subject: Improving In Golf Now, The Handicap [print this page] For as long as many people can remember the golf handicap system has been used as a way of evening a playing field of players who vary in skill. The handicap itself is a way of removing strokes from your own score in a way that should leave you even with any other player who is playing to their particular handicap. In golf now the handicap is the most used method of measuring a players skill.
The par of a course is number of strokes a 'scratch golfer' is expected to complete the course, a 'scratch golfer' being a player with a 0 handicap. A handicap is how many strokes over that par score you are expected to make in a round of golf.
A round played under a handicap will measure improvement over skill as the handicap itself will remove the skill difference between the players. This means if you are playing against a better overall golfer with a lower handicap you are able to win the round by playing beyond your normal skill level even if that improvement is still not up to the standards of the better golfer.
The even competition of players who vary in skill keeps a friendly and competitive attitude in the sport, by allowing a player who improves in a round to be able to beat those who may be more skilled overall. It will reward a player for improving even if they are not the best there is, as your handicap lowers you can feel that you are getting better as a golfer.
If you know the score in your last few rounds as well as the course rating you just need to subtract that score from your personal score and multiply the result by 113 to find your differential. The lowest of these differentials multiplies by 0.96 will leave you with your handicap index.
If you are aware of your own handicap index you are able to use this value to calculate your handicap on a particular course. Find the course slope and divide it by 113, once you have that number multiply it by your handicap score and you will have your handicap for that particular round.
If you are interested in calculating your score you just subtract or add the number of strokes either side of par you are. This means if you play over par you add the number of strokes over par and if you play under par you subtract the number of strokes under par. If you play to your handicap your final score should be equal to your handicap.
As a golfer you want to constantly improve your handicap, as when you are playing with another golfer your handicap is a good indication on your relative skills. It also symbolizes a consistency in you game as the lower your handicap the more regularly you play at that level. Often a single game will not indicate the real skill of a player because of luck. Which is why you should know your handicap if you go and play golf now.
