Course Handicap (Slope Adjustment)

Enter your index and course details to find your playing handicap.

Handicap index

Course slope rating

Course rating

Course par

Course handicap —

Playing handicap (95%) —

Target score —

Course Handicap = Index × (Slope / 113) + (Rating − Par). Playing Handicap = 95% of Course Handicap (for stroke play). Your target score = Par + Playing Handicap.

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Converting Handicap Index to Course Handicap

Your handicap index is portable — it represents your potential ability. The course handicap adjusts for the difficulty of the specific course you are playing.

A harder course (higher slope) gives you more strokes. The formula: Course Handicap = Index × (Slope / 113) + (Course Rating − Par). For stroke play, use 95% of course handicap.

Slope rating measures the difficulty of a golf course for a bogey golfer relative to a scratch golfer. The USGA scale runs from 55 (easiest) to 155 (hardest), with 113 as the standard "neutral" slope. A course with Slope 130 is significantly harder for bogey golfers than scratch golfers compared to a course with Slope 100.

Playing handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope/113). A 20.0 index player at Slope 130: Playing Handicap = 20.0 × (130/113) = 20.0 × 1.150 = 23.0 strokes received. At Slope 95: 20.0 × (95/113) = 16.8 → 17 strokes. The same player gets 6 more strokes on the harder course.

Net score = Gross Score − Playing Handicap. Net competitions allow players of different abilities to compete fairly. In stroke play net competitions, the handicap is applied to the total score; in match play, the difference in playing handicaps determines the number of strokes given on specific holes (noted on the scorecard by hole stroke index).

This calculator can also show you how to adjust your planned club selection for elevation: at altitude courses (Colorado, Arizona), add slope correction to your elevation correction for total adjustment. A 160-yard 7-iron at sea level on a 5,000-ft elevation course plays more like 148 yards adjusted for slope and altitude combined.