Score differential calculator
Convert a round into a WHS score differential — the building block of your Handicap Index.
Score Differential
14.1
(113 / 125) × (86 − 70.4 − 0) = 14.10 → 14.1
The formula
Score Differential = (113 / Slope) × (AGS − CR − PCC)
rounded to 1 decimal place113 is the Slope Rating of a course of standard difficulty. The formula normalises every round onto the same scale, so a 78 at a tough course and an 84 at an easier one can be compared. Your Handicap Index is the average of the best 8 differentials of your last 20.
Common questions
- What is a Score Differential?
- A Score Differential is what one round contributes to your Handicap Index. Your Handicap Index is the average of the best 8 differentials from your last 20 submitted rounds. Source: USGA Rules of Handicapping 2024.
- What is the formula?
- Score Differential = (113 / Slope Rating) × (Adjusted Gross Score − Course Rating − PCC Adjustment). For 9-hole rounds, the PCC adjustment is halved. The differential is rounded to one decimal place.
- What is PCC?
- Playing Conditions Calculation. A daily, automatic adjustment of -1 to +3 strokes applied when conditions made scoring meaningfully harder or easier than expected. Most rounds have a PCC of 0. Your club's WHS portal will tell you the value for a given day.
- What is Adjusted Gross Score?
- Your gross score with each hole capped at net double bogey (par + 2 + any handicap strokes received on that hole). The cap prevents a blow-up hole from distorting your Handicap Index.
Related
Sources
- USGA Rules of Handicapping 2024, Rule 5.
- USGA — Playing Conditions Calculation explainer.
- England Golf — World Handicap System guidance.