Golf Course Handicap Calculator

About this calculator

Under the World Handicap System used by the USGA and R&A, a golfer’s Handicap Index — a portable number reflecting general playing ability — must be converted to a Course Handicap specific to the tees being played, because courses differ in difficulty. The conversion formula is Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par), where Slope Rating measures relative difficulty for a bogey golfer (113 is the neutral, average slope), and Course Rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer on that tee.

This calculation is done every time a golfer plays a different course or a different set of tees, since the same Handicap Index yields a different Course Handicap on a harder or easier layout — the number that then determines how many strokes a player gets for that specific round. Enter your handicap index along with the course’s slope rating, course rating, and par to get your Course Handicap.