How to use
- 1For each round enter the adjusted gross score, the Course Rating, the Slope Rating and the PCC if there was one (up to 20 rounds).
- 2The calculator works out each score differential and highlights the ones counting toward your index in green.
- 3Optionally enter your Low Handicap Index from the last 365 days to see the soft and hard cap.
- 4In the course handicap section enter the Slope, Course Rating and par of the tees you are playing and pick the format.
The WHS formulas
Score differential = (113 ÷ Slope Rating) × (adjusted gross score − Course Rating − PCC). Your Handicap Index is the average of the best 8 of your most recent 20 differentials, rounded to one decimal, with a maximum of 54.0. Course handicap = Index × (Slope ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par), rounded to a whole number. Playing handicap applies the format allowance: 95% for individual stroke play and Stableford, 100% for singles match play, 85% for four-ball stroke play and 90% for four-ball match play. Source: R&A and USGA Rules of Handicapping, 2024 edition.
With fewer than 20 scores
An index can be issued after 3 scores. 3 scores: lowest 1 differential −2.0; 4: lowest 1 −1.0; 5: lowest 1; 6: average of lowest 2 −1.0; 7–8: lowest 2; 9–11: lowest 3; 12–14: lowest 4; 15–16: lowest 5; 17–18: lowest 6; 19: lowest 7; 20: lowest 8. Once you have 20 scores the caps apply: any rise more than 3.0 above your Low Handicap Index of the last 365 days is halved (soft cap), and the index can never be more than 5.0 above it (hard cap).
Adjusted gross score and official records
Before posting, each hole is capped at net double bogey: par + 2 + any handicap strokes you receive on that hole. Your official index — kept by England Golf, the USGA or your national association — also includes playing conditions calculations and exceptional score reductions, so treat this calculator as a planning tool: check what a round would do to your index, or how many shots you get on a new course before you tee off.
Frequently asked questions
How is a golf handicap calculated?
Each round gives a differential of (113 ÷ Slope) × (score − Course Rating − PCC). Your Handicap Index is the average of the best 8 of your last 20 differentials.
What is the difference between course handicap and playing handicap?
Course handicap adjusts your index to the tees you play (Slope, Course Rating, par). Playing handicap is a percentage of that for the format, e.g. 95% in individual stroke play.
What is the maximum handicap in golf?
Under the WHS the maximum Handicap Index is 54.0. A course handicap can be higher on a difficult course.
How many rounds do I need for a handicap?
Scores totalling 54 holes, such as three 18-hole rounds. Until you have 20 scores a sliding table decides how many differentials count.
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