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Golf Handicap Calculator

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Enter your score along with the course's rating and slope to find your handicap differential for that round.

Golf Handicap Calculator

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Handicap differential
18.1
Your official handicap index averages your best differentials from recent rounds - this calculates one round's differential.

The formula

Handicap differential = (Score - Course rating) x 113 / Slope rating
Example

A score of 92 on a course rated 71.5 with a slope of 128: differential = (92 - 71.5) x 113 / 128 ≈ 18.1.

Step-by-step guide

  1. Enter your score for the round.
  2. Enter the course rating and slope rating, both posted on the scorecard or course website - these describe the course's difficulty for a scratch and bogey golfer respectively.
  3. Read your handicap differential for that round.

Why 113 is the constant in this formula

113 represents the slope rating of a course of "standard" difficulty - it's the reference point the entire slope system is built around. A slope rating above 113 means a course plays harder than standard for higher-handicap players relative to scratch players, and dividing by that higher number appropriately reduces the differential, recognizing that a given score on a tougher course reflects better play than the same score on an easier one.

Common mistakes

Using the wrong tee's course rating and slope - these values are specific to each set of tees on a course, not a single number for the whole course.
Treating a single round's differential as your full handicap index - an official handicap index is calculated from an average of your best several differentials across your most recent rounds, not just one round.

Frequently asked questions

What's the difference between course rating and slope rating?

Course rating estimates the score a scratch (zero-handicap) golfer would shoot on that course. Slope rating measures relative difficulty for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer - a higher slope means the course is disproportionately harder for higher-handicap players.

How is my official handicap index actually calculated?

The official World Handicap System averages a set number of your best recent differentials (the exact count depends on how many rounds you have on file), not a simple average of every round - this calculator gives you the raw differential input to that larger calculation.

Where do I find course rating and slope for my course?

Both are typically printed directly on the scorecard for each set of tees, and are also often listed on the course's official website or booking platform.

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