The definition of love for game is different for different people. For some, good food suggests quality time with their partners, whereas love is golf handicap for some. These people tend to make themselves better and better at golf.
Loving golf is of great significance for your body’s development too. It helps one to keep his/her body always healthy, fit, and working. Not only so, but you are also engaged in a friendly competition with others. It keeps your mind and body engaged and improves your functioning in multiple ways.
But not only playing golf is enough. You need to have a detailed knowledge of golf handicaps.
This article will briefly teach you about what golf handicap is and how to apply golf handicap to improve your score.
Table of Contents
What does it mean when one says Golf Handicap?
A golf handicap is something that allows you to compete against your friends and improve yourself. It is a number that determines the ability and potential of the golfer based on their past scores. You can know how much you have progressed with the help of Golf Handicap.
Golf handicap helps to determine how good a particular golfer is. The number depicts how many extra strokes one is expected to remove from their total score on a course. The lower the handicaps, the better is the player.
The maximum range of golf handicaps for men lies between 0 to 28, women 0 to 36, and junior golfers from 29 to 54.
How to Calculate Golf Handicap?
The steps of how to apply golf handicap to calculate it is super easy if appropriately understood. The steps to do so are as follows:
Step 1: Collect your recent handicap index from the association or club you practice. Though these days there are websites and computer programs that help you estimate your golf handicap, the actual handicap index is the one that is approved by the Sports governing bodies, certified golf clubs, or the local ones.
Step 2: Calculate the slope rating. The slope rating for each set varies from course to course. So, the higher the slope rating, the more difficult the set of tees would be. The rating for the particular course can be found on the scorecard as well as through the local golf clubs.
Step 3: Divide the slope rating by 113 and multiply their result with the already collected handicap index. If it’s not a whole number, round it off to the nearest whole number possible.
Suppose the slope rating for the set is 145, and your handicap index is 10. Now divide 145 by 113 and multiply the result by 10. The ultimate result that you get is 12.83. Since the total is more than 12.50, the closest whole number would be 13.
Step 4: In case of handicap of yours is greater than 18, starting from the hardest hole, the additional strokes will be subtracted from them. For instance, if it is 20, one stroke will be deducted from all 18 holes and the rest from the 1st and the second hardest hole from the scorecard of the handicap line.
Step 5: If the Number is not a whole number, round it off to the nearest one.
Conclusion
If you have been playing golf for some time and have developed some skills, now it’s time for you to compete with other players. To do so, you need to know how to calculate and how to apply golf handicap. It might sound complex initially, but it is very easy to do if laid some focus.