Ah, golf handicap. This may be the most daunting term in any new golfer’s vocabulary. But once you understand what it is and how to calculate it, your golf game will gain a lot of new possibilities – especially if you want to start playing in competitive mode.
If you want to incorporate a golf handicap into your scoring, this guide is for you pass Down putting you are on your way to success.
What is a golf handicap?
The golf handicap, commonly known as the “great equalizer”, is a key feature of any competitive golf game.
The concept of handicap can be traced back to the 17th century while the modern model has also been used for more than a century, although updated on a semi-regular basis. In short, a golf handicap is a number that describes a golfer’s skill. As with most golf scores, a low number is better than a high one.
When playing golf, the handicap value is deducted from the player’s score. An exact handicap should mean that the person’s adjusted score is closer to the face value of the odds. Of course, however, a player can still finish over par or under par depending on whether they had a good or bad round on the day.
In general, male golfers have a golf handicap between 0 and 28, while female golfers have a handicap between 0 and 36. The average handicap for men is around 15, while golfers playing with a handicap of 10 or less are considered above average. Practically everything professionals they will “play beyond zero”, meaning they have a handicap of 0. Reaching zero is the goal of most golfers, although only a very small percentage achieve it.
Why is a golf handicap important?
The golf handicap is an important aspect of golf. For starters, you can start thinking about it from the moment you learn how to hit a golf ball by reducing your personal score, it provides a continuous source of motivation that also allows you to track your progress.
A golf handicap can be especially useful in several situations. First, if you are playing against friends who are more experienced or naturally better players, handicap scores will even out the odds so that the less skilled player has an equal chance of winning the round. Also, it’s much nicer to see that you’ve scored 75 instead of 100.
Most importantly, handicap systems are also used amateur tournaments. This allows golf courses and organizers to open the course to a much larger group of players, while also creating a fairer situation where every player who plays the best round gets a shot at glory.
How to calculate your golf handicap
Understanding the value of a golf handicap is one thing, but knowing how to calculate your handicap is quite another. Although there are several methods, United States Golf Association (USGA) is probably the best. You must first complete 12 rounds of golf before you remove the best and worst scores from your calculations.
The following process of calculating the score may seem daunting at first, but after a few tries it will become very natural. To calculate your golf handicap you should;
- When you finish a round of golf, you limit the maximum number of strokes on a given hole to 10. So the maximum number of strokes on 18 holes is 180.
- With new 12 round scores (10 excluding best and worst) rounds, you can calculate how many shots you usually make above par.
- Every field you play will have course evaluation and slope score, you must note these numbers to calculate your handicap.
The formula for calculating the result is:
Adjusted Score – Course Rating x 113/Slope Rating
For example, if you score 100 on a rating box of 71 and slope grade of 120, you’ll see the following calculation:
100 – 71 x 113 / 120
100 – 71 = 29
29×113 = 3277
3277/120 = 27.038
In this case, the Handicap would be 27. Of course, it is important to regularly monitor your Handicap, especially as you develop as a golfer. For most players, the score will decrease over time, highlighting their growing skill as a competitive golfer.
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