Establishing a Golf HandicapFree Golf HandicapWhat is a Handicap?As you start playing golf more often, you'll inevitably get asked what your golf handicap is. It may be OK to just give a guesstimate if it comes up in casual conversation, but as you start playing in golf competitions (even in something like an office scramble), you'll need an actual number, and may find it useful to have an official USGA Handicap. If you just want the number for yourself, there are several web sites with free handicap calculators. How to Figure Golf HandicapYou'll need to have your adjusted score, the golf course rating and the golf course slope for at least five rounds. The last two should appear on your score sheet, or you can get that information by calling the golf course. As for the adjusted score, all that means is that you adhered to the maximum score allowed per hole. If your handicap is 40 or higher, that would be a 10 -- so if you wrote down an 11 or a 12 for the third hole, you'll need to adjust that downward for handicap purposes.Type all those numbers into a free online handicap calculator and it will do the math for you. Or, if you want to do it yourself, here is the golf handicap formula: Take your adjusted score and subtract the course rating, then multiply by 113 and divide by the slope rating, and multiply again by 0.96. It's just that easy! Which is why I recommend the handicap calculators.
Establish Golf HandicapYou will probably want to establish an official handicap at some point as well. If so, the first step is to find a club that participates the USGA Handicapping System. That might conjure up images of the pricey country clubs in your area, but your local muni can probably do the job just as well. Just ask them about it the next time you play, and they'll tell you what you have to do to be a part of whatever group and handicap software they know of that can help establish your handicap.Golf Handicap IndexOnce that happens, you'll need to turn in your golf scores after every round, in whatever format your group requires (some use paper, but many allow the submission of scores electronically, even remotely from home). Type in the same information noted above, and it goes into the handicap tracker.You'll receive your golf handicap index after five 18 hole rounds of golf, which will be based on the lowest golf score. As you play more, the number of rounds considered in your golf handicap calculation increases, and eventually it will be calculated based on your best 10 rounds in the last 20. That's to make sure it accurately reflects the quality of golf you are playing now. Understanding and Tracking your Handicap
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