Course Handicap Calculator
Turn your Handicap Index into the Course Handicap for a specific tee, with the slope and rating math shown so you can see why it differs from your Index.
Course Handicap
10
| Handicap Index | 10 |
|---|---|
| Slope Rating | 113 |
| Slope component (Index × Slope ÷ 113) | 10 |
| Course Rating − Par | 0 |
| Course Handicap (unrounded) | 10 |
| Course Handicap (displayed) | 10 |
Why Course Handicap is not the same as your Handicap Index
Your Handicap Index is a portable number that follows you between courses. It is not, by itself, the number of strokes you use in a round. Before you play, that Index has to be converted into a Course Handicap for the specific tee you selected, because tees at different difficulty levels should not hand out the same number of strokes to the same golfer. A course with a high Slope Rating plays harder relative to its Course Rating than a standard course, so it hands out more strokes; an easier tee hands out fewer.
The formula, in plain terms
Course Handicap equals your Handicap Index multiplied by the tee's Slope Rating divided by 113 (113 is the slope of a course of standard difficulty), plus the difference between the tee's Course Rating and its par. The 113 divisor is not adjustable; changing it would break the comparison the World Handicap System is built on. The Rating-minus-par term captures tees that play harder or easier than their par would suggest even before slope is considered. This calculator preserves the unround, decimal result internally, since your Playing Handicap and several other engines need that precision, and only rounds to a whole number for the number you would actually use on the course.
Selecting the right tee
Slope Rating and Course Rating are tee-specific, not course-specific: the same course usually posts a different Slope and Rating for its forward, middle, and back tees, and often separate ratings for men and women. Always use the rating that matches the tee you are actually going to play, not the tee you played last time. If you are unsure which tee's numbers to use, they are posted on the scorecard or the club's official rating sheet.
What this calculator does not do
This tool does not look up a course's rating for you, verify your Handicap Index against an official record, or post a score anywhere. It performs the published World Handicap System calculation on the numbers you provide. For your official Handicap Index, or a question about which rating applies to your home course, use your golf association or club's handicap system directly; see the handicap inputs resource for how Handicap Index, Course Rating, and Slope Rating relate to each other in more detail.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my Course Handicap different from my Handicap Index?
Your Handicap Index is a portable number that follows you between courses. Course Handicap converts it for the specific tee you are playing, using that tee's Slope Rating and Course Rating, because harder tees should hand out more strokes than easier ones for the same golfer.
What is the 113 in the Course Handicap formula?
113 is the Slope Rating of a course of standard difficulty. It is the fixed divisor the World Handicap System uses so that Slope Rating comparisons stay consistent across every course; it is not adjustable.
Which Slope Rating and Course Rating should I use?
Use the rating for the exact tee you are about to play, not the tee you played last time or a different tee at the same course. Courses commonly post separate ratings per tee, and often separate ratings for men and women, printed on the scorecard or the club's official rating sheet.