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Help and Frequently Asked Questions
Click on a topic below to be taken to the relevant questions. Click on a question to expand out the answer.Help Topics
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Handicaps
The Handicap, shown to the left of your Scorecard is why you are here. It is a measure of your potential as a golfer, a method for comparing yourself to other golfers, and a guide for your improvement over time.General Questions
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Your "Handicap index" is calculated to be independent of the course you play. It requires at least 5 scores and is the "main" number used when talking about your handicap and is independent of the course you play. It is expressed to 1 decimal place. The Handicap Index takes into account the difficulty of the golf course using two numbers: the rating and the slope. The former defines a level of difficulty for a "scratch" golfer, while the latter describes how much harder the course will play for a less skillful player (e.g. handicap 18). But, even so, inefficiencies can still arise during matches between players. The reason for this is that if the course is made a great deal narrower, it still may not pose too many problems for the scratch golfer (who hits it down the fairway straight everytime), but will certainly cause a higher handicap golfer - who may spray their shots - to have many more problems. Because a golfer's handicap (and as a result the number of strokes they give or receive) is fixed, an unfair advantage is created as a golfer playing on a harder course will give less strokes to less skillful players than they deserve. If two friends of handicaps indexes 10 & 20 play an easy/wide course (rating 67, slope 105) and then a narrow/hard course (rating 73, slope 135), the harder course will become much harder for the worse player than for the better player. Using course handicaps we can correct that difference. When the two friends play the first course, they play with course handicaps of 9 and 18, with nine shots given to the worse player. But when they play the second, they play as a 12 and a 24, with twelve shots given to the worse player. Course handicaps use the slope to correct this discrepancy, so that on harder courses less skillful players have their course handicaps adjusted by more strokes. So your course handicap is the handicap adjusted for that specific course to reflect that level of course difficulty - it is always an integer. |
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Actually, you are not supposed to delete any scores from previous years. Your scores from last year are supposed to be included in this year's calculation (if they are in the previous 20 rounds played). It's precisely for the reason that if you start over your handicap will not be as accurate with fewer scores. If you want to know what your handicap would be for just this year, we've created a feature in your personalized performance report that will enable you to calculate your handicap for just this year. Just go to the Report/Analysis page, choose the yearly summary, and select the single-year handicap option. |
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Each letter symbolizes something different. Below we review each one. The letter N indicates that you have a 9-hole handicap. You need to double it if you wish to make it comparable to an 18-hole handicap - you would do this, for example, if you were playing 18 holes. The letters L and J indicate that you have a local handicap. The USGA sets a maximum handicap for competitions, but allows clubs to track local handicaps which will be reflective of your true performance. 18-hole local handicaps are marked with an L, while 9-hole local handicaps are marked with a J. The letter R indicates that your handicap has been reduced for exceptional tournament play. The USGA handicap formula, to prevent sandbagging, compares your scores played during tournaments with your scores that are played during your normal rounds. If you play too well in tournaments (compared to your normal rounds) the formula specifies that your handicap be reduced. You won't find this on many golf sites, but we are proud to have this adjustment on MyScorecard and it is an accurate reflection of the official USGA formula. (Note that it is important therefore that you mark as tournament scores only the rounds in which you actually played in a formal tournament, not informal games with friends). |
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There is no "good" handicap per say - If you are a 16 handicap, a 15 looks pretty good. Similarly, dropping down to a 4 looks pretty good to a 5 handicap. That being said, there are several different classifications of handicaps. One divides the handicap scale into four letters: Typically A players have handicaps 12 and below. B players have handicaps between 13 and 20. C players have handicaps between 21 and 30, and D players have handicaps above 30. |
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No - the issue is that 1) you only use the best scores for your handicap, and 2) if you have less than 20 scores, less than 10 are used. For example, if you enter 13 scores, only 5 of your last 13 are used (best 40\% rather than 50\%). Included in those 5 is your best score, which is usually much lower than your average. As a result, your handicap is skewed downwards. As a result, the average of your best 5 scores is usually significantly lower than your overall average. Also note that we are calculating your index, which is a course-independent measure. If you click on the number displaying your handicap, you will be taken to our course handicap page, which will display your handicap on all the courses you have played. Because often these are harder courses, your course handicap will be higher. As you play more games, more scores will be used to calculate your handicap and you should see it rise. If you have any other questions, please do not hesitate to contact us. |
