Golf Handicap Calculator
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Results
Estimated Handicap Index 12.9 from 8 scores; Course Handicap 14, Playing Handicap 13.
| Round | Score | Course Rating | Slope | PCC | Differential | Counted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 92 | 71.2 | 128 | 0 | 18.4 | |
| 2 | 88 | 72.4 | 131 | 0 | 13.5 | |
| 3 | 95 | 70.8 | 125 | +1 | 21.0 | |
| 4 | 86 | 71.2 | 128 | 0 | 13.1 | Yes, among the lowest |
| 5 | 90 | 72.4 | 131 | 0 | 15.2 | |
| 6 | 84 | 69.9 | 121 | 0 | 13.2 | |
| 7 | 91 | 71.2 | 128 | -1 | 18.4 | |
| 8 | 87 | 72.4 | 131 | 0 | 12.6 | Yes, among the lowest |
This is an unofficial estimate using the World Handicap System formulas. An official Handicap Index® comes only from your golf club or national golf association, which also applies hole-score limits, exceptional-score reductions and committee reviews. This site isn’t affiliated with the USGA, the R&A or any golf association.
How to use the golf handicap calculator
- Add your 18-hole rounds, oldest first: the adjusted gross score, and the Course Rating and Slope Rating of the tees you played. Leave PCC at 0 unless your association published an adjustment for that day.
- With 3 or more scores you get an estimated Handicap Index. Only the most recent 20 count, so older rows drop out automatically.
- If you already have a Handicap Index, choose “I know my Handicap Index” instead.
- Enter the Slope Rating, Course Rating and par for today's tees, and pick the format's handicap allowance, to see your Course and Playing Handicap.
Handicap formulas (World Handicap System, 2024 Rules)
Handicap Index = average of the lowest 8 of the most recent 20 differentials
Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − par)
Playing Handicap = Course Handicap (unrounded) × handicap allowance
The adjusted gross score is your score after the per-hole maximum (net double bogey under the WHS). The Course Rating is the expected score of a scratch golfer from those tees, and the Slope Rating (55 to 155, standard 113) measures how much harder the course plays for a higher-handicap golfer. The playing conditions calculation (PCC) is an adjustment from −1.0 to +3.0 that associations apply on days when scoring was unusually hard or easy. Differentials and the index are rounded to the nearest tenth, with .5 rounded up; Course and Playing Handicaps are rounded to whole numbers.
Fewer than 20 scores
Until you have 20 scores, the Rules of Handicapping (Rule 5.2a) use fewer differentials, with a small adjustment for the shortest records:
| Scores in the record | Differentials used | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Lowest 1 | -2 |
| 4 | Lowest 1 | -1 |
| 5 | Lowest 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Average of lowest 2 | -1 |
| 7 to 8 | Average of lowest 2 | 0 |
| 9 to 11 | Average of lowest 3 | 0 |
| 12 to 14 | Average of lowest 4 | 0 |
| 15 to 16 | Average of lowest 5 | 0 |
| 17 to 18 | Average of lowest 6 | 0 |
| 19 | Average of lowest 7 | 0 |
| 20 | Average of lowest 8 | 0 |
Worked example
A golfer has eight rounds. The first, a 92 from tees rated 71.2 with a Slope of 128, gives (113 ÷ 128) × (92 − 71.2) = 18.362, rounded to 18.4. All eight differentials are 18.4, 13.5, 21.0, 13.1, 15.2, 13.2, 18.4, 12.6. With 8 scores the table says to average the lowest 2: (13.1 + 12.6) ÷ 2 = 12.85, so the estimated Handicap Index is 12.9.
On tees with a Slope of 128, a Course Rating of 71.2 and par 72, the Course Handicap is 12.9 × 128 ÷ 113 + (71.2 − 72) = 13.81, which rounds to 14. For individual stroke play at 95%, the Playing Handicap is 13.81 × 0.95, rounded: 13 strokes.
Course Handicap by Handicap Index and Slope
For tees where the Course Rating equals par. If the rating is higher or lower than par, add or subtract the difference.
| Handicap Index | Slope 100 | Slope 113 | Slope 120 | Slope 130 | Slope 140 | Slope 150 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5.0 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| 10.0 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 13 |
| 15.0 | 13 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 19 | 20 |
| 20.0 | 18 | 20 | 21 | 23 | 25 | 27 |
| 25.0 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 29 | 31 | 33 |
| 30.0 | 27 | 30 | 32 | 35 | 37 | 40 |
| 36.0 | 32 | 36 | 38 | 41 | 45 | 48 |
What this estimate leaves out
- Hole-by-hole limits. Enter scores already adjusted for net double bogey; the calculator can't apply it without hole scores and stroke index.
- Exceptional scores. A differential 7.0 or more below your index at the time triggers an extra reduction (Rule 5.9) that needs your index history.
- 9-hole rounds. Since 2024, a 9-hole score is combined with an expected score based on your index. Enter 18-hole scores only.
- Caps. With 20 scores, add your Low Handicap Index to apply the soft cap (increases above 3.0 are halved) and hard cap (at most 5.0 above).
This calculator is independent and isn't affiliated with or endorsed by the USGA, the R&A or any golf association. For other averages and statistics, try the average calculator or the statistics calculator; to convert yardages, the distance calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How is a golf handicap calculated?
Each 18-hole score becomes a Score Differential: (113 ÷ Slope Rating) × (adjusted gross score − Course Rating − PCC). Your Handicap Index is the average of the lowest 8 of your most recent 20 differentials, rounded to one decimal. With fewer than 20 scores, fewer differentials are used.
How do I calculate a Score Differential?
Subtract the Course Rating (and any PCC adjustment) from your adjusted gross score and multiply by 113 ÷ Slope Rating. A 92 on tees rated 71.2 with a Slope of 128 gives (113 ÷ 128) × 20.8 = 18.36, which rounds to 18.4.
How many scores do I need for a Handicap Index?
At least 3. With 3 scores the index is the lowest differential minus 2.0; with 4, the lowest minus 1.0; with 5, the lowest; with 6, the average of the lowest 2 minus 1.0; and so on up to the lowest 8 of 20, following Rule 5.2a of the Rules of Handicapping.
What is the difference between Handicap Index and Course Handicap?
Your Handicap Index travels with you; your Course Handicap is the strokes you get on particular tees. It is Handicap Index × Slope ÷ 113 + (Course Rating − par). A 12.9 index on tees with a Slope of 128, rating 71.2 and par 72 gives 13.81, a Course Handicap of 14.
Is this an official handicap?
No. It is an unofficial estimate using the published World Handicap System formulas. An official Handicap Index comes only from your golf club or national association, which also applies hole-score limits, exceptional-score reductions and committee reviews. This site is not affiliated with the USGA or the R&A.