World Handicap System (WHS) Calculator
Track your recent golf rounds and estimate your handicap differential in seconds.
Use this free calculator to enter your adjusted gross score, course rating, and slope rating.
This calculator is designed as a quick estimate and educational guide. For an official Handicap Index, always refer to your authorized handicap provider or golf association record.
How this golf handicap calculator works?
The primary goal of a handicap system is to allow golfers of varying abilities to compete on a level playing field. This calculator utilizes the standard World Handicap System (WHS) formula to determine your performance for a specific round.
Standardizing your performance requires more than just your gross score; it requires measuring that score against the relative difficulty of the course played.
Score Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score − Course Rating) × 113 ÷ Slope Rating
- Adjusted Gross Score: Your total score for the round, adjusted by the maximum hole score allowed (Net Double Bogey).
- Course Rating: The expected score for a scratch golfer under normal conditions.
- Slope Rating: The relative difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer.
Golf handicap calculator FAQ
What is a score differential in golf?
A score differential measures how well you played in a round based on the difficulty of the course you played. It uses your adjusted gross score, course rating, and slope rating to create a fair comparison across different golf courses.
Is this the same as my official Handicap Index?
Not exactly. This tool gives you an estimate based on the standard score differential formula. An official Handicap Index may also include PCC, the number of scores in your record, and other adjustments used in the World Handicap System.
What do I need to use this calculator?
You need your adjusted gross score, course rating, and slope rating. These three values are the main inputs used to estimate your score differential for a round.
How is a Handicap Index usually calculated?
A Handicap Index is built from score differentials in your scoring record, not from just one round. Under WHS, golfers generally build a Handicap Index from their recent scores rather than a single score differential alone.