Handicap Index

Handicap Index

• Handicap Index is a measure of a player's demonstrated ability calculated against the Slope Rating of a golf course of standard playing difficulty
• It represents a golfer's playing handicap on a course with a Neutral Slope Rating of 113
• It is calculated as a rolling average of the lowest 8 from the last 20 Score Differentials  [ 2 ]
• Each time a new score is submitted the average of the lowest 8 from the last 20 is re-calculated overnight, which may or may not lead to a change of Handicap Index, in the example in image [ 3 ]
• A single new score is submitted at the top of the list and may become one of the "best 8 from 20"
• An old score drops off the bottom, which may or may not have been one of your "best 8 from 20" previously 
• The overnight calculation changes the player's Handicap Index from 13.0 to 13.3
• There are additional safeguards to ensure that a player's handicap does not rise too quickly when a player is going through a spell of poor form

Low Handicap Index (LHI)

• A player's lowest Handicap Index during the last 12 months is used as an Anchor Point to limit increases in Handicap Index  [ 4 ]
• Soft CAP: Potential increases of Handicap Index to a figure greater than (LHI + 3) are limited by half the amount >3, e.g.
• 5 is limited to 4,  6 is limited to 4.5, etc  [ 6 ]
• Hard CAP: The maximum that the Handicap Index can increase to is (LHI + 5)  [ 7 ]

Exceptional Scores

• An adjustment to the Handicap Index after a very low score has been posted
• A reduction of -1 for scores between 7 and 9 below Handicap Index 
• A reduction of -2 for scores 10 or more below Handicap Index
• The reduction is applied to the last 20 scores on the Scoring Record and drops off gradually over the next 20 rounds  [ 8 ]

New Handicaps

A New Player's Handicap Index is initially allocated at 2 less than the best of the Adjusted Gross Scores from 3 x 18 hole cards submitted. Cards can be submitted as 6 x 9 hole or some other combination. Subsequent Handicap Index calculations change as more scores are entered:

• 3 scores entered : lowest score -2
• 4 scores entered : lowest score -1
• 5 scores entered : lowest score
• 6 scores entered : average of lowest 2 scores -1
• 7 to 8 scores entered : average of lowest 2 scores
• 9 to 11 scores entered : average of lowest 3 scores
• 12 to 14 scores entered : average of lowest 4 scores
• 15 to 16 scores entered : average of lowest 5 scores
• 17 to 18 scores entered : average of lowest 6 scores
• 19 scores entered : average of lowest 7 scores
• 20 scores entered : average of lowest 8 scores 

Transition Handicaps