Free golf tool
Course Handicap Calculator
Convert your handicap index to a course handicap for the exact tees you are playing. Built on the World Handicap System formula. No signup, no ads.
12.4 × (125 ÷ 113) + (71.2 − 72) = 12.9, rounded to 13.
A handicap index travels with you, but it does not tell you how many strokes you get on a given course. The course handicap does. Harder tees (higher slope and rating) give you more strokes; easier tees give you fewer.
Course Handicap = Index × (Slope ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par)
Common questions
What is the course handicap formula?
Under the World Handicap System, Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par), rounded to the nearest whole number.
Where do I find slope and course rating?
Both are printed on the scorecard and usually on a plaque at the tees, listed per set of tees. Slope is a number from 55 to 155 (113 is average); course rating is a decimal like 71.2.
How is a course handicap different from a handicap index?
Your handicap index is portable and the same everywhere. A course handicap converts that index to the specific set of tees you are playing, so it changes course to course and tee to tee.
Does it work for plus handicaps?
Yes. Enter a plus index as a negative number (for example, a +1.4 is -1.4) and the calculator handles it.
In the app
Skins Golf does this automatically
Link your GHIN and Skins Golf applies the right course handicap on every tee, every round, with USGA-compliant allowances baked into the scoring.