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The Plain English Answer: Yes. The USGA has two "requirements" for a handicap to be official. The first is the calculation, and the handicap you receive on MyScorecard conforms to official guidelines and is the correct handicap. The second is what the USGA calls "group cohesion," and it means that you need to be part of a local group/club that is recognized by the USGA and conforms to its requirements. MyScorecard has these clubs on its web site, and we let you join these clubs easily and at no extra charge, in the same way you would join a club formed by one of your friends on the site - in fact, we also help you form them if you are interested in running your own official club (for friends, other MyScorecard members, or both). If you are part of one of these clubs on MyScorecard, you then meet both requirements, and yes your handicap is official (your club will be listed on the USGA web site). The USGA Jargon Answer: MyScorecard offers official handicaps to members who are part of an Official USGA Club formed on its web site. There is no additional charge for forming or being a member of such clubs. MyScorecard allows the formation of "type 2" golf clubs (which we call "private," and is a club without real estate formed by members with pre-existing affiliation), or members can form or join a "type 3" golf club (which we call "open," and is a club without real estate, with recruiting through solicitation to the general public in a specific area like greater Chicago). MyScorecard facilitates the Official Club formation, application, peer review, group cohesion and maintenance process through its Web Site, and enables the club to issue Official USGA handicap cards to club members (you can print them out straight from the web site). Official clubs are recognized by the USGA, and are listed on the USGA web site. Official Clubs must adhere to USGA rules and requirements, including that of handicap committee, peer review, and group cohesion. You can form or join an official club by pressing the Clubhouse link in the navigation bar, and then selecting Find Clubs or Create Clubs link. For more on official USGA handicap requirements, please visit the USGA web site at www.usga.org. |
| Detailed explanations of the handicap formula, slope, rating, and other handicap related information can be found in the Handicap Decoded section of the Knowledge Center |
Handicap Calculation
| The traditional maximum handicap was set at 36.4 for men, and 40.4 for women (18.2 and 20.2 for 9-hole handicaps). Anything above that number is considered a "local handicap" and appears with an L (for 18-hole handicaps) or a J (for 9-hole handicaps). MyScorecard.com will calculate a local handicap up to 50. |
| Because a handicap tries to capture a true view of your potential, you need a minimum of five golf scores for it to be calculated . Once you enter in those five, you should see a number in the handicap box. If you have five scores and still don't have a handicap, send us an email at feedback@myscorecard.comand we will investigate the problem immediately. |
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Not necessarily. With five scores entered in your Scorecard, your handicap is calculated with only the best score (the one with the star next to it). This score is the top 16% of your scores entered. When you have twenty scores, your handicap is calculated with the best 10, or 50% of the scores you entered. Most of the time, the best 16% will be lower than the best 50%, and so your handicap will be correct, but low. As you play more games, more scores will be used in the handicap calculation and it will most likely rise. If your handicap seems completely out of range (in the 60's or 80's), it may be possible that the slope or rating numbers were incorrect. If this is the case, you should revisit the course scorecard or send us an email at feedback@myscorecard.com. |
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According to the USGA handicap formula, your best 10 of your last 20 scores are used to calculate your handicap. But if you have less than 20 scores, then formula dictate that less than then ten are used. With 5 scores, only your best score is used. As you enter more scores, more are used until your best reach 20, and your best 10 are used. |
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Your ten best "adjusted" scores are used to calculate your handicap. The adjustments are made using the slope and rating. So, if you play on both harder and easier courses, the scores that are used for your handicap (denoted by the gold stars) may not be your lowest. Your adjusted scores are called "differentials" and can be shown by choosing to track the differential as a statistic. For more information on differentials and the handicap formula, please see the Handicaps Decoded section of the Knowledge Center. |
The Score to Lower
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We define the score to lower as the score needed to lower your handicap to the next lower integer (rounded). So, if your handicap is a 20.6 (rounded to 21) your "lower handicap" is defined as 20.4. Similarly, if your handicap is 21.4 (also rounded to 21) your "lower handicap" is also defined as 20.4. Note that the Score to Lower is different than your Target Score. Your Target Score is defined as the score a golfer of your course handicap should shoot on a good day (not average, but good). If you shoot better than your target score, your handicap should decrease, but it may only be by a small amount, and not to the next lower integer. |
