# American handicapping system...



## Big Hobbit (Nov 2, 2010)

...exactly how does it work? What little I've managed to garner off the t'interweb it seems to be the best 10 rounds from the last 20 but I can't figure in the Slope Rating. Do you multiply the round by the Slope Rating and then do the best 10 from 20?

Over here its put in 3 cards and with a shake of pixie dust you get a handicap. It is a little more complicated than that and it involves ignoring anything more than a double bogey. Typically, if it averages 15, after the calculation you're more likely to be closer to 12.

After that its broken down into divisions, Cat 1 up to 5, Cat 2 6-12, Cat 3 13-18, Cat 4 19-28. If you are a Cat 3, maybe playing off 15, and you shoot 5 under your handicap, the calculation would be 5x0.3=1.5 off your handicap. That would give you an actual handicap of 13.5, which would round up to a playing handicap of 14. If in your next comp you shoot 1 under, then its 1x0.3=0.3 off giving you an actual handicap of 13.2 and a playing handicap of 13.

If in your next comp you shoot a 3 over nett, your score would fall into the 3 shot buffer zone and your handicap wouldn't budge. The buffer for Cat 1 is 1 shot, 2 shots for Cat 2, 3 shots for Cat 3 and 4 shots for Cat 4. However, if you shot over the buffer it doesn't matter by how many, you only get 0.1 back. So the 13.2 goes to 13.3 and you still play off 13.

I'm guessing that the U.S. version is more complicated than just 10 from 20 as this would see me off 3.2 as opposed to the current actual of 6.2 - although its a pretty tough windblown links course that might have a tough Slope Rating(?).


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## Fourputt (Nov 18, 2006)

First you take the differential of the best 10 of your last 20 rounds - that is the difference between the course rating and your score. 

Differential= adjusted gross score minus course rating times 113 divided by the course slope. Your gross score is adjusted under Equitable Stroke Control based on your course handicap for the course played.

The best 10 differentials are averaged. Calculating the differentials is dependent on the rating and slope of each course and tees played. Once that is determined then that number is is plugged into another formula to determine your handicap index. that index is then applied to a chart for a given course to determine your course handicap, or what you would use in a competition on that particular course.

It seems complex, but most courses have a computer that figures your index, and they have a course specific chart or computer which can tell you what that index translates to for course handicap.


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## jamesleo629 (Nov 27, 2012)

*American handicapping system*

The information regarding the American handicapping system is really worth learning for new golfers.


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## Big Hobbit (Nov 2, 2010)

Fourputt said:


> First you take the differential of the best 10 of your last 20 rounds - that is the difference between the course rating and your score.
> 
> Differential= adjusted gross score minus course rating times 113 divided by the course slope. Your gross score is adjusted under Equitable Stroke Control based on your course handicap for the course played.
> 
> ...


Rick, please could you do me an example. I sort of follow what your saying but it appears that you have a different handicap depending on which course you're playing.


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