Page type: Computed handicap worked example
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Same-tee calculation order
All four players are explicitly on the same neutral tees: Slope Rating 113, Course Rating 72 and Par 72. The stated Handicap Index values therefore produce the displayed unrounded Course Handicap values only in this illustration. Apply 90% to every unrounded Course Handicap first, then round each Playing Handicap .5 upward.
Relative Playing Handicaps
The pre-relative Playing Handicaps are Alex 0, Ben 7, Chris 1, and Dana 8. The lowest is 0, so Appendix C's general match-play procedure produces relative Playing Handicaps of Alex 0, Ben 7, Chris 1, and Dana 8.
Handicap labels matter
A Handicap Index is the input to the Course Handicap calculation, an unrounded Course Handicap is the allowance input, and a Playing Handicap is the rounded result. The displayed relative number is a match-play adjustment after the individual Playing Handicaps are calculated; do not relabel it as a Handicap Index.
Authority and scope
Appendix C states that the National Association establishes handicap allowances, or may delegate that responsibility, and that a Committee should specify the allowance in the Terms of Competition. An authorised national, regional, club, or event procedure therefore controls. Do not transplant this illustrative result as a universal arbitrary rule for house games.
Table
| Player | Handicap Index | Unrounded Course Handicap | Allowance | Playing Handicap | Relative Playing Handicap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex | 0 | 0 | 90% | 0 | 0 |
| Ben | 8 | 8 | 90% | 7 | 7 |
| Chris | 1 | 1 | 90% | 1 | 1 |
| Dana | 9 | 9 | 90% | 8 | 8 |
Worked example
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Sources: www.usga.org
Common questions
Why is 90% used in this four-ball setup?
Appendix C lists 90% as the recommended handicap allowance for Four-Ball Match Play. Applied here to a top-to-bottom gap of 1 unrounded Course Handicap points, that 90% is what turns the raw 1-point gap into Dana's relative Playing Handicap of 8 against Alex's zero.
Why does the lowest Playing Handicap play from zero?
Appendix C's general procedure says the lowest Playing Handicap plays off zero; with a gap of 1 that leaves Alex at zero and the others receiving their own 90%-allowance difference from Alex, up to Dana's 8.
Can this setup be copied into any informal game?
No. The authorised National Association, club, or event procedure and the Committee Terms of Competition control. This neutral-tee gap-of-1 setup is a transparent illustration, not a universal house-game rule.