Playing handicap calculator
Apply the correct WHS handicap allowance for the format you're playing. Pulls from Appendix C of the Rules of Handicapping.
Course handicap
Playing Handicap
17
round(CH × 95%)
Find the allowance for your format
Select the game you are actually playing, then enter each player's Course Handicap. The event organizer or national association may set different terms, so confirm the allowance before submitting a competition card.
- Four-ball or better ball handicap: choose four-ball stroke play or match play. Each golfer calculates their own Playing Handicap.
- Foursomes or alternate-shot handicap: enter both partners' Course Handicaps. The calculator applies the combined team allowance.
- Greensomes handicap: enter both partners' Course Handicaps. The lower and higher figures are weighted separately.
- Scramble team handicap: choose a team size here, or use the dedicated scramble calculator for a player-by-player breakdown.
WHS handicap allowance table
| Format | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Singles stroke play | 95% |
| Singles Stableford / par / bogey | 95% |
| Four-ball stroke play (better ball) | 85% |
| Four-ball match play | 90% |
| Foursomes (alternate shot) stroke play | 50% (combined) |
| Greensomes stroke play | 60% lower / 40% higher |
| Scramble — 2 players | 35% lower / 15% higher |
| Scramble — 4 players | 25% / 20% / 15% / 10% |
Source: USGA Rules of Handicapping 2024, Appendix C. Some clubs adopt local variations; the figures above are the WHS recommended defaults.
Common questions
- What is a Playing Handicap?
- Playing Handicap is the strokes you actually use in a competition. It's your Course Handicap multiplied by a format-specific allowance, rounded to a whole number. The allowance equalises expected scores across formats and handicap levels.
- Why are there different allowances?
- Different formats give higher-handicap players more or less of an advantage. Stroke play uses 95%, four-ball stroke play uses 85% because two-ball formats reward variance, foursomes uses 50% because both players contribute every shot, scrambles use 25-35% because the team gets to pick the best shot. Source: USGA Rules of Handicapping 2024, Appendix C.
- Where does the 95% singles allowance come from?
- It was set after the USGA and R&A modelled millions of rounds. A 95% allowance gives a player with a high handicap roughly the same expected net score as a low-handicap player over a season.
- Do I round before or after applying the allowance?
- Apply the allowance to the unrounded Course Handicap, then round the result to the nearest whole number. (.5 rounds up.)