Choose the format, put in each player's Handicap Index and the tees, and see everyone's playing handicap, the team handicap or the strokes each player gets in a match. It uses the World Handicap System's recommended allowances.
Playing handicap = course handicap × handicap allowance, rounded
Rounding goes to the nearest whole number, with a half rounded up. In Great Britain and Ireland the allowance is applied to the unrounded course handicap, and team handicaps add up the unrounded shares before rounding once at the end. This calculator does the same.
Recommended allowances
These are the allowances the World Handicap System recommends. For formats with two or more percentages, the first is for the player with the lowest course handicap.
Format
Allowance
Stroke play (medal)
95%
Stableford
95%
Par or bogey
95%
Singles match play
100%
Four-ball better ball, stroke play or Stableford
85%
Four-ball better ball, par or bogey
90%
Four-ball match play
90%
Foursomes, stroke play
50%
Foursomes match play
50%
Greensomes
60% / 40%
Pinehurst or Chapman
60% / 40%
Two-person scramble
35% / 15%
Three-person scramble
30% / 20% / 10%
Texas scramble, four players
25% / 20% / 15% / 10%
Match play strokes
In match play, work out everyone's playing handicap, then the player with the lowest plays off scratch and the others get the difference. In foursomes match play, each side adds up its two course handicaps and the higher side gets half the difference.
Your playing handicap is the number of strokes you get in a particular competition. It's your course handicap for the tees you're playing, multiplied by the handicap allowance for the format, such as 95% in individual stroke play, and rounded to a whole number.
How is a Texas scramble handicap worked out?
Put the four players in order of course handicap, lowest first. Take 25% of the lowest, 20% of the next, 15% of the third and 10% of the highest, add them up and round to a whole number. Two-person scrambles use 35% and 15%, and in Great Britain and Ireland three-person scrambles use 30%, 20% and 10%.
How many shots do I get in match play?
In singles match play each player's playing handicap is their full course handicap. The lower handicap plays off scratch and the other gets the difference. In four-ball match play everyone's playing handicap is 90% of their course handicap, and the lowest of the four plays off scratch.
Does my club have to use these allowances?
They're the World Handicap System's recommendations, and most competitions use them. A committee can set its own allowance in the terms of the competition, so check the entry sheet. You can change the percentage in this calculator for the single-percentage formats.
Why does the calculator use my unrounded course handicap?
Great Britain and Ireland's guidance is to apply the allowance to the full, unrounded course handicap and round only the playing handicap. Club software does the same, so this calculator matches what you'll see on the competition sheet. Working from a rounded course handicap can be one stroke out.
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