What do you mean by a handicap in golf?

Question

What do you mean by a handicap in golf?

Answer 1

A handicap is a how many shots average you are over par. So say you where a 20 handicap playing on a 72 par golf course then you would have to hit 92 shots to play to your handicap. Anything under you would be playing well. Anything over then not so well.

The lower the handicap the better

Answer 2

Handicap is a way of rating golfers by their scores much like bowlers.  You can play a match against someone with completely different skills than you and still have a fair match.  The handicap is based on course rating not necessarily par.  Your handicap is expressed as a number.  I am an 8 handicap and on my home course my average score is an 83.  The handicap number is derived by averaging your 10 best scores out of your last 20. Your handicap would be less than your average score.

Answer 3

A basic answer would be ..

If player A was an 18 handicap playing against player B who was a 12 Handicap, Player B would give 6 shots if he played against player A in a heads up match.

It is a bit more complex than his because you arent given a handicap, but a handicap index. This index is given an amount of stokes based on a courses slope and rating. If player A was a 6.8 index, they may get 4-9 shots based on these factors.

Its a system that attempts to equal the playing field and allow any two golfers to match up evenly.

Answer 4

The handicap system was developed as a way that players of different skill levels could compete against each other and have a fairly even match.  Players turn in all their scores to the handicap committee (or now usually a software program) and you are assigned a handicap number derived from what you normally score.  The better skilled player has a lower handicap number than the less skilled, and the higher handicaper gets to subtract strokes from his score to even their match.

Answer 5

you sit on a wheelchair and play golf. very odd but i suppose in the future they will make handicapped sports where everyone can participate so they can feel what it feels like to be handicapped.

they have handicapped bathrooms and walkways.

it will only spread