Page type: Computed handicap worked example
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Course Handicap comes before Playing Handicap
This page starts with Handicap Index 18 and calculates an unrounded Course Handicap using HI × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par). Because the stated assumptions are Slope Rating 113, Course Rating 72 and Par 72, the result is 18 here. Do not derive a Playing Handicap directly from a Handicap Index when those course assumptions are absent or different.
Individual match-play result
Appendix C's recommended 100% Individual Match Play allowance gives 18 × 100% before Rule 6.2a rounding, so the Playing Handicap is 18. If compared with a player whose Playing Handicap is 0 under the same procedure, the relative number is 18.
Separate four-ball comparison
For Four-Ball Match Play only, Appendix C's recommended allowance is 90%: 18 × 90% = 16.2, which .5-up rounds to 16. That conditional comparison is not this page's Individual Match Play Playing Handicap and does not turn a Handicap Index into a Playing Handicap without course inputs.
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
| Stage | Value | Calculation |
|---|---|---|
| Handicap Index | 18 | Input only; not directly used as a Playing Handicap |
| Unrounded Course Handicap | 18 | 18 × (113 ÷ 113) + (72 − 72) = 18 |
| Individual Match Play allowance | 100% | 18 × 100% |
| Playing Handicap | 18 | Round only after allowance; .5 upward |
Worked example
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Sources: www.usga.org
Common questions
Is a Handicap Index the same as a Playing Handicap?
No. Rule 6 uses the Handicap Index and the tee/course inputs to calculate a Course Handicap of 18 first. The 100% Individual Match Play allowance is then applied to that unrounded Course Handicap of 18 to calculate this page's Playing Handicap of 18.
Why is a 90% result shown here?
It is a separate conditional comparison for Four-Ball Match Play, for which Appendix C recommends 90%: a Course Handicap of 18 gives a four-ball Playing Handicap of 16. This page's own Individual Match Play result still uses 100%, i.e. 18.
Does this apply on every tee or in every event?
No. A different tee changes the Course Handicap away from 18, and the authorised National Association or Committee procedure controls which allowance and Terms of Competition apply to that different number.