How to Explain a Handicap in Golf
If two golfers are not of equal ability, using a handicap index can help even the competition. But what exactly is a golf handicap?
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Instructions
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You can get a handicap index from the United States Golf Association by turning in 10 scores or more from your home golf course. The handicap index is a number assigned to your game that explains how many shots you are away from shooting par. If par on a course is 72 and you regularly shoot 85, your handicap would be about 10 or 11. It would not be 13 because your handicap represents about 75 to 80 percent of the number you regularly shoot above par.
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Find the difference between your handicap and your opponent's. If yours is 10 and his is five, his score would be expected to be five strokes better than yours over an 18-hole round. Subtract five strokes from your score to get the benefit of your handicap. If he shot a 79 and you shot an 83, you would win the match because your net score would be 78.
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Use your handicap in match-play competition. If you have a handicap of 10 and your opponent has a handicap of 2, you would get one stroke from your competitor on the course's eight most difficult holes. This is determined by the ranking of the holes in terms of difficulty, which is found on the scorecard. Under each hole on the scorecard, you will see the distance of the hole, the par for the hole and a handicap number. That handicap number ranks the holes on the course from the most difficult to the easiest. The most difficult hole gets a 1 and the easiest gets an 18.
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Strive to lower your handicap. Some players don't report all their scores so their handicap will remain high, thus making it easier to win. But these will soon gain reputations as dishonest golfers who "sandbag" in order to keep a handicap high.
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Use your handicap when in a competitive tournament or match. But when you're playing a friendly match with coworkers or friends, leave out the handicaps unless you've talked about it beforehand. Using a handicap almost always makes the round of golf overly competitive.
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Tips & Warnings
Keep an honest scorecard and report all of your scores to the USGA to get a fair handicap.
