Calculate your approximate golf handicap index based on your recent scores. Enter your scores along with the course rating and slope rating to get your handicap differential and estimated index. Uses a simplified version of the USGA World Handicap System.
A golf handicap is a number representing your playing ability — specifically, the strokes above par you typically shoot on courses of standard difficulty. Lower is better. A "scratch" golfer has a handicap of 0; the average male handicap is about 14, and the average female handicap is about 27. The handicap exists so golfers of different skill levels can compete on equal terms: in match play, the higher-handicap player gets strokes equal to the difference.
This calculator estimates your handicap index using a simplified version of the USGA / R&A World Handicap System (WHS), which became the global standard in 2020. Enter recent scores along with the course rating and slope rating from each scorecard, and the calculator returns your handicap differentials and an estimated handicap index.
This is an estimate, not an official handicap. Official handicaps require posting scores through an authorized golf association (USGA in the U.S. via GHIN, R&A elsewhere) on rated courses, and the WHS algorithm uses your best 8 differentials from your most recent 20 rounds. With fewer than 20 rounds, the system uses fewer differentials by a published table.
5 recent scores: 92, 88, 95, 90, 87 Course rating 72.0, slope 125 Lowest differential: ~13.6 Estimated handicap: 13.6 This player would receive about 14 strokes in a match against a scratch golfer.
5 scores: 105, 110, 102, 108, 99 Course rating 71.5, slope 125 Lowest differential: (99−71.5)×113/125 = 24.86 Estimated handicap: 24.9 The cap on handicap index is 54.0 for both men and women under the WHS, so even very high scores produce a usable handicap.
Use this for casual handicap tracking, evaluating tournament eligibility, or seeing where you stand relative to other amateurs. For official tournament play, USGA-handicap or R&A-handicap status is required and is established only through scores posted via an authorized service.
The full WHS algorithm includes additional adjustments this calculator doesn't apply: - Soft cap (5-stroke cushion above your low index) - Hard cap (8-stroke max above low index) - Exceptional Score Reduction (downward adjustment after very low scores) - Net Double Bogey adjustment per hole
For the actual computation, use a USGA GHIN account (in the U.S.) or your national golf association's service.
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Found on the scorecard, typically 67-77
Found on the scorecard, typically 100-150
Handicap Index
13.6
Skill Level
Good
Avg Score
90.4
| Round | Score | Differential |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 92 | 18.1 |
| 2 | 88 | 14.5 |
| 3 | 95 | 20.8 |
| 4 | 90 | 16.3 |
| 5 | 87 | 13.6 |
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Average Score | 90.4 |
| Course Rating | 72.0 |
| Slope Rating | 125 |
| Best Differential | 13.6 |
| Differentials Used | Best 1 of 5 |
| Handicap Index | 13.6 |
| Skill Level | Good |