How is a Golfer's handicap calculated?

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There exists various methods of computing handicap. Over 16 million+ golfers around the world play golf and hold a handicap. Different countries have adopted different methods for computation of handicap. While the USGA handicapping formula is used by the largest number of golfers worldwide, there exists five other major handicapping systems. In Great Britain & Ireland, there’s the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU), which computes handicaps incrementally off a limited number of rounds. Europe uses a variation of CONGU called European Golf Association. Australia, South Africa and Argentina use their own systems similar to the USGA’s. This has resulted in incompatibilities - making it difficult for this sport's governing bodies to conduct international level amateur tournaments in a fair manner.

To overcome this, the USGA and the R&A have been working together and with the handicapping authorities of multiple countries, and in 2020 they launched a unified World Handicapping System (WHS). Work is in progress to bring in more and more golf clubs and associations on board.

In this article I will therefore focus only on explaining how a golf handicap is computed using the WHS methodology. It is based on my understanding of the WHS methodology and there may be minor variations and changes over time, as WHS works towards making their handicap computation method better.

Before we dive into the nitty-gritty of how a golfer's handicap is computed, let's first understand what exactly a golf handicap is. In layman's term, a golf handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer's ability relative to par. It is used to level the playing field in a game of golf, allowing players of different skill levels to compete on an equal footing. The lower the handicap, the better the golfer. Check this article for more details.

Golf Handicap Computation step-by-step

Calculating a golf handicap involves a somewhat complex formula that takes into account a player's scores, the difficulty of the course, and the course rating. The process can be broken down into the following steps:

Step 1 - Card Preparation

Each scorecard is screened to determine whether it should be picked for handicap computation or dropped. Only cards where minimum 7 holes are played, either in front-9 or back-9, are picked.

• If holes played is 7-13, with minimum 7 in either front-9 or back-9, card is considered as half card (for front-9 or back-9 wherever minimum 7 holes are played).
• If holes played >= 14, the card is converted to a full-card (18 hole card).

To arrive at gross score for each card, score adjustment is done as follows:

• Score of hole not played or scratched hole is taken as Net Par
• Score of hole with higher score is taken as max Net Double Bogey

The adjusted score card is subsequently processed.

Step 2 - scorecard Selection for processing

Your most recent 20 full round cards are picked up for processing. A front-9 or back-9 card is treated as a half-card and carry half weightage.

Step 3 - Computation of score differential for selected cards

For each selected card, a score differential is computed using the following formula:

Additionally a PCC factor (Playing Conditions Calculation) may be applied on the computed score differential to take into account any significant change in the weather or course conditions (due to change in course setup) on a particular day. This adjustment is usually a figure of -1, 0, +1, +2 or +3 over the computed score differential.

Next, Best 8 full-cards, based on Score Differentials, are taken to arrive at an Average score differential. This average is multiplied with a factor of 0.96 used to arrive at your handicap index.

Step 4 - Application of Caps to prevent radical change

This process reduces/limits the amount by which a player's Handicap Index can increase when measured against the player's Lowest Handicap Index. For each golfer, a 1-year rolling Base Index (lowest index) is maintained in the handicapping system. There are two trigger points for applying the caps:

• Soft cap: The soft cap is triggered when the difference between a player's newly calculated handicap Index and their lowest index is greater than 3 strokes. When a calculated handicap Index increase is greater than 3 strokes, the value above 3 strokes is restricted to 50% of the increase.
• Hard cap: The hard cap triggers to restrict the amount by which a player's handicap index can increase, after application of the soft cap. The hard cap limits it to no more than 5 strokes above their lowest index.

These caps help keep a check on dishonest players who tend to write higher scores in their scorecards with an intention to increase their handicap and gain unfair advantage in competition.

So, after Index is computed, Soft Cap is applied to limit the Index to:
    Base Index + Max 3 + 50% of anything above BaseIndex+3 (if any)

Thereafter, Hard Cap is applied to cap index increase to max:
    Base Index + 5

The adjusted index becomes your final computed Handicap Index

Step 5 - Computation of course handicap

The final step is to adjust your Handicap Index based on the difficulty of the course you are playing. Playing Handicap for your home course is hence computed using the formula:

In WHS, the above process is carried out every night to arrive at your handicap for the next day. However, some golf clubs may choose to apply the change once a week or perhaps once a month.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding how a golf handicap is computed can demystify the process and give players a greater appreciation for the skill and precision required to excel at the game of golf. By following the steps outlined in this article, golfers can accurately calculate their handicap and enjoy a level playing field with players of all abilities. So the next time you hit the course, keep your handicap in mind and strive to improve with each round. Happy golfing!

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