Golf handicaps are used by the United States Golf Association to judge the average skill of a given golfer. According to the USGA, the handicap system in place enables golfers of all skill levels to compete on an equitable basis. In addition, handicapping is used to make the game more enjoyable for players with different skills levels by leveling the playing field. Although the USGA handicap index is often beneficial for golfers, the terms and rules can be confusing for many players.
Defining a Mid-Handicap Golfer
Although there are some differences in how people classify mid-handicap golfers, it is usually for golfers who play to between an 11 and 20 handicap. This means that on average, people who are considered a mid-handicap will shoot somewhere between the low 80s and mid 90s on most golf courses. Of course, the number a mid-handicapper averages depends on the difficulty of the course and the conditions they are playing in.
Computing Handicap
Handicap is computed by a golfer posting all of his scores into a computer database along with the course's rating and slope rating in order to compute the player's average score in relation to par. For example, if a player plays on a course with a rating of 72 and posts 10 rounds that average a 72, their handicap index will be a 0.0, or scratch. For handicapping purposes, a player's lowest 10 rounds out of the last 20 are computed, meaning that a 10 handicap player who plays a course with a rating of 72 will average scores between 82 and 88.
Levels of Handicaps
Most professionals on the PGA Tour play to plus handicaps, which means that they average under the course rating of the courses that they are playing. Scratch golfers are players who shoot right around or just above the course rating while low-handicappers are usually between scratch and a 10 handicap. High-handicappers are usually considered golfers who have a handicap above 20.
Course Rating and Slope Rating
USGA handicaps are based on a golfer's average score in relation to the course ratings of the courses they play. Course ratings take into account the difficulty of the course by measuring the lengths and other variables such as the number of hazards, average green speed and the width of the fairways. Slope rating is an analysis of the difficulty of the course for bogey golfers in comparison to scratch golfers. Courses with high slope ratings will be increasingly difficult, especially for mid- to high-handicappers.
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