WHS: 4 Course & Playing Handicaps
Course Handicap
For example, from the White tees at Westbury: the Course Handicap of a player with a 20.1 Handicap Index is calculated as:
Course Handicap = 20.1 x ( 119/ 113 ) = 21.1
The following conversion charts will be displayed near the 1st tee, so you won't need to do the calculations yourself! Click on "tee" to see detail
White tees (Men)
Yellow tees (Men)
Red tees (Women)
Handicap Allowance
The Process
When submitting a 9 hole score:
- Course Handicap is the number of handicap strokes a player receives before Handicap Allowances, on a specific course and from a specific set of tees, as determined by the Slope Rating [picture 1 below]
- There will be tables on display where you can look up your Course Handicap [picture 2 below]
- It is Course Handicap that is used to determine Net Par and Net Double Bogey adjustments in calculating Adjusted Gross Scores and in assessing scores for Unplayed Holes.
For example, from the White tees at Westbury: the Course Handicap of a player with a 20.1 Handicap Index is calculated as:
Course Handicap = 20.1 x ( 119/ 113 ) = 21.1
The following conversion charts will be displayed near the 1st tee, so you won't need to do the calculations yourself! Click on "tee" to see detail
White tees (Men)
Yellow tees (Men)
Red tees (Women)
Handicap Allowance
- Handicap Allowance is the percentage of Course Handicap specified for a particular format of play and/or specified in the Terms of the Competition [picture 3 below]
- Playing Handicap is the Course Handicap adjusted for any Handicap Allowance. It represents the actual number of strokes the player gives or receives for the round being played. The calculation shown in [picture 4 below] uses the exact Course Handicap (nearest 0.1). This will change to use the rounded Course Handicap (nearest 1).
- It is Playing Handicap that is used to determine Competition Results.
The Process
- Before starting a round of golf the player must register their intention to enter a Competition or submit a Social Score and establish their Course Handicap and Playing Handicap for the particular set of tees being used.
- Scores must be submitted as soon as possible after the round and before midnight on the day of playing, which is when their Handicap index will be re-calculated [picture 5 & 6 below]
When submitting a 9 hole score:
- 9 hole Course Handicap = [ Handicap Index / 2 ] x [ 9 hole Slope Rating / 113 ] + [ 9 hole Course Rating - 9 hole Par ] (to be confirmed)
- 9 hole Playing Handicap = [ 9 hole Course Handicap ] x [ Handicap Allowance ]