Handicaps are used to level the playing field and encourage competition between all levels of golfers. The United States Golf Association has maintained a handicap system for golfers since 1912. This system used to apply one handicap system to all golf courses. It was revised in 1987 with a system that better reflects variances in course difficulty.
Gaining a Handicap
A golfer's handicap is established by the United States Golf Association index, which is commonly called "the index." It is calculated after a golfer has posted 20 scores at a licensed club by utilizing that person's top 10 scores via a complex formula. This is adjusted about every two weeks, depending on the area where a golfer is playing, according to the USGA. A handicap is portable, so a golfer who plays most often in Florida can utilize this handicap in Oregon, for example.
Incorrect Handicap
If a golfer plays off a handicap that is higher than her current one she is disqualified. If a golfer plays off a handicap that is actually lower than her current one, then the score from the handicap placed on the card stands, according to "Golf Rules Explained," by Peter Dobereiner and Bill Elliott.
Using Your Handicap
Using a handicap allows players to compete against golfers who are either much better or worse than they are. A person with a handicap of 12, for example, is required to spot a person with a handicap of 20 eight shots. Thus the person with the higher handicap gets a one-shot advantage on the course's eight hardest holes.
Missed Hole
If a golfer skips a hole, she is required to post a score of par plus the handicap strokes she would receive. For example, if a person's course handicap is six, but she cannot play a par five hole that is under construction and is rated the third handicap-stroke hole on the golf course, that person puts "x-6" on her card. The adjusted score for the hole is added as six, or par of five plus one for the handicap, according to the USGA.
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