Executive Women’s Golf Association

Handicaps

Why Establish a Handicap?

Monitor your improvement by tracking statsParticipate in business eventsPlay in casual games with friendsGain understanding of the Rules of GolfCompete fairly with players of differing abilities

Where do Handicaps come from?

United States Golf Association (USGA) sets the rules and regulations

You get a Handicap Index

Your EWGA Chapter or localclub issues the handicaps

A Handicap Provider Servicedoes the calculations

Key Formulas

Handicap Differential– (Score – Course Rating) x 113 / Course Slope– Round to nearest tenth. Example: 18.34 = 18.3; 22.45 = 22.5

Handicap Index– Average of 10 lowest Differentials x 0.96– Drop all digits after the tenths. Do not round.

Example: 22.567 = 22.5 Course Handicap

– (Handicap Index x Course Slope) / 113– Round to the nearest whole number

Example: 25.58 = 26; 17.45 = 17

Handicap Strokes

Your Course Handicap tells you how many strokes you will receive. Every scorecard shows the Handicap Stroke Allocation for each hole.

It will be a number between 1 & 18. For example: A player has a 28 handicap so she will receive 28

strokes, that’s one handicap stroke on every hole plus an additional stroke on the handicap holes #1 through #10.

18 strokes + 10 strokes = 28 strokes

Equitable Stroke Control (ESC)

ESC sets a maximum number of strokes that a player can post on any hole depending on the player’s Course Handicap.

Reduces high hole scores in order to make handicaps more representative of a player’s potential ability.

All scores are reduced for ESC before posting – even tournaments. There is no limit to the number of holes on which a player may adjust

their score. Important! ESC is for POSTING only. In stroke play competition or

games, players must hole out and record actual score on card.

Using ESC

Convert your Handicap Index to a Course Handicap(Index x Slope Rating) / 113 *:

(24.3 x 124) = 3,013.203,013.20 / 113 = 26.67

Round to the nearest whole number = 27* 113 is the Slope of a course of standard playing ability

Use ESC Table to find maximum strokes per hole Before posting

•Adjust any hole score above allowed maximum•Re-total score to arrive at your Adjusted Gross Score (AGS)•Post AGS to handicap record

Common Questions

How long does it take to establish a handicap?– The system requires five 18-hole scores or ten 9-hole scores to

calculate a handicap Where do I go to get a handicap?

– For EWGA GN21, must log in to EWGA Member Portal and click on Handicap

– For GHIN, must sign up in order to use the GHIN Why don’t they use all of my scores to figure out my

handicap index?– Handicap is intended to reflect you potential ability, not an average

of how you always play. It provides a built in incentive to improve.

Common Questions

Should I be posting 9-hole scores?– Yes, absolutely! 9-hole scores are automatically combined by the

system to create 18-hole scores. Scores should be posted in the order they are played.

How do I enter my handicap?– Course Name– Date Played– Number of holes played– Course & Slope Ratings for tees played– Adjusted Gross Score (based on Equitable Stroke Control)

Handicap Revisions

After posting at least 5 rounds, you must go past a revision date. A revision date is the day the handicap indexes are calculated.

Revisions are done on the 1st and 15th of every month.

You also must be in an active season in order to post. New York’s active season is April through October.

When not to post

You played less than 7 holes. The tournament restricted the clubs you used – such as an irons only

competition. When an 18 hole course is less than 3000 yards or a 9 hole course is

less than 1500 yards. A majority of the holes were not played according the Rules of Golf

such as a scramble. The area in which you played is currently in an “inactive season”.

Uncompleted holes

Post the score you most likely would have gotten had you finished.

You are the sole judge of what score you believe you would have gotten.

Always adjust these holes for ESC.

Post par plus any handicap strokes you get on that hole.

For Example: You did not play the 18th hole and it’s a par 4. You check the scorecard and find that it is the #5 handicap hole. You are a 30 handicap so you receive 2 handicap strokes on this hole. Par 4 + 2 strokes = 6You will post a 6 for this hole.

You start but do not complete a hole

You did not play every hole

More Information?

If you want more information on handicaps, please contact:

Golf Handicap Chair Director, Colleen Brady at cllnbrady@yahoo.com

EWGA Handicap Services at handicap@myewga.com USGA website at www.usga.org