What is handicap and how does it work in golf?

Question

do you need a higher handicap or lower handicap

Answer 1

Handicaps are not based on a course par (say 70, 71 or 72), they are based on the course's rating.  A golf course may have a rating of 69.3, 72.4, or 67.3.  Not all golf courses are the same level of difficulty; some tracks are tougher than others.  A handicap cannot be based on par because one par 72 course may be a lot easier than another.

Two courses could be par 72 but one have a rating of 67.5 and the other 73.3.  That would make a huge difference in determing your handicap.

Answer 2

A handicap is based on the course rating and how many shots a golfer would need to break even with par. The rating is not the par of the course but how difficult the course plays. A handicap can not only give strokes to golfers but take away strokes for better players who tend to shoot under par.  In most cases when you join a system that keeps your scores it will take 5 to 10 rounds to determine where you stand. Then as you continue to enter scores it will adjust. I believe if you are keeping your scores correctly you should only shoot your handicap 2 or 3 times a year. This is because when you do shoot your lowest scores your handicap will adjust which makes it harder to acheive.

Answer 3

a handicap is not your average score but the average of your 10 best of your last 20 scores.  Answerers above are correct that it is not based on par but on the course rating.  The course rating is usually listed on the scorecard and varies greatly from course to course and also from 1 set of tees to another. You would typically only shoot to your handicap only 1 of 4 times you golf.  To play a match with someone you usually subtract the lower handicappers (better golfer) handicap from the higher handicap and that is the number of stokes the higher handicapper gets from the lower for 18 holes.  The strokes would be given on the hardest hole first and backwards to the easiest.  This rating is also listed on the scorecard.  Example if you are a 20 handicap and you are playing a 16 handicap you get 1 stroke on each of the 4 hardest holes.

Answer 4

Well so far nobody answered it totally correct.  The difference between what you shoot and the course rating is called a "differential".  You enter all your scores as you play, your handicap is derived by taking the lowest 10 differentials out of your last 20 scores.  The ten are averaged, then multiplied by .96.  This number is your handicap index.  You then go to the chart at your local course and based on your index see what your handicap is for each set of tees.  If your course has a computerized system, it will calculate both your index and your course handicap for that "home" course.  The reason you want an index is so that you can go to other courses and based on how difficult they are your handicap will automatically be adjusted up or down based on your index.

Answer 5

your average number over par at the end of a round for yourself

I am a 23 handicap

I usually shoot around 95 on a par 72 course:

95-72=23

Answer 6

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golf_handic...

The lower the handicap the better If you dont need an handicap youre called a "scratch" golfer

Answer 7

Handicap is a number a player is over par on average.

Well when you join local golf tournaments, it is obvious that all players are not on the same playing level. So lets say we're in a golf tournament and Player A has a handicap of 15 and player B  has a handicap of 30.

Player A shoots an 85 and Player B shoots 99. Now in a tournament using handicaps you would deduct the handicap from the score, which is called NET score. So Player A would have a NET score of 85-15=70 and Player B would have a NET score of 99-30=69. Player B would win with his handicap and the tournament even though Player A really shot a lower, better score.

You can get your handicap by averaging out your score so lets say your scoring over a month was - 80,85,87,81,86,78,84,90,82=753/9=83.67 would be your average score.

Now if all score came on the same course par 72, on average you would be 12 shots over. You handicap would be 12.

The lower your handicap the better player you are. Scratch golfers are on a professional level and great players.

Tiger Woods is like a -3.5.

Answer 8

Handicap is your average score over par for 18 holes.

The lower the better.

Scratch golfers do not have a handicap, meaning there average is under par.

Answer 9

Check out the handicap section on the usga site to get all of the details: http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/ha...

Answer 10

and you find it by sudtracting par from your average strokes a round