1. Handicap Differentials, Handicap Index, and Course Handicap

The USGA determines your handicap by first calculating your Handicap Differential for each round that is to be included in the Handicap Index calculation. The Handicap Differential is calculated using the following formula (the determination of the "Adjusted Score" is described in section 2 below):

Handicap Differential = (Adjusted Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Slope Rating)

The Number of Differentials used in the Handicap Index calculation is determined by the table below. You must have a minimum of five rounds in order for a Handicap Index to be calculated. The Handicap Index is calculated using the following formula (all digits after the tenths place are dropped, i.e. rounding is not used):

Handicap Index = (Sum of differentials used / Number of differentials used) x 0.96

For example, if you have played 15 rounds that are to be included in your Handicap Index, then the Handicap Differential will be calculated for those 15 rounds. Then in the Handicap Index formula above, the 6 lowest Handicap Differentials from among those 15 Handicap Differentials will be added together, then divided by 6, and multiplied by 0.96.

The Course Handicap for the course being played is then calculated from the Handicap Index using the following formula (rounded up or down, 0.5 or more is rounded upward):

Course Handicap = (Handicap Index) x (Slope Rating of Course Tees Played) / 113

2. Equitable Stroke Control

When posting scores for handicaps, you must use your Adjusted Score, which means the Raw Score adjusted downward based on the Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) table.

Use your Course Handicap in the Equitable Stroke Control table below to determine your maximum score for any hole on the course.

If you are in the process of establishing a Handicap Index, you won't yet have a Course Handicap for use in the ESC table. In that case, you should use the USGA maximum Handicap Index - 36.4 for men, 40.4 for women - to determine your Course Handicap.

3. Calculate Handicaps on the Player Edit page

The Handicap Index for a Player can be calculated by clicking the Calc Handicap(s) button on the Player Edit page. The calculated Handicap value(s) will be shown in the "Handicap Index - 18 Hole" and/or "Handicap Index - 9 Hole" fields.

Handicap Differentials are included for the current Player, and also included for any other Players that are associated with the same User Account that's associated with the current Player account.

If a Player is only using an 18 hole Handicap, then when two nine-hole scores are combined to give an 18 hole score, the Course Rating is the sum of each nine-hole Course Rating, and the Slope Rating is the average of the Slope Rating of the two nines (Note: if the average is .5, it is rounded upward to the next whole number).

From the USGA Handicap guide: "A player with only a Handicap Index playing in a nine-hole competition halves the Handicap Index and rounds the decimal upward to the nearest tenth, then converts it to a Course Handicap using the nine-hole Slope Rating ...for the tees being played".

From the USGA Handicap guide: "A nine-hole handicap, or Handicap Index (N), may be used in inter-club play against other players with nine-hole handicaps. If a competition requires a Handicap Index, a Handicap Index (N) may be doubled for 18-hole play."

4. Handicaps shown on the Main Scorecard

The main Scorecard page shows an HCP (Handicap) column that shows the Course Handicap used for the round, and the NET column will show your Course Handicap subtracted from your Adjusted Score.

The bottom row on the scorecard, labeled "Handicap", shows the ranking of the Course's holes for handicap purposes. If your course handicap is "1" then you get a stroke only on the No. 1 handicap hole. If your course handicap is "2" then you get strokes on handicap holes Nos. 1 and 2, and so on.

5. Handicaps shown on the Individual Scorecard

The Individual Scorecard page, which you can get to by clicking a Player name on the main Scorecard, shows the Adjusted Scores in the top row. The Adjusted Scores reflect any adjustments that you make to your Raw Score based on the Equitable Stroke Control table, as described in section 3 above.

For example, if your Course Handicap is 15, and your Raw Score on a hole is an 8, the Equitable Stroke Control table shows that you should record a score of 7 for that hole in the Adjusted Score field on the Scorecard.

The Net Score row is just beneath the Adjusted Score row. The Net Score row automatically calculates the Net Score from the Adjusted Score by subtracting stroke(s) from the Adjusted Score for those holes that you qualify to receive one or more strokes based on your Course Handicap.

The bottom row on the scorecard, labeled "Handicap", shows the ranking of the Course's holes for handicap purposes. If your course handicap is "1" then you get a stroke only on the No. 1 handicap hole. If your course handicap is "2" then you get strokes on handicap holes Nos. 1 and 2, and so on.