How handicaps are calculated
Exact handicaps are calculated to one decimal place
and are rounded up to produce the playing handicap.
For example, an exact handicap of 11.4 equates to
a playing handicap of 11, 11.5 equates to a playing
handicap of 12. It is a player’s responsibility
to know their exact handicap at any time, as playing
in a competition off too high a handicap will result
in disqualification. To understand how handicaps are
calculated, we need to define some terms:
Gross score – In
Stroke Play, a players total number of strokes
in a round
Nett score – A players gross
score less their playing handicap
Standard Scratch Score (SSS) –
An adjustment to the course par for handicapping purposes.
If the par is 72 but the course is regarded as easier
than other courses with the same par, the SSS will
be set to a lower figure, typically 71 or 70.
Competition Standard Scratch (CSS)
– An adjustment to the SSS based on the competition
scores, indicating the playing conditions of the day.
On a very windy day, a SSS of 72 may be adjusted to
a CSS of 73 or 74.
Category – 5 categories indicate
handicap ranges for application of varying adjustments
(see table below).
Buffer zone – a range of scores
relative to CSS where no adjustment to handicap is
made.
Adjustment factor – a number
by which a players handicap is reduced for every shot
under the CSS.
Category |
Handicap Range |
Buffer Zone |
Adjustment |
1 |
5 or less |
1 shot |
0.1 |
2 |
6 to 12 |
2 shots |
0.2 |
3 |
13 to 20 |
3 shots |
0.3 |
4 |
21 to 28 |
4 shots |
0.4 |
5 |
29 to 36 |
5 shots |
0.5 |
Reduction of handicap
A player’s nett score is compared to the CSS.
If the score is less than the CSS, their handicap
is adjusted by the adjustment factor for every shot
under CSS.
Example:
Your exact handicap is 19.4 so your playing handicap
is 19, you are category 3, which has an adjustment
factor of 0.3.
The CSS for the day is 70.
You have a gross score of 84 giving you a nett score
of 65.
You have therefore scored 5 shots less than CSS, so
your handicap is reduced by 5 x 0.3 = 1.5
Your new exact handicap is 19.4 – 1.5 = 17.9
which gives you a new playing handicap of 18.
No change to handicap
If a player’s nett score is above the CSS but
within the buffer zone, no change is made.
Example:
Taking the above example of handicap and CSS, you
have a nett score of 73, 3 shots over the CSS.
As you are category 3 you have a buffer zone of 3
shots, i.e. 70-73 in which your handicap does not
change.
Your exact handicap therefore stays at 19.4, playing
off 19.
Increase of handicap
If a player’s nett score is above the CSS +
buffer zone, the player’s exact handicap is
increased by 0.1 regardless of how many shots over
the buffer zone.
Example:
Taking the above example of handicap and CSS, you
have a nett score of 82, 12 shots over the CSS.
Your handicap is increased by 0.1 to 19.5, playing
off 20.
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