient by 0.96, you will have your handicap index for that round. The USGA will not assign a handicap until you have entered at least five rounds into the handicap system.
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