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Golf Course Handicap Calculator

Convert your Handicap Index into the actual Course Handicap (strokes) for a specific set of tees, using the World Handicap System formula.

Course Handicap
17
Exact value (before rounding)
16.76

How it works

A Handicap Index is a portable number that describes a golfer's general ability, but the actual number of strokes they should receive changes from course to course (and even tee to tee) depending on how difficult that specific setup plays. The World Handicap System converts the two with: Course Handicap = Handicap Index x (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par).

Slope Rating measures how much harder a course plays for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch golfer, on a fixed scale from 55 (easiest) to 155 (hardest) — 113 is the rating of a course of exactly average relative difficulty, which is why dividing by 113 leaves the index unscaled at that value. Course Rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer under normal conditions; when it differs from par, the (Course Rating − Par) term shifts the result up or down to account for that.

The result is rounded to the nearest whole stroke, since a Course Handicap is always applied as a whole number of strokes on the course — the exact, unrounded value is also shown for reference.

FAQ

Where do I find my course's Slope Rating and Course Rating?

Both are printed on the scorecard for each set of tees (they differ by tee, since forward tees and back tees play differently), or listed in the course's entry in your national golf association's course-rating database. This calculator doesn't look them up — enter the exact figures for the tees you're actually playing.

Why isn't Course Handicap the same as Handicap Index?

Because Handicap Index measures general playing ability independent of any specific course, while Course Handicap accounts for how hard the specific course (and tee) you're playing actually is. Two golfers with the same Handicap Index can get a different Course Handicap at the same course if a scorer's rounding differs, and the same golfer gets a different Course Handicap at an easy course than at a hard one.

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