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| OUR GOLF STATS.COM The place for your golf scores and handicap Internet Based Golf League Administration |
| How Handicaps are Calculated |
Handicaps are meant to be a gauge as to how well a golfer has played in the past, in order to set a number as to how to adjust that golfer's score for the next round, in order to accurately reflect the golfer's ability. Given that, the place to start is to review how well a golfer has played in the past. So, in order to get a handicap, a golfer must play round(s) of golf. The question is "How many rounds"? The USGA says a new member must post at least 5 scores. Using www.OurGolfStats.com, we will provide a Handicap Guide for you after your first round. It is up to you how you use a Handicap Guide for only 1 or 2 rounds. Remember, accuracy of this Handicap Guide improves as you average in more rounds. Using the Handicap Guide after only a few rounds may not be appropriate - but, we do provide to you the number. Now, not every score is averaged together to provide the Handicap Guide number (or the USGA's similar concept, their Handicap Index). The USGA bases their Handicap Index on your best 10 rounds out of your last 20. We give you options as to how many rounds to average into calculating our Handicap Guide. What works best for you could very well be something like your best 6 rounds out of your last 10. OK, how do you define what your "best" round is? Is it your lowest scores? No, not necessarily. If you are always playing the same course from the same set of tees, then you can just look at your lowest scores. Remember, each set of tees at courses have been given some "ratings" that help define the difficulty of play in using them. Our handicap system uses a mathematical calculation to determine the relative difficulty of these courses and, therefore, which are your "best" rounds. An 88 on one course may be better than an 85 on another course. We figure that out for you. Now that you've got an average of the "best", is that it? The simple answer is "no". The USGA doesn't use 100% of their average; they only allow 96% of the average to figure into their Handicap Index. On our site, you have an option to use that percentage of our average, too. Or, you can choose any percentage between 80% and 100%. Choose what makes sense to you and your group. The resulting number is your Handicap Guide. We convert your Handicap Guide into your handicap by allowing more strokes to be given to you for harder courses and fewer strokes for easier courses. We present this to you in your Course Control Center of your group's personalized web page on OurGolfStats.com, providing you with a Net Score Worksheet that you can print and take to the course. See what you can achieve with a handicap. Lowest net score wins. |
