What this calculator does
Find out how many strokes you get on the tees you're playing today. Your Handicap Index describes your skill on a course of standard difficulty. But you never actually play that imaginary course. So before each round, your index is turned into a Course Handicap for your tees. That's the number of strokes you receive. Then it becomes a Playing Handicap, which fits the format of the competition.
This calculator uses the World Handicap System formulas for both steps. Enter your Handicap Index and the Slope Rating, Course Rating and par of your tees. Then add the handicap allowance. You'll see your Course Handicap, your Playing Handicap and the working. A 9-hole option uses half your index with the 9-hole ratings.
Where it's used
Why this math matters outside the classroom:
- Before a round. A golfer with a 14.2 index on tees sloped 128 and rated 71.6 (par 72) gets 14.2 × 128 ÷ 113 − 0.4 ≈ 15.7, a Course Handicap of 16.
- Club competitions. Organizers apply a 95% allowance, so a Course Handicap of 15.685 becomes a Playing Handicap of 15.
- Mixed tees. Friends playing from back and forward tees use Course Rating − par so that their net scores compare fairly.
- Nine-hole evenings. A golfer halves a 14.2 index to 7.1 and uses the front nine's ratings to get a 9-hole handicap of 8.
- Negative numbers in action. Students see a plus handicap of −2.0 on a slope of 130 give −2.3 + 1.1 = −1.2, which rounds to −1.
Grade level and standards: Grade 7; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics 7.NS.A.3. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.
How to use it
- Choose an 18-hole or 9-hole round.
- Enter your Handicap Index. Enter a plus handicap as a negative number.
- Enter the Slope Rating, Course Rating and par for the tees you'll play. You'll find them on the scorecard or the course's handicap table.
- Set the handicap allowance for the format. 95% is the usual figure for individual stroke play. Then read your Course Handicap and Playing Handicap.
What the inputs mean
- Handicap Index
- The index from your golf association, such as 14.2. A plus handicap means you're better than scratch (a zero handicap), and scorecards write it with a +. Enter it here as a negative number, so +1.5 is −1.5.
- Slope Rating
- How much harder the tees play for a bogey golfer (roughly one over par per hole) than for a scratch golfer, from 55 to 155. A slope of 113 is standard difficulty.
- Course Rating
- The score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot from these tees, such as 71.6.
- 9-hole Course Rating
- Courses publish separate ratings for each nine. Use the ratings for the nine you'll play.
- Handicap allowance
- A percentage the competition sets to keep different formats fair. Recommended figures include 95% for individual stroke play. A casual round normally uses 100%.
Formula and method
Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − par) 9 holes: use (Handicap Index ÷ 2, rounded to a tenth) with the 9-hole Slope Rating, Course Rating and par Playing Handicap = unrounded Course Handicap × handicap allowance both are rounded to the nearest whole number, with .5 rounded up
Multiplying by Slope Rating ÷ 113 scales your index to how hard these tees are. On a slope of 128, you get about 13% more strokes than on a standard course. Adding Course Rating − par adjusts for tees whose rating isn't the same as par. That way, players on different tees of the same course can compete fairly.
The handicap allowance is applied to the unrounded Course Handicap, and the result is rounded once. Rounding twice, first the Course Handicap and then the Playing Handicap, can give a different number. That's why the rules apply the allowance as the last step.
Worked example
An invented golfer, Priya Lomond, has a Handicap Index of 14.2. She plays tees with a Slope Rating of 128, a Course Rating of 71.6 and a par of 72, in a stroke-play competition with a 95% allowance.
- Slope adjustment: 14.2 × (128 ÷ 113) = 16.085.
- Add Course Rating − par: 16.085 + (71.6 − 72) = 15.685, which rounds to a Course Handicap of 16.
- Playing Handicap: 15.685 × 0.95 = 14.901, which rounds to 15.
- For a 9-hole round on a nine rated 35.8 with a slope of 126 and par 36: 14.2 ÷ 2 = 7.1. Then 7.1 × (126 ÷ 113) + (35.8 − 36) = 7.717, a 9-hole Course Handicap of 8.
Result: Lomond's Course Handicap is 16 and her Playing Handicap in the competition is 15.
Understanding the result
Your Playing Handicap is the number of strokes you receive in the round. They're handed out hole by hole using the stroke index, the card's ranking of holes from hardest to easiest. You get one stroke on each of the hardest holes first. If your handicap is over 18, you then get a second stroke on the hardest holes.
A negative result is a plus handicap. A player off +2 gives two strokes back, adding them to their score on the two easiest holes by stroke index.
Assumptions and limitations
- It uses the published World Handicap System formulas (Rules of Handicapping, Rule 6).
- The ratings and par are for the tees you actually play, and for 9 holes, the nine you actually play.
- Results are rounded to the nearest whole number, with .5 rounded up.
- Your golf association or club publishes the official Course Handicap table for each set of tees. Use theirs if it's different.
- Formats for two or more players with their own allowance rules, such as four-ball or foursomes, need the allowance the competition sets.
- Your Handicap Index itself isn't calculated here. The golf handicap calculator estimates it from your scores.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between a Course Handicap and a Playing Handicap?
The Course Handicap is the number of strokes you receive from a particular set of tees. The Playing Handicap adjusts it for the format with the handicap allowance. In a casual round at 100%, they are the same number.
Why was Course Rating − par added to the formula?
So that players on different tees can play together. Say the back tees are rated 73.1 and the front tees 70.4 on a par-72 course. The difference in the ratings shows up in the Course Handicaps. So a net score (your score minus your strokes) from either tee compares fairly with par.
How do I enter a plus handicap?
As a negative number. A Handicap Index of +2.0 is −2.0 here. If the result is negative, such as −1, you have a plus Course Handicap of +1 and give a stroke back on the easiest hole.
What allowance should I use?
Use whatever the competition sets. A common recommendation is 95% for individual stroke play in a medium-sized field. Casual rounds and many match-play games use 100%. Some national associations let clubs choose other figures, so check the entry sheet.
Sources
- Rules of Handicapping, Rule 6.1a: Course Handicap for an 18-hole round (USGA) (checked 2026-10-19)
- Rules of Handicapping, Rule 6.1b: Course Handicap for a 9-hole round (USGA) (checked 2026-10-19)
- Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C: Handicap Allowances (USGA) (checked 2026-10-19)
How this calculator is checked
Method: World Handicap System, Rules of Handicapping (USGA and R&A): Rule 6.1a (18-hole Course Handicap = Handicap Index × Slope Rating ÷ 113 + (Course Rating − par)), Rule 6.1b (9-hole: half index rounded to a tenth), Rule 6.2 (Playing Handicap = unrounded Course Handicap × allowance, rounded, .5 up) and Appendix C allowances; checked 2026-10-19. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.
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