Handicap Question

[bogeyhitter25]

I've just been using a simple free handicap system. But it really doesn't work. It says that I'm a 11.1, but I'm really not sure I am. I average around a 44 or 45. Could someone please help. Thanks.

[zeg]

Well, the handicap system is fairly complicated, but to ball park estimate with your 44-45 average, we would also need the course rating and slope for the course. Assuming it was a 36 rating (9 holes) and 113 slope and calling your average 44.5 it'd just be 0.96*(89-72)=16.32, which would be truncated (not rounded) to 16.3.

If you've got the rating/slope, then it'd be 0.96*(89-R)*113/S where R is the rating and S is the slope.

Of course, in reality you need to take the best 10 of last 20 posted 18-hole rounds and average the differentials, etc, but this is a decent ballpark. Your true handicap would probably be a bit lower than this estimate.

[tjy355]

You don't say which system you are using or why you don't think it is working.

A handicap is not simply an average of your scores.

It is an average of the lowest 10 of your last 20 "differentials" multiplied by 0.96.

The formula for a differential is:
(score - rating) x 113 / slope


See Section 10:
http://www.usga.org/playing/handicap...al/manual.html

[bogeyhitter25]

Well I've been doing NCGolfers(dot)com, and I just inputed my last 15 scores, and my average is a 43, and my index is 11.8, so I'm pretty sure that it's all settled.

[Fourputt]

I've just been using a simple free handicap system. But it really doesn't work. It says that I'm a 11.1, but I'm really not sure I am. I average around a 44 or 45. Could someone please help. Thanks.

If you average bogey golf then 11.1 is probably a bit low, but that depends on how your arrive at your "average". If you shoot very inconsistently, that is one time you shoot 85 and the next time 95, then an average of 90 would still get you a lower handicap than you might expect. The reason is that your handicap would be based on all of those low scores (10 best of the last 20), and none of the higher ones would figure in.

[misty_mountainhop]

Hmmm. Slope? Sounds complicated! As a Brit (we don't use slope ratings for courses) what does the slope rating say about a course?

[Fourputt]

Hmmm. Slope? Sounds complicated! As a Brit (we don't use slope ratings for courses) what does the slope rating say about a course?

It's a difficulty rating based on how it would play for a "typical" bogey golfer. The higher the slope, the more difficult the course. The ratings are done by a trained team from your local USGA affiliated association. There is a set of specific criteria that they use to evaluate the course.

113 is considered the mean for calculation purposes. The slope number is applied to your USGA index number to arrive at your course handicap for that course and tee. At my home course, with a slope of 120, my 10.1 index becomes a course handicap of 11. Course handicaps are always rounded to a whole number. (Course slope) times (your index) divided by 113. For me that's 120 x 10.1 / 113 = 10.72 rounded to 11

[st0wgolf08]

Lol i did not know that 113 was standard, the courses i play are all 125 at the least.

[meenman]

Lol i did not know that 113 was standard, the courses i play are all 125 at the least.

I have seen courses with slopes of 113 - you could probably play bogey golf with a single iron and a putter on these courses.

[zeg]

The courses I play are all in the 110-115 range. They are certainly easy, but you'd have to be pretty good to do the single iron + putter thing. Basically, there's very little trouble on the course and the fairways are wide, but some of the holes are long enough that it's still challenging.

By the way, does anyone know why 113 is the standard? It seems sort of random and I can't find numerology to explain it, but I figure it must have a history.

[RemyM]

By the way, does anyone know why 113 is the standard? It seems sort of random and I can't find numerology to explain it, but I figure it must have a history.

A "USGA Slope Rating" is determined by multiplying the difference between the Bogey Rating and the USGA Course Rating by 5.381. This constant will produce Slope Ratings of 113 when the differential between the Bogey Rating and Course Rating is 21.0 (The expected difference in score due to "bonus for excellence"). A Slope Rating of 113 also is the empirically derived average value on standard American golf courses.

http://www.popeofslope.com/courserat...parameter.html

[zeg]

Thanks. That last sentence is probably the truest reason, though it still seems odd to use such a precise number (5.381) to get there. It seems like it'd make more sense to quote the scratch and bogey ratings and compute from there rather than generating an arbitrary slope rating. Makes me wonder if there was some other preceding method for generating slope ratings and it just worked out to be 113, so they worked backwards to make things agree.

[SubPar]

The USGA handicap formula produces an index. When weighed against the course slope it should produce a handicap you can shoot at (or below) roughly 25% of the time. I am a 7.5 index. I would say I generally shoot 81-84, but 20-25% of the time I do shoot a 79 or slightly better.

SubPar

[i-Guy]

A handicap is not simply an average of your scores.

All good points...I am an accountant and have developed my own spreadsheet following the USGA handicap rules (along with vital stats for my game) but this year I decided to let the GHIN system handle all the interpretations for me...I joined the FSGA (Florida State Golf Association) for $25 a year which provides me a monthly update of my handicap (see attached) along with my course handicap which you need to use for your ESC…oh yeah do not forget about ESC (Equity Stroke Control) as this is a very important part of calculating your USGA handicap differentials…clear as mud?

Attachment 1519

[Doctorfro]

Remember, handicap is based on potential, not average

[juanrjackson]

Most courses I play at have a slope of around 120-130. On a average course with a slope of 113....& if you can avg a score of 90. What on average would a person's handicap be?
Thanks!

[i-Guy]

Most courses I play at have a slope of around 120-130. On a average course with a slope of 113....& if you can avg a score of 90. What on average would a person's handicap be?

It also depends on the rating...lets say for argument sake the rating is 72...then the calculation would be as follows: For slope of 120 =((90-72)*113)/120 = 16.9 For slope of 130 =((90-72)*113)/130 = 15.6 This gives you your USGA calculated differentials but in order to calculate your handicap in depends on how may scores you have but lets say you have the following 4 differentials = 16.9, 15.6, 16.5, 17.2...how your handicap would be calcuated is as follows: =((16.9+15.6+16.5+17.2)/4)*.96) = 15.8 is your handicap Clear as mud???

[rwise44]

Regarding an accurate handicap calculator, we have a handicap calculator I think you will enjoy on our site. It is accurate and interactive. You can also compare your (unofficial) stats with other members. Check it out when you have a chance.