Handicap Index

[i-Guy]

How is your handicap calculated?

[WhiteSoxFan]

I use some online software - GameTrack offered through the PGA Tour Partner's club, of which I am no longer a member, but my GameTrack acct. still works.

[Fourputt]

USGA Ghin system.

[Jeepthrills]

I actually have two handicaps.

Official USGA/GAM: 17.5

League: 6 (9 holes) We play on an unrated course so we use a simple formula. 80% of the difference between your average and par. It levels the field for the most part, with a slight edge to the lower handicaps. I don't know where the 80% came from, but we have been using it for years.

[lamebums]

Used a free calculator I found on the internet. I might actually get an official one, when I get enough 18 hole rounds in (I have too many 9 hole rounds to count, but not enough 18 holers to make an official handicap).

[green6767]

I also use the official GHIN USGA system to obtain my handicap for tournaments and such. You only need scores from 5 rounds of 18 to start an official handicap, then you can enter your subsequent rounds after that into the GHIN system to alter your handicap even more.

[NEOHMark]

Other - for me.

I haven't played an 18-hole round, literally, in years. So I can't post anything through the USGA (even though they only require a 13-hole round - all of mine are niners). Golf Digest has a nifty lilttle formula they do online that establishes course ratings based strictly on yardage and then they figure a handicap based on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th best rounds of your last ten. They'll let you post scores from either 9-hole rounds or 18-hole rounds. My 9-hole hcp through them is a 7. I double it to approximate an 18-hole hcp in my profile, hence my 14 (GD) hcp.

Golf Digest's hcp formula. Dean Knuth (former USGA hcp Chairman) helped establish it, so I'd surmise it has some validity.

[CG031]

My dad is a 4 handicap, so I trust him, and he figured mine out and it came out to be a 21.5...

[ILLZ]

See my other thread... myscorecard.com, it's really a great tool.

[green6767]

Is doubling a 9 hole handicap really accurate though? I mean, it could go both ways and you could be more or less as accurate and consistent on the back nine (if there was one) I suppose. But to assume you would shoot exactly the same on nine more holes seems a bit sketchy to me. Maybe Im totally wrong, but I play nine hole courses as "practice" considering they dont count towards my official handicap. Anybody else have a take on this?

[ILLZ]

Is doubling a 9 hole handicap really accurate though? I mean, it could go both ways and you could be more or less as accurate and consistent on the back nine (if there was one) I suppose. But to assume you would shoot exactly the same on nine more holes seems a bit sketchy to me. Maybe Im totally wrong, but I play nine hole courses as "practice" considering they dont count towards my official handicap. Anybody else have a take on this?

I combine 9-hole rounds with other 9-hole rounds for my handicap. They might sit around for a while waiting to get thrown in, but they do make their way in eventually. I think this is pretty standard.

[MountainHip]

I use intelligolf to keep score during my round on my palm, then it spews out all sorts of stats.

[The Golfing Polack]

I use fairwayfiles.com. Haven't heard any other reactions to it but it used the standard USGA scoring system. A freak round of 73 last summer gives me a slightly skewed index though.

[NEOHMark]

Is doubling a 9 hole handicap really accurate though? I mean, it could go both ways and you could be more or less as accurate and consistent on the back nine (if there was one) I suppose. But to assume you would shoot exactly the same on nine more holes seems a bit sketchy to me.

I don't think it'd make much difference in my case. My rounds tend to 'cluster' around 42-45. If I doubled up my rounds and entered them as 18 hole rounds, my hcp would not change much. I agree though - it's probably not ideal as if my 9-hole hcp goes up or down one, that affects my approximation by two - a bit unrealistic.

But I play golf 9 holes at a time. As much as I love the game, I don't have 4 1/2 (or more) hours to waste on a slow-playing golf course. So for me, a 9-hole hcp really is a good indication of how I play. I suppose I could compile my 9-hole rounds as 18-holers, it'd be interesting. I only did the doubling thing so I had something to throw into my profile. I'm not all that concerned about establishing a true 18-hole hcp simply because I rarely, if ever, play 18. Interesting concept though. I think we Americans are *much* more hungup on 18-holes being the 'real' benchmark for a round of golf than the rest of the world. As I understand it, many golf courses in England, Scotland, etc. were all over the board with their layouts pre-1900. Some were 13 holes, some 15, others 6. I don't recall how the 18-hole layout became THE standard, but our golfing predecessors wouldn't think twice about going out for a quick 3 or 4 holes before dinner. I'd kind of like it if the game had a little more of that quaintness in it today.

[i-Guy]

Just in case you were wondering...here is where to find all your answers related to handicap questions http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/handicaps.html

[Jeepthrills]

Used a free calculator I found on the internet. I might actually get an official one, when I get enough 18 hole rounds in (I have too many 9 hole rounds to count, but not enough 18 holers to make an official handicap).

GAM (Golf Assoc. of Michigan) allows me to post 9 hole rounds. I only play 18 less than 10 times per year most years. If I had to wait to play 5 18 holers I would only have my handicap adjusted once per year. GAM is affiliated with the USGA and gives me an official handicap.

[lamebums]

A freak round of 73 last summer gives me a slightly skewed index though.

Sounds like what happened to me--I had 80, 82, 82, 84 at one course this year, but it was an easy one, and then at another course, I can struggle to break 100. So, I end up with a low handicap, and blow way past it on good courses.

[Thrdroc]

Well handicap is based of the best you can perform, not an overall average.