Par Card Tools
WHS handicap calculator
Enter your recent 18-hole scores with the course rating and slope rating of the tees you played. The calculator turns each round into a score differential, picks the ones the World Handicap System counts, and gives you a handicap index. Then convert that index into a course handicap for the tees you are playing next.
1. Your handicap index
List rounds oldest first; only the most recent 20 count. Course rating and slope are printed on the scorecard for each set of tees. PCC is the playing conditions calculation, usually 0.
Enter at least 3 rounds.
2. Your course handicap
Use the tees you are about to play. Enter a plus handicap index with a plus sign, such as +1.5.
Enter an index, slope, course rating and par.
How the calculation works
Handicap index = average of your lowest differentials (see table), rounded to 0.1, capped at 54.0
Course handicap = Handicap index × (Slope rating ÷ 113) + (Course rating − Par)
With fewer than 20 scores in your record, the World Handicap System averages fewer differentials and trims a little off the smallest records so an early index is not too generous.
| Scores in record | Differentials used | Adjustment |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Lowest 1 | −2.0 |
| 4 | Lowest 1 | −1.0 |
| 5 | Lowest 1 | 0 |
| 6 | Average of lowest 2 | −1.0 |
| 7–8 | Average of lowest 2 | 0 |
| 9–11 | Average of lowest 3 | 0 |
| 12–14 | Average of lowest 4 | 0 |
| 15–16 | Average of lowest 5 | 0 |
| 17–18 | Average of lowest 6 | 0 |
| 19 | Average of lowest 7 | 0 |
| 20 | Average of lowest 8 | 0 |
What this calculator leaves out. It uses the score you enter as your adjusted gross score, so apply any net double bogey limits yourself first. It does not apply the exceptional score reduction or the soft and hard caps that limit how fast an official index can rise. An official index comes from your club or national association under the Rules of Handicapping, so it can differ from the number here.
Frequently asked questions
How is a handicap index calculated?
Each round becomes a score differential: 113 divided by the slope rating, multiplied by your adjusted gross score minus the course rating and any playing conditions calculation. Your handicap index is the average of the lowest 8 differentials from your most recent 20 rounds, rounded to one decimal and capped at 54.0.
How many rounds do I need for a handicap index?
Three 18-hole scores. With fewer than 20, the World Handicap System averages fewer differentials: the lowest 1 with 3 to 5 scores (minus 2.0 with 3 scores and minus 1.0 with 4), the lowest 2 with 6 to 8 (minus 1.0 with 6), the lowest 3 with 9 to 11, and so on up to the lowest 8 of 20.
What is the difference between a handicap index and a course handicap?
Your handicap index is portable and describes your ability on a course of standard difficulty. Your course handicap is the number of strokes you receive on the tees you are playing today: handicap index multiplied by slope rating divided by 113, plus course rating minus par, rounded to a whole number.
Is this an official handicap?
No. An official handicap index is issued by your club or national golf association. This calculator does not apply net double bogey adjustments, the exceptional score reduction, or the soft and hard caps, so an official index can differ from the number shown here.
Skip the spreadsheet
Par Card calculates a WHS-style handicap index from the 18-hole rounds you score from a tee with a course rating and slope, and charts it on the free stats dashboard next to your scoring average. Scoring is free forever.