How do Handicaps work

Each players handicap is adjusted after each round. The handicapping system used being is structured according to the specifications used by Golf clubs around Australia and the VGA.

In order to qualify for an official club handicap a player must play a total of three completed rounds of golf with the social group. Until they have qualified for a handicap a player can still enter the monthly competitions however they are allocated a temporary handicap using the Callaway scoring system.

A players handicap is calculated by taking their average score over par for the first 3x rounds played with the club. In Australia the maximum handicap for men is 32 strokes therefore the highest score over par on each hole is capped at double bogie when formulating the initial starting handicap. ie) an 8 on a par 4 hole is counted as a 6 for handicapping purposes.

Once a player has a handicap use the handicap for only the third and 4th rounds that they play with the club. Once they have played their 5th round with the social club, then the handicap is recalculated using the Slope Handicap system and for all rounds thereafter the handicap is adjusted monthly based on their performance against par using the slope scoring system.

A basic summary of how the slope handicaps are calculated, is by taking the average of the best 10 scores multiplied by 0.93 from your previous 20 rounds.

Where less than 20 rounds have been played the formula uses

The lowest score if only 5 or 6 rounds have been played.

The average of your best 2 rounds where only 7 or 8 rounds have been played.

The average of your best 3 rounds where only 9 or 10 rounds have been played.

The average of your best 4 rounds where only 11 or 12 rounds have been played.

The average of your best 5 rounds where only 13 or 14 rounds have been played. etc etc

Under the old handicapping system used for rounds 3 and 4, If a player has a sub par round and plays better than their handicap then their handicap is downwardly adjusted depending on how many shots better than par they finished.

If a player scores at par or within the allocated buffer zone then the handicap remains unchanged.

A score outside the handicap buffer zone which is above par once the handicap is deducted from the gross score is upwardly adjusted by 0.1 strokes for the round.

You can check your current handicap status by clicking on the following link:    Current Handicaps