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Course handicap calculator
Your Handicap Index is the same everywhere; the strokes you get are not. Put in the Slope Rating, Course Rating and par of the tee you play today and Morris gives you your Course Handicap, your Playing Handicap for the format and the strokes hole by hole.
And how many shots do you get on your course?
Ask MorrisBy Morris, by Badgie Golf · Updated
2 · Course Handicap and Playing Handicap on the day
The tee you play from has its own Course Rating, Slope and par. The format sets the allowance (Appendix C).
Put in the course's Slope, Course Rating and par to get your Course Handicap.
Three numbers from the scorecard, one from your federation
- 1
Your Handicap Index
The number your federation or club app shows. It does not change from course to course, which is the whole point of the system. If you do not have one yet, part 1 of the calculator builds it from your rounds.
- 2
Slope Rating of your tee
Printed on the scorecard or the tee sign, next to the tee colour. It runs from 55 to 155; 113 is standard. A higher Slope means a tougher course for a golfer who is not scratch, and more strokes for you.
- 3
Course Rating and par of that tee
Course Rating is the score a scratch golfer is expected to make from that tee, to the tenth, for example 70.8. Subtract par and add the difference, which can be negative, to the Slope part.
- 4
The format's allowance
For the Playing Handicap. Individual stroke play and Stableford use 95%; individual match play uses 100%; four-ball stroke play uses 85%.
Two tees, one player (a made-up course)
Same golfer, Index 12.0, on an invented course with two tees. The numbers are an illustration, not a real course: read the real ones from your scorecard.
| Forward tee | Back tee | |
|---|---|---|
| Slope Rating | 125 | 138 |
| Course Rating | 70.8 | 74.5 |
| Par | 71 | 72 |
| 12.0 × Slope ÷ 113 | 13.27 | 14.65 |
| Course Rating − par | −0.2 | +2.5 |
| Course Handicap | 13 | 17 |
| Playing Handicap, 95% (Stableford) | 12 | 16 |
Four more strokes from the back tee for the same Index. That is the reason to check the tee before the first drive: the card you wrote down last month may belong to another tee. The Playing Handicap is worked from the unrounded Course Handicap (13.07 × 0.95 = 12.42, which rounds to 12) and rounded once at the end.
Why a scratch golfer can get strokes
Your Index is built from differentials against the Course Rating, but strokes are handed out against par. When the two differ, the formula bridges them with the last term. On a par 72 with a Course Rating of 74.5, a 0.0 Index gets a Course Handicap of 3 because the course is rated 2.5 strokes harder than par. It is not a gift: a scratch golfer is expected to shoot about 74.5 there, and the 3 strokes bring that back to roughly par net.
What to do with the number
Strokes only help if you know where you lose them. Morris looks for the one thing: the hole type that costs you most, the club you avoid, the swing fault behind the ball flight. On WhatsApp he keeps your rounds and your Index; the free swing analyzer finds one cause on video. The Index itself, with the lowest 8 of 20 rounds, is on the golf handicap calculator, and the net games are on the Stableford page.
Sources
- The R&A — Rules of Handicapping, Rule 6: Course Handicap and Playing Handicap Calculation — What the Course Handicap and the Playing Handicap are for. Read 17 October 2026.
- USGA — FAQs: Calculate Course Handicap and Playing Handicap — The formula Index × (Slope ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − par); the unrounded Course Handicap is the one the Playing Handicap is built from. Read 17 October 2026.
- USGA — Rules of Handicapping, Appendix G: The Golf Course, Course Rating and Slope Rating — Slope Rating from 55 to 155, 113 for standard difficulty. Read 17 October 2026.
- USGA — Rules of Handicapping, Appendix C: Handicap Allowances — Recommended allowances: 95% individual stroke play, 100% individual match play, 85% four-ball stroke play. Read 9 October 2026.
Course handicap questions
How do I calculate my course handicap?
Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − par). All three course numbers are for the tee you are playing, and they are printed on the scorecard or the tee sign. With an Index of 12.0 on a tee with Slope 125, Course Rating 70.8 and par 71: 12.0 × 125 ÷ 113 = 13.27, minus 0.2 = 13.07, so a Course Handicap of 13.
What is Slope Rating, and why is 113 in the formula?
Slope Rating says how much harder the course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. It runs from 55 to 155, and 113 is a course of standard difficulty. Above 113 you get more strokes than your Index, below 113 fewer. At exactly 113 the Slope part of the formula changes nothing.
Why does the formula add Course Rating minus par?
Because your Index is measured against Course Rating (what a scratch golfer is expected to shoot), while strokes are given against par. If the Course Rating is 74.5 on a par 72, even a scratch golfer is expected to be 2.5 over par, so a 0.0 Index gets a Course Handicap of 3 on that tee. When the Course Rating is below par the term is negative and takes strokes away.
What is the difference between Course Handicap and Playing Handicap?
The Course Handicap converts your Index to the tee you play. The Playing Handicap applies the format's allowance to it: the recommended 95% for individual stroke play and Stableford, 100% for individual match play and 85% for four-ball stroke play. A competition can set its own allowance, so the conditions of the competition decide.
Is my course handicap the same on every tee?
No. Every tee has its own Course Rating, Slope Rating and sometimes par, and a tee can carry different ratings for men and for women. Playing from a longer tee gives you more strokes, from a shorter tee fewer. Use the numbers for the tee and the player category you are actually playing.
How do I know which holes my strokes fall on?
Each hole has a stroke index (1 to 18) on the scorecard. With a Playing Handicap of 22 you get a stroke on every hole and a second one on the holes with stroke index 1 to 4. The calculator below shows it hole by hole once you put in the course numbers.
Your handicap, on your course
Morris tells you how many shots you get on any course, from any tees, and keeps an eye on your index as it moves.
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