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What You'll Need for the Handicap Formula

What numbers do you have to have in order to perform the handicap index calculation? The formula requires the following:

Your scores - a minimum of five and up to 20. And these are your adjusted gross scores (meaning they follow the equitable stroke control per-hole maximums).
The USGA course ratings of the golf courses you've played.
The USGA slope ratings of the courses you've played.

Have all that? OK, we're ready to get into the math of the handicap formula.

Step 1 In Handicap Formula: Calculate the Differentials

Using your adjusted gross scores, the course ratings and slope ratings, Step 1 is calculating the handicap differential for each round entered using this formula:

(Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Slope Rating

For example, let's say your score is 85, the course rating 72.2, the slope 131. The formula would be:

(85 - 72.2) x 113 / 131 = 11.04

The sum of that calculation is called your "handicap differential." This differential is calculated for each round entered (minimum of five, maximum of 20).

(Note: The number 113 is a constant and represents the slope rating of a golf course of average difficulty.)

Step 2: Determine How Many Differentials To Use

Not every differential that results from Step 1 will be used in the next step.

If only five rounds are entered, only the lowest of your five differentials will be used in the following step. If 20 rounds are entered, only the 10 lowest differentials are used. Use this chart to determine how many differentials to use in your handicap calculation.

Number of Differentials Used The number of rounds you are reporting for handicap purposes determines the number of differentials used in the USGA handicap calculation, as follows:
Rounds Entered	Differentials Used
5-6 rounds	Use 3 lowest differential
7-8 rounds	Use 4 lowest differentials
9-10 rounds	Use 5 lowest differentials
11-12 rounds	Use 6 lowest differentials
13-14 rounds	Use 7 lowest differentials
15-16 rounds	Use 8 lowest differentials
17 rounds	Use 8 lowest differentials
18 rounds	Use 9 lowest differentials
19 rounds	Use 9 lowest differentials
20 rounds	Use 10 lowest differentials

Step 3: Average Your Differentials

Get an average of the differentials used by adding them together and dividing by the number used (i.e., if five differentials are used, add them up and divide by five).

Step 4: Arriving At Your Handicap Index

And the final step is to take the number that results from Step 3 and multiply the result by 0.96 (96-percent). Drop all the digits after the tenths (do not round off) and the result is handicap index.Or, to combine Steps 3 and 4 into a single formula:

(Sum of differentials/number of differentials) x 0.96

Let's give an example using five differentials. Our differentials worked out to (just making up some numbers for this example) 11.04, 12.33, 9.87, 14.66 and 10.59. So we add those up, which produces the number 58.49. Since we used five differentials, we divide that number by five, which produces 11.698. And we multiply that number by 0.96, which equals 11.23, and 11.2 is our handicap index.

CALLAWAY SYSTEM

The Callaway System is a handicap algorithm designed to provide a handicap estimate based on one round of play. The Callaway 'handicap' can then be used to calculate a net score for that round. The Callaway system is quite popular for company outings and tournaments where most golfers do not have handicaps. It is also relatively straightforward to calculate. We explain the Callaway calculation below. The Callaway system is a "worst-holes" calculation, in that it uses up to six of the player's worst holes in a round, adjusted by a 'factor,' to obtain a handicap. That handicap is then subtracted from the player's gross score to obtain a net score.
The net scores for all players can be compared to see who will win the
tournament prize. Use the table below to calculate your Callaway handicap. First, look up your gross score on the left side of the table, and find how many holes you will need to use to calculate your handicap.

The Callaway System

Gross Score					Handicap Calculation
-	-	70	71	72	Scratch Handicap. Use gross Score
73	74	75	-	-	1/2 worst hole score + adjustment
76	77	78	79	80	Worst hole score + adjustment
81	82	83	84	85	1 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
86	87	88	89	90	2 worst hole scores + adjustment
91	92	93	94	95	2 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
96	97	98	99	100	3 worst hole scores + adjustment
101	102	103	104	105	3 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
106	107	108	109	110	4 worst hole scores + adjustment
111	112	113	114	115	4 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
116	117	118	119	120	5 worst hole scores + adjustment
121	122	123	124	125	5 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
126	127	128	129	130	6 worst hole scores + adjustment
131	132	133	134	135	6 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
-2	-1	0	+1	+2	Adjustment factor for handicap

Worst scores cannot be used from the 17th and 18th holes (it is too easy to
throw the last few holes if a golfer is ahead)
For any worst score that is greater than twice the hole par value, only
twice the par value should be deducted (in the spirit of ESC)
Once the scores are added up, round up any fractions to the next higher
number (e.g. a 7 on a par five that counts as half a worst score should be
rounded up to a 4)

Finally, adjust the sum of those scores by the
adjustment factor. To find the adjustment factor, look up your score in the
above table. At the bottom of the table, in the same column, is the adjustment
factor. If your sum of worst holes is 18, and your gross score is 89, than your
adjustment factor is +1 and your Callaway handicap is 19.

Your net score
is simply your gross score minus your Callaway handicap (in the above example,
your net score is 89 - 19 = 70).

Here is an example: Imagine a Callaway
tournament where you shoot a 95. You look up in the table and find that your
Callaway handicap is your 2 1/2 worst scores plus an adjustment factor of +2.
Your four worst scores are an 8 on a par 5, a 7 on a par 5, a 7 on a par 4, and
a 7 on a par 3. But, your worst score, the 8, took place on the 17th hole and
therefore cannot count towards your Callaway handicap. In addition, because your
7 on the par 3 is more than twice the par value, it can only count as a six
towards the Callaway handicap. The resulting handicap is 7 + 7 + 6/2 + 2 (Adj
Factor) = 19. Your net score is 95 - 19 = 76.