GOLF FELLOWGuides · Updated 12 October 2026
Course handicap and playing handicap, with a calculator
Your Handicap Index travels with you. The number of shots you actually get depends on the course, the tee and the competition. This guide shows the two steps and lets you try them.
Step 1: Course Handicap
A Course Handicap converts your Handicap Index to the course and tee you are playing:
Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par)
The slope part scales your index for how much harder the course plays for a higher handicapper. The second part adjusts for the Course Rating being above or below par. The result is rounded to the nearest whole number, with .5 rounding up.
Step 2: Playing Handicap
A Playing Handicap applies the handicap allowance for the format being played. Allowances are set to make a competition fair. The Rules of Handicapping recommend, for example, 95% for individual stroke play in a medium-sized field, 100% for singles match play and 85% for four-ball stroke play. The committee running the competition states the allowance it uses, so check the conditions of the event.
The allowance is applied to the Course Handicap before rounding, and the result is then rounded to a whole number. The calculator below follows that order. Rounding the Course Handicap first can occasionally give a result one shot different.
Worked example
Handicap Index 18.4, Slope Rating 125, Course Rating 70.8, par 72, allowance 95%.
- 18.4 × 125 ÷ 113 = 20.35
- Course Rating − Par = 70.8 − 72 = −1.2
- Course Handicap = 20.35 − 1.2 = 19.15, rounded to 19
- Playing Handicap = 19.15 × 0.95 = 18.20, rounded to 18
Calculator
Enter your numbers and press Calculate. This needs JavaScript.
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Sources
- Rule 6.1a, For an 18-hole round (USGA, Rules of Handicapping)
- Rule 6, Course Handicap and Playing Handicap (R&A, Rules of Handicapping)
- Appendix C, Handicap Allowances (R&A, Rules of Handicapping)
Rules summarised from the 2024 edition of the Rules of Handicapping. Your national association and club handicap committee have the final word.