What Is a Course Handicap in Golf?
Course Handicap: The number of strokes you receive on a specific course from a specific set of tees.
Course Handicap — full definition
The number of strokes a player receives on a specific course from a specific set of tees. Calculated as: (Handicap Index × Slope Rating / 113) + (Course Rating – Par). This adjusts your portable Handicap Index to the specific difficulty of the tees you’re playing.
Course Handicap — frequently asked
Course Handicap — what’s the formula?
- (Handicap Index × Slope Rating / 113) + (Course Rating – Par)
- Adjusts your portable Handicap Index to the specific tees you’re playing
What does a Course Handicap look like in practice?
- A 15 Handicap Index on a 140-slope course gets ~18 strokes
- The same player on a 100-slope course gets ~13 strokes
More on Course Handicap
This is the one number you need before the first tee, and Stymie has a tool that does nothing else.
- Course Handicap calculatorExactly this formula, with the tee you select.
- Tee recommendation toolBecause the answer changes with every tee box.
- Find your coursePull the rating and slope you need from the scorecard.
Other course rating terms
Course Rating
A USGA-assigned number representing the expected score for a scratch golfer under normal conditions.
Slope Rating
A number from 55 to 155 that measures how much harder a course plays for bogey golfers versus scratch golfers.
Bogey Rating
The expected score for a bogey golfer — roughly a 20-handicap (men) or 24-handicap (women).
Handicap Index
A portable measure of your playing ability that travels with you from course to course.
Playing Handicap
Your Course Handicap adjusted for the specific format of play.
Score Differential
A score that measures how well you played relative to the difficulty of the course.
Equitable Stroke Control
A rule that caps the maximum score on any hole for handicap purposes, preventing blow-up holes from wrecking your index.