As you start your golf journey, you will soon hear others ask what your handicap is. Many golfers share what course handicap they have or how they have been scoring on their round of golfs.
To beginners, this may sound confusing at first, but in reality, it’s easy to understand. By reading this guide from start to end, you will understand what golf handicap is and be able to explain it to your fellow golfers.
Here’s what you will learn in this article:
What is a Golf Handicap?
An official golf handicap, in its simplest form, is a way to measure a golfer’s ability to play golf. This is most commonly used to level the playing field where all players have skill level, but can still compete against each other fairly.
In the United States, the United States Golf Association (USGA) are the ones that keep a track and calculates the golf handicap index. The handicap number itself tells you the number of strokes above par, a player is expected to score in a round of golf on average. The lower the handicap of a player the better golfer he is.
The handicap is an average of the golfer’s scores from his last rounds of golf. This makes it an accurate reflection of the player’s current skill and makes it possible for players of different skills to compete against each other. Both amateurs and professionals.
On a personal level, a handicap makes it possible for players to track their individual improvement over time. Overall, as players want to improve their golfing ability, they will measure their improvement based on their handicap changes as they play more golf.
How is Golf Handicap Calculated?
So now that you know what a golf handicap is, you must be wondering how it’s calculated! We’ll explain that in this section.
First, it’s important to highlight that a new handicap is being adopted around the world which is called the World Handicap System. This is a widely adopted system and we’ll use this to explain the calculation.
To calculate your handicap index, you will first need to have a list of your most recent 20 golf round scores. These should be recorded from eligible golf rounds, either competition or casual play. You then take the average of the lowest (best) 8 golf course scores. This then gives your golf handicap based on the World Handicap System. It’s that simple!
According to Scottish Golf, if you have less than 20, but at least 3 scores available, you can still work our your official handicap. Depending on the number of scores, you adjust the score by -2 to -1 to get your golf handicap.
Using apps such as The Grint can help record scores for you and you can get it attested by your partner during the day.
Do You Need to Know Your Handicap?
It is not 100% necessary to know your golf handicap when you play. It is useful to track if you want to improve your game each month. You can still enjoy a round a golf without knowing your handicap.
Here at Golfer’s Approach, we play a round of golf without looking at our handicap. In other words, we play to have fun. But if you are looking to compete in tournaments, you’ll need to know your handicap.
How Do You Improve Your Handicap?
Hopefully, as a golfer, you always want to improve your game and golf handicap. So how do you improve it? The easiest way is to just continue to play golf regularly. You can also consider getting a better set of golf clubs to help you improve your game.
Remember that your lowest handicaps are the ones that are used for the handicap calculation. So you can also play on easier golf courses (lower slope rating) to get a better score more regularly. As you play with fewer strokes, your overall gross scores will reduce as you have lower scores to use for the average.
What is a Good Golf Handicap for Beginners?
A good handicap for beginners can vary depending on who you ask. Everyone is certain to have their own opinion! Having started playing golf regularly in the past few years and speaking to PGA pros, most agree that having a score below 30 is good for a beginner.
If you can start scoring below that and eventually below 20 you are on the right track improve your golf skills. But it’s important to remember it will take time to improve your game. Consistent coaching and practicing is the only way to improve.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it! To calculate your golf handicap, it’s just an average of the 8 lowest handicap scores in the past 20 golf course scores. Now, the next time you hear someone asking what a handicap is at your local golf course, you’ll be able to explain it to them.
Most of all, remember to have fun while playing and read our other blog posts to help you approach golfer better, to get better.
