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Golf course handicap calculator

Use this golf course handicap calculator to turn your Handicap Index into the strokes you get on a particular course. Your index travels with you. Your course handicap is what it becomes on the first tee, from these tees, today.

Course handicap = handicap index × (slope rating ÷ 113) + (course rating − par)

Fig. 1. 113 is the slope of a course of standard difficulty, so a slope above it gives you more strokes.

Golf course handicap calculator: enter your numbers

Enter your Handicap Index and the slope rating, course rating and par for the tees you are playing. You get your course handicap and the holes where you receive a stroke.

Plus handicap? Type +2.1
55 to 155
On the scorecard
For 18 holes

    What is a course handicap in golf?

    A course handicap is the number of strokes you receive on one specific course from one specific set of tees. It adjusts your Handicap Index for how hard those tees are, using the slope rating, the course rating and par. A golfer with the same index gets more strokes on a difficult course and fewer on an easy one.

    How to use the golf course handicap calculator

    1. Enter your Handicap Index. For a plus handicap, type a plus sign first.
    2. Enter the slope rating and course rating for the tees you are playing. Both are printed on the scorecard.
    3. Enter the par for 18 holes.
    4. Read your course handicap and see which holes you get strokes on.

    Golf course handicap formula

    Course handicap = Handicap Index × (slope rating ÷ 113) + (course rating − par)

    Round the answer to the nearest whole number, with halves rounding up. The first part scales your index for how punishing the tees are for an ordinary golfer. The second part moves the target from the course rating to par, so that 36 Stableford points always means you played to your handicap.

    Course handicap calculation example

    A golfer with a Handicap Index of 14.2 plays tees with a slope rating of 128, a course rating of 71.4 and a par of 72. The sum is 14.2 × (128 ÷ 113) + (71.4 − 72) = 16.08 − 0.6 = 15.48. The course handicap is 15.

    Where your course handicap strokes fall

    Every hole on the card has a stroke index from 1, the hole where you most need help, to 18. A course handicap of 15 gives you one stroke on the holes marked 1 to 15. Above 18 you start again from stroke index 1 with a second stroke.

    Golf course handicap calculator FAQs

    How do I calculate my course handicap?

    Multiply your Handicap Index by the slope rating divided by 113, then add the course rating minus par. The golf course handicap calculator on this page does it instantly and shows each step.

    Where do I find the slope rating and course rating?

    Both are printed on the scorecard and usually on a board by the first tee, with a pair for each set of tees. Your national association's course database lists them too.

    Is course handicap the same as playing handicap?

    No. Course handicap is your full allowance for the course. Playing handicap applies the allowance for the format, for example 95% in individual stroke play.

    Why is my course handicap lower than my Handicap Index?

    A slope rating below 113 scales your index down, and a course rating below par takes a little more off. Either one means these tees play easier than standard.