New Zealand

Handicap calculation explained

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• The course rating is calculated for each round separately for men and women based on the scores reached by the players with a current handicap. To calculate the course rating for men at least 10 valid scores per round are necesseary. Women need at least 4 valid scores.
• Calculate differentials for each round score.
• For each player, select the lowest handicap differentials from player's results history.
  • This is the number of lowest handicap differentials used out of the most recent number of rounds:
    best 2 rounds out of last 5/6, best 3 rounds out of the last 7/8, 4 out of 9/10, 5 out of 11/12, 6 out of 13/14, 7 out of 15/16, 8 out of 17/18, 9 out of 19, 10 out of 20.
  • Players who have played less than 5 rounds receive a pending handicap. Pending handicaps should not be used for competition because they will not express the player's real potential.
  • Older rounds (not within the last 20 rounds) are not used for handicap calculation.
  • Rounds older than 18 months are not used for handicap calculation.
• Average lowest handicap differentials.
• Multiply the average handicap differential by 0.96.
• Arrive at handicap index by truncating - deleting - the number(s) to the right of tenths.

Note

Handicaps with lower number of rounds (smaller than 5) will be more volatile and might not express the player's real potential. Higher number of rounds (5 – 10) will result in more accurate handicaps.