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We define the score to lower as the score needed to lower your handicap to the next lower integer (rounded). So, if your handicap is a 20.6 (rounded to 21) your "lower handicap" is defined as 20.4. Similarly, if your handicap is 21.4 (also rounded to 21) your "lower handicap" is also defined as 20.4. Note that the Score to Lower is different than your Target Score. Your Target Scoreis defined as the score a golfer of your course handicap should shoot on a good day (not average, but good). If you shoot better than your target score, your handicap should decrease, but it may only be by a small amount, and not to the next lower integer. |
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Because the score to lower is forward looking, we make several assumptions about the course difficulty (we average the slope and rating of your past games) for the next game you play. If the actual course you play is significantly easier than those that you have played in the past, you will need a lower score on this course to decrease your handicap. Alternatively, if you play a more difficult course, a higher score will lower your handicap. The exact scores to lower that you will need for each specific course you have played are listed on the Score to Lower page. |
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Yes, it is possible and is dependent upon how we calculate the score to lower. We define the score to lower as the score needed to lower your handicap to the next lower integer (rounded). So, if your handicap is a 20.6 (rounded to 21) your "lower handicap" is defined as 20.4. Similarly, if your handicap is 21.4 (also rounded to 21) your "lower handicap" is also defined as 20.4. If your handicap is 12.4 (rounded to 12), that means the score is the score you need to lower your handicap to 11.4 (rounded to 11), which also means you need to lower each of your best 10 scores (used to calculate your handicap) by 1 stroke each - which is the same to say you need to add 1 score that is 10 strokes less than your average. Thus, is the average of your best 10 scores is 86 or 87, then you need to shoot a 76 or 77 to lower your handicap to the next lower integer. In addition, if one of the scores that is used to calculate your handicap (marked with a star) is the 20th score, then you need to make up for the difference between that score and the average. Or, if you have less than 20 scores, fewer than 10 (marked with a star) are used to calculate your handicap - and when you add a score you will take into account a greater number of scores. That additional score will most likely be higher than your average, and so you will need to make up for that increase as well. Together these can further reduce the score you need to shoot. Be reassured, however, that you do not need to lower your handicap to the next lower integer in one round - a good score can serve to lower your handicap slightly and at the same time raise the "score to lower" for future rounds.We denote that as your "target" score, which you can find on your course handicap page and is much more reasonable. |
Using Your Handicap
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You first need to determine your course handicaps for the course you are playing. You can do so by clicking on the "course handicap" icon below your Scorecard. Once you have your course handicaps, subtract the smaller one from the larger one. This is the number of strokes the less skillful player receives. For example, if player A has a course handicap of 10, and player B of 18, then player A will give player B 8 strokes. Player B will receive one stroke on the 8 hardest holes - the holes marked 1 through 8 on the HCP line of the course scorecard. It is important that you calculate and give strokes this way to ensure a fair competition. Note that if, in a different example, player B were to receive 20 strokes from player A, player B would receive 2 strokes on the 2 hardest holes, and 1 stroke on the other 16 (totaling 20 strokes). |
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If two golfers are competing from different tees you cannot simply compare course handicaps. You must make an additional adjustment. An extra adjustment is made because course handicaps only take into account the difference in slopes - but when you play from a different set of tees, you must take into account the difference course ratings as well. This extra adjustment is made by taking the difference in course ratings (rounded to the nearest integer) and adding that to the course handicap of the player playing from the harder tees. For example, say player A has a course handicap of 10 from the white tees and 12 from the blues, and player B has a course handicap of 15 from the white tees and 18 from the blues. If they both played the whites player B would receive 5 shots (15-10), and from the blues, 6 shots (18-12). But, if A played from the blues and B played from the whites, B would not receive 3 shots (15-12). You would take the the difference in course ratings (71.2 for blue - 69.1 for white = 2.1, rounded to 2) and add that to the course handicap of the golfer playing the harder tees (the blue tees) - player A's course handicap becomes 12+2=14. Now the difference in course handicaps is taken to get the total number of strokes given. Player A would give Player B 15-14=1 stroke only. |
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You can email your handicap to friends by clicking on the email handicap icon below your scorecard. As well, your friends can confirm your handicap any time by using our peer review feature, located by pressing the blue peer review button at the top of our main sign in page. There visitors can look up your scores, handicap (and if official, handicap card) by entering your username, or your name and state. |