What is a Handicap Index®?
You have a Handicap Index, but do you know exactly what it represents and how it's calculated?
It's not just an average of your scores, or what you should expect to shoot every round.
Your Handicap Index is a portable number that represents your demonstrated playing ability.
It is based on your past scores relative to the difficulty of the courses and tees played, as well as the playing conditions during each one of those rounds.
To calculate your Handicap Index, your 8 best Score Differentials from your most recent 20 rounds are averaged, and additional safeguards are included that:
- Prevent excessive upward movement within one year (see caps), and
- Further reduce a Handicap Index after an exceptional score is posted (see exceptional score reduction).
The following table shows how a Handicap Index is calculated for players with fewer than 20 scores in their scoring record.
Check out more on Handicap Indexes at usga.org.
Want to learn more about the World Handicap System? Check out our resource center at the button below.
About NebGolf
The Nebraska Golf Association (NebGolf), founded in 1966, is comprised of all members of public and private clubs and/or municipal or regional golf associations which utilize an approved handicap service recognized by the USGA and provided by NebGolf. Our mission is to uphold and promote the game of golf and its values to all golfers in Nebraska. Among the duties of the Association include governance of member clubs and service as their handicapping and course rating authority, conduct of state golf championships, local USGA qualifying & other notable competitions, promotion of junior golf, presentation of worthwhile educational programs and support of allied golf organizations in Nebraska. The Nebraska Golf Association is an Allied Golf Association of the USGA and carries out core services including Handicap Administration and Oversight, Course Rating, Rules of Golf and Rules of Amateur Status, Tournaments and USGA Championship Qualifiers and USGA Initiatives and Community Programs.
