The United States Golf Association created the handicap system to allow players of all abilities to compete on a level playing field. Handicaps are meant to reflect a golfer's potential on a relative basis based on historical performance over USGA-measured courses. The handicap calculation takes into account both a golfer's raw scores and the difficulty level of the courses played.
Uses
A golf handicap is a numerical expression of relative golfing ability. The higher your handicap, the lower your projected ability. To achieve parity, a golfer with a lower handicap figure is usually burdened with an additional number of strokes. For example, if you have a handicap of 20, and your partner has a handicap of 10, over a long-term average you can be expected to shoot about 10 shots worse than your partner over an 18-hole course. To make the round more equitable, you may want to add 10 strokes to your partner's score.
Calculation
To compute your golf handicap, collect your scores from your most recent rounds. You need at least 5 scores to calculate a true handicap, but the more scores you can post, up to 20, the more accurate your handicap will be. For each score, subtract the course rating, and multiply the result by the course's slope. Divide this figure by 113, and multiply the result by 0.96. If you enter 20 scores, drop the worst 10 and average the remainder to compute your handicap.
Rating
Course rating is a number between the mid-60s and the mid-70s, and it is meant to represent what an average professional golfer could expect to shoot over time on a particular course.
Slope
Slope is another method used to rate the relative difficulty of a given golf course, but it is meant to reflect the difficulty for the average amateur golfer, rather than for a professional golfer. Slope ranges between 55 and 155, with a higher number equating to a more difficult course. The average golf course slope is 113.
Equitable Stroke Control
Equitable stroke control is a measure introduced by the USGA to moderate the effects of one bad hole artificially inflating the handicap of a golfer, particularly a good golfer. Depending on your handicap, the USGA limits the number of strokes you can enter for a hole. For example, if you are a scratch golfer, you can enter no more than two strokes over par for any hole, even if you shot 10 shots over par. Otherwise, one bad hole could make you look like a worse golfer than you are, which would be unfair when you are in competition with other golfers.
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