Course Handicap

The formula

Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par)

113 is the Slope Rating of a course of standard difficulty. A higher slope means the course is relatively harder for higher handicappers than for scratch players, so you get more strokes. The (Course Rating − Par) term adjusts for tees where a scratch golfer is expected to score above or below par.

Worked example

Handicap Index 14.0, playing tees with a Slope Rating of 131, a Course Rating of 72.4 and par 72:

14.0 × (131 ÷ 113) = 16.23, plus (72.4 − 72) = 0.4, gives 16.63, so your Course Handicap is 17.

Many clubs display a table at the first tee that does this conversion for every index, so you rarely need to calculate it by hand.

Where do the strokes go?

Each hole has a stroke index (sometimes called the handicap hole) from 1, the hardest, to 18. With a Course Handicap of 17 you receive one stroke on the holes with stroke index 1 to 17. With 20, you get one stroke on every hole and a second on stroke indexes 1 and 2.

A plus handicap works the other way: a Course Handicap of +2 means you give back strokes, starting on stroke index 18 and then 17.

Course Handicap vs Playing Handicap

Your Course Handicap is what you get on those tees in a casual round, and it is the number used to cap hole scores at net double bogey when you post a score. Your Playing Handicap is the number of strokes you actually receive in a competition: the Course Handicap multiplied by the handicap allowance for the format, then rounded to a whole number. The strokes are handed out by stroke index using the Playing Handicap.

The R&A recommends applying the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap to avoid rounding twice; some national bodies round the Course Handicap first. Continuing the example above, 16.63 × 95% = 15.80, a Playing Handicap of 16 in an individual stroke play or Stableford competition (rounding 17 first gives the same answer here). In singles match play the allowance is 100%, so it stays 17, and the lower player then plays off zero and the other receives the difference.

Allowances are recommendations, and the committee running the competition sets the final figure. From 1 April 2026 Scottish Golf and Wales Golf let clubs choose 85%, 90%, 95% or 100% for singles events, and 75% to 90% for four-ball stroke play and Stableford; England Golf is keeping the standard figures until 2028. Always check the terms of the competition.

Common mistakes

• Using the Handicap Index as if it were the Course Handicap: on a difficult course the difference can be several strokes.
• Forgetting the (Course Rating − Par) term, which matters most on forward or back tees.
• Using another tee’s Slope Rating: every set of tees, and men’s and women’s ratings, have their own values.

Related tools and guides

• Handicap Index explained
• Stableford scoring explained
• Golf Handicap Calculator (WHS)

Sources

• The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, Rule 5: Handicap Index Calculation
• The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, Rule 6: Course Handicap and Playing Handicap
• USGA, The Handicap Index Calculation
• The R&A, Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C: Handicap Allowances
• The R&A, Interpretations on Rule 6 (applying allowances to the unrounded Course Handicap)
• National Club Golfer, Playing handicap allowances changes (1 April 2026, updated 17 April 2026)