USGA handicapping system- information for new members

As we have a lot of members with new handicaps we thought we should explain how the system works. Your handicap is calculated by getting the average of your best 10 cards out of your last 20 and then multiplying it by 0.96. However as a new member you will not have played 20 rounds yet.

 

When your handicap is established three artificial scores are created. All the same values e.g 20.1, 20.1 and 20.1 to make up your official handicap of 20.1 then you play your first round and your handicap is then recalculated according to the table below.

 

Number of Scores in Player’s Scoring Record	Handicap Differentials to be Used in the Calculation
3 to 6	Lowest 1
7 or 8	Lowest 2
9 or 10	Lowest 3
11 or 12	Lowest 4
13 or 14	Lowest 5
15 or 16	Lowest 6
17	Lowest 7
18	Lowest 8
19	Lowest 9
20	Lowest 10

 

Lets say for example your first round after your initial handicap was a really good one like 84 or "played to" a 12 your scores would be 20.1, 20.1, 20.1 and 12.0 meaning the lowest 1 is used as per the table and your new handicap will be 12.0

 

or you have been playing really bad since your initial handicap and haven't broken your hadicap for 5 rounds. Lets say you "played to" 28,31,32,29,25 these are then put with 20.1,20.1 and 20.1 or eight cards in total means the lowest 2 as per the table are used meaning your handicap remains unchanged on 20.1

 

These may be hard to take as you may think I have had one really good round and dropped a whopping 8 shots or I have been playing nowhere near my handicap and my handicap is not going out but the best explaination is that if you follow the table you will see that once you play more than 10 rounds more of your "real" scores come into calculating your handicap and will probably then be a better reflection of your true handicap.

 

Any more questions please call Paul on 0407949322