Golf Handicap Calculator
Calculate your golf handicap index from recent scores using the World Handicap System formula.
Did this tool work for you?
How to use this calculator
A differential is calculated for each round. This tool averages the lowest one differential (or the lowest two when five rounds are entered) and takes 96% of that average. It is an estimate; official handicaps follow the governing body’s current rules.
- 1
Enter your gross score from each round.
- 2
Enter the course rating and slope rating from the scorecard (usually printed on the card).
- 3
Leave Score 2–5 as 0 to skip those rounds.
- 4
Read the estimated index. It is not an official handicap; your governing body’s current rules decide that.
Frequently asked questions
What formula does this calculator use?
This tool computes a differential for each round as (score − course rating) × 113 ÷ slope rating. It sorts the differentials, averages the lowest ones and multiplies by 0.96. With one round of 85 on a course rated 71.5 with slope 125, the differential is 12.2 and the result is 11.7.
How many rounds does it use?
Up to five. With one to four scores it averages the single lowest differential. With five it averages the lowest two, since the code uses 40% of the rounds entered, rounded up. Leave a score at 0 to skip that round.
Is the result an official handicap index?
No. It is an estimate from the method above. Official handicaps are issued under your national or regional governing body’s current rules, which can include adjustments, caps and requirements for the number of rounds that this tool does not apply. Use your club or federation for the figure that counts.
What is 113 in the formula?
113 is the slope rating of a course of standard difficulty. Dividing by the slope rating and multiplying by 113 scales your score above course rating to a common yardstick, so a round on a harder course (higher slope) produces a smaller differential for the same stroke gap.
What happens if I leave course rating or slope blank?
A course rating of 0, which is also what a cleared box becomes, is replaced by 71.5 and a slope of 0 by 125. A slope below 55 is raised to 55. These substitutions are silent, so enter the real figures from the scorecard for each round.
Can the result be negative?
Yes. A player who shoots better than the course rating gets a negative differential, and a negative average is shown with a plus sign, as golfers write it. A round of 68 on a 72.0 rated, slope 130 course produces a differential of −3.5 and an estimate of +3.3.
Does it handle nine-hole rounds or playing conditions?
No. Enter 18-hole gross scores only. There is no adjustment for weather or course conditions, no treatment of exceptional rounds and no course handicap or playing handicap conversion.
Golf handicap calculator: differentials and an estimated index
From scores to differentials
A handicap system needs a way to compare scores from courses of different difficulty. Two numbers printed on a scorecard do that: the course rating, which is the expected score of a scratch golfer, and the slope rating, which describes how much harder the course plays for a bogey golfer. The differential combines your score with both, so a 90 on a hard course and an 88 on an easy one can be compared on one scale.
| Step | Rule |
|---|---|
| 1 | Differential = (score − course rating) × 113 ÷ slope rating, for each round with a score above 0 |
| 2 | Sort differentials from lowest to highest |
| 3 | 1–4 rounds: use the lowest 1. 5 rounds: use the lowest 2 |
| 4 | Average the chosen differentials and multiply by 0.96 |
| 5 | Show to one decimal; a negative result is written with a plus sign |
Worked example: one and three rounds
The default entry, 85 on a course rated 71.5 with slope 125, gives a differential of 12.2 and an estimate of 11.7. Adding two more rounds changes things less than you might expect. A 90 on a 70.4 rated, slope 130 course gives 17.0, and an 82 on a 69.8 rated, slope 118 course gives 11.7. With three rounds the tool still uses only the lowest differential, which is 11.7, so the estimate becomes 11.2.
| Round | Score | Course rating | Slope | Differential |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 85 | 71.5 | 125 | 12.2 |
| 2 | 90 | 70.4 | 130 | 17.0 |
| 3 | 82 | 69.8 | 118 | 11.7 |
Worked example: five rounds
With five scores the calculator averages the lowest two. Rounds of 85, 88, 84, 90 and 79 are entered, the first four on the default 71.5 and 125 ratings and the last on a 70.0 rated, slope 120 course. The differentials are 12.2, 14.9, 11.3, 16.7 and 8.5. The lowest two are 8.5 and 11.3, whose average multiplied by 0.96 gives an estimate of 9.5. A scratch-plus example is also possible: 68 on a 72.0 rated, slope 130 course is −3.5, and the estimate displays as +3.3.
| Round | Differential | Used? |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.2 | No |
| 2 | 14.9 | No |
| 3 | 11.3 | Yes |
| 4 | 16.7 | No |
| 5 | 8.5 | Yes |
Why only the best scores count
Handicaps are meant to describe a golfer’s demonstrated ability, not their average day, so systems of this type draw on the better differentials in a record. This calculator follows that idea in a simplified way. Because its sample is capped at five rounds, the estimate will move noticeably with one unusually good round.
What an official index adds
Official handicap indexes are produced by governing bodies from a longer record of rounds, with their own rules for how many differentials count and for adjustments to scores. Those rules change over time, so this page does not restate them. Treat the output as a rough estimate and take the official index from your club or national association.
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Results are estimates for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional financial, medical, legal, or technical advice. Read full disclaimer →