Golf Handicap Index

Why do I need a handicap index when I’m only a beginner golfer?

Beginner golfers don’t need a handicap index. A handicap index is useful when you become a bogey or scratch player.

What does it mean to be a scratch golfer?

A scratch golfer is someone who has around a zero handicap. Scratch golfers who have a handicap of zero means that they have finished the course or hole on par. Being a bogey golfer actually means you are effectively dropping one shot each hole on average. For example, if hole 3 is a par 4 and you complete it in five strokes, you've bogeyed the hole. A bogey player plays at a level where they average one stroke more per hole than par. According to various studies, the majority of people who take up the game of golf never break 100, and only a small percentage of those who play golf ever score lower than 90. A bogey player will score 90 on a par 72 course.

What is Par?

Par is number of strokes a a player is expected to make for a given hole or a group of holes (usually 9 or 18). Each hole has a par rating (i.e. 3, 4 or 5). The rating is located on the tee signs that are placed at every hole on the golf course. Golfers constantly refer to the map, par, yardage and handicap information on the signs located at every hole. If you use less strokes, you are considered “under par”. If you use more strokes, you are considered to be “over par”. A typical 18-hole golf course will have a total par around 72, and a 9-hole par-3 course (where all holes are rated as par 3) will have a total par of 27.

For instance, if you take five strokes to play a par-4 hole, then you are 1-over par for that hole (that’s a typical bogey golfer result). If you take three strokes on a par-4, you are 1-under par on that hole (that’s the definition of scratch golf). The same applies to 18-hole scores: if the golf course's par is 72, and you shoot 85, you are 13-over par; if you shoot 68, you are 4-under par.

A golf handicap index at scratch and bogey golf status allows you to compete fairly in a number of different formats. Whether you are playing match play or stroke play, Stableford or Four-Ball, your handicap index allows players of differing abilities to compete on an equitable basis.

So, for all you beginners out there, keep swingin'!

Click below to see the golf handicaps of your favorite athletes, politicians and celebrities. (1)

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Click below for a video on the Science of Golf: Math of Scoring.

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Cited Sources

(1) Beall, J. (2015, December 12). Here are the golf handicaps of your favorite athletes, politicians and celebrities. GolfDigest Com. Retrieved July 10, 2022, from https://www.golfdigest.com/gallery/here-are-the-golf-handicaps-of-your-favorite-athletes-politicians-and-celebrities/amp