Converting your 18-hole Handicap Index

Player With an 18-hole Handicap Index Competing in a Nine-hole Competition

Q:  My friend has a nine-hole Handicap Index (N) while I have a Handicap Index (based on 18-hole scores). When we compete against one another, how do I convert my Handicap Index to be used for nine holes? Also, if we’re playing different tees must we still apply the additional adjustment?

A:  A player with a Handicap Index competing in a nine-hole competition must halve their Handicap Index and convert it to a nine-hole Course Handicap using the nine-hole Slope Rating from the Course Handicap Table for the tees being played (see “Section 10-5” of the Handicap System manual). For example, Player A, with a Handicap Index of 10.0 competing on a course with a nine-hole Slope Rating of 125, will convert to a nine-hole Course Handicap of 6.

Step 1:            10.0 / 2 = 5.0

Step 2:            5.0 x 125 / 113 = 5.5 = 6 (N) Nine-hole Course Handicap (rounded to nearest whole number)

When players compete against one another from different sets of tees, or men and women from the same set of tees, an additional adjustment must be applied to compensate for the difference in difficulty between the two sets of tees. Let’s use an example: Player A from above is a man competing at a USGA Course Rating of 35.8 against Player B, who is a woman with a nine-hole Course Handicap of 8 from the forward tees (37.8/127). After each player calculates their Course Handicap from their respective set of tees, the woman adds two strokes (37.8 – 35.8 = 2) to her Course Handicap (8 + 2 = 10) for the difference in Course Ratings. 

“The USGA Handicap System” manual is available to view online at http://www.usga.org/playing/handicaps/manual/manual.html.