Calculating your Course Handicap
The information in this column is in effect only for those players who use the USGA Handicap System.
I have received several e-mails reminding me that there is a formula to calculate your Course Handicap:
Multiply your Handicap Index by the Slope Rating, and divide that number by 113. Round any result that is .5 or higher upward.
Here are two examples:
• Jim’s Handicap Index is 14.9. He is playing the Blue tees at Ramblewood Country Club. The Blue tees have a Slope Rating of 133. 14.9 multiplied by133=1,981.7, divided by 113=17.5. Jim’s Course Handicap from the Blue tees is 18.
• Bernie’s Handicap Index is 18.1. He is playing the White tees at Ramblewood Country Club. The White tees have a Slope Rating of 128. 18.1 multiplied by 128=2,316.8, divided by 113=20.5. Bernie’s Course Handicap from the White tees is 21.
Note that if Jim decides to play from the White tees, his Course Handicap will change. If you do the math, you will find that Jim will have a Course Handicap of 17 from the White tees.
When you are calculating your Course Handicap, you must calculate it from the set of tees you decide to play. Different tees at the same course have different ratings. That is because the Slope Rating becomes more difficult as the length of the course increases.
While we are on the topic of handicaps, there is something else you need to know. Let’s see what happens if Jim and Bernie decide to play a match at full handicap. If they both play from the White tees, where Bernie has a Course Handicap of 21 and Jim has a17, Jim will have to give Bernie 4 strokes. Bernie will get his strokes on the handicap holes listed as #1, 2, 3, and 4.
If Jim plays from the Blue tees and Bernie plays from the White, they will have to do a second calculation based on the different Course Rating for each set of tees. Jim’s Course Handicap from the Blue tees is 18, and Bernie’s from the White tees is 21. The Course Rating from the Blue tees is 72.7, and from the White tees is 71.2. The Course Rating from the White tees is 1.5 shots easier than from the Blue tees (72.7–71.2=1.5). Round the 1.5 up to 2. Jim will only have to give Bernie 1 stroke in their match when he plays from the Blues and Bernie plays from the Whites. (Subtract the 2-stroke difference in the Course Rating from the 3-stroke difference in their respective Course Handicaps.)
The reason for the different Course Ratings for each set of tees is that the longer length from the Blue tees makes that course harder to play than from the White tees. Jim’s total yardage from the Blue tees is 6,883; Bernie’s total yardage from the White tees is 6,498. The difference in yardage from the two sets of tees is 385. Bernie is playing an easier course, so he is not entitled to as many handicap strokes from Jim as he would get if they were playing from the same set of tees.
This is the benefit of the handicap system. Even though two players may not be equally skilled, they can set up a fair match using the difference in their Course Handicaps if they play from the same set of tees. If they do not play from the same tees, they can have a fair match if they subtract the difference in the Course Rating from the difference in their Course Handicaps. This enables women, men, and senior men of differing abilities playing from different tees to compete fairly against one another.
Linda
Copyright © 2011 Linda Miller. All rights reserved.
