How to Score Golf Handicap on Golf Scorecard
Before you can calculate golf scores based on handicaps, you first need to know the course handicaps for each player.
A course handicap is derived from a player's handicap index, the course rating, slope rating, and the par of the tee they are playing, and is calculated using the following World Handicap System (WHS) formula:
Once you know the course handicaps for each player, the next step depends on whether or not you are adjusting total or hole-by-hole scores.
If you are only adjusting total scores, you subtract each player's handicap from their total score to get their net score.
If you are adjusting hole-by-hole scores, first determine which player has the lowest handicap. Then, for all players on the card, subtract the lowest player's handicap from their handicaps. After the subtractions, you are left with the number of strokes to award each of the players.
| Player | Crs Hdp | Minus | Strokes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jim | 8 | 8 | 0 |
| Bob | 10 | 8 | 2 |
| Jan | 12 | 8 | 4 |
| Tim | 16 | 8 | 8 |
Note that you could award full handicap strokes for all players, but that makes for a messier scorecard.
Once you know the number of strokes each player is to receive, place dots in each player's hole score boxes where their total strokes awarded is greater than or equal to the hole handicap (HDP or HDCP).
If any player has more awarded strokes than the number of holes that your group will play, assign one stroke for all holes and then start over awarding strokes from the hardest hole until the player has received all of their strokes.
To illustrate, based on the number of strokes awarded to Bob, Jan, and Tim, the following scorecard shows on which holes players would be awarded strokes (asterisks).
As one example, since the hole handicap for hole #6 (2) is less than or equal to the strokes awarded to Bob (2), Jan (4), and Tim (8), all three players would get a stroke on that hole.
Next, as you play each hole, record the gross and net score (gross minus any strokes) for each player, separated by a forward slash (gross/net).
Once you have completed your round, here is how the scorecard might look after totaling up the gross and net scores.
In the above example, Tim won over Jan after adjusting for handicaps, even though he had a higher gross score.
Stableford Scoring with Handicaps
In case you're not familiar with it, the Stableford scoring system awards points based on score relative to par. Then, at the end of the round, the points are added up to determine which player scored the most points.
While there are several Stableford point systems (Modified Stableford, etc.), the point system used by the calculator is as follows.
| Net Hole Score | Stableford Points |
|---|---|
| Double Bogey or Worse | 0 |
| Bogey (+1) | 1 |
| Par (even) | 2 |
| Birdie (-1) | 3 |
| Eagle (-2) | 4 |
| Double Eagle (-3) | 5 |
For example, if you scored a five on a par 5, you would earn 2 Stableford points for that hole. If you scored a four on a par 5 (birdie), you would earn 3 points, and so on.
Once you understand the point system, you then use the same method to award strokes as when playing stroke play. It's just that instead of recording the net score for each hole, you use the net score to award Stableford points.
Here is the same example scorecard displayed earlier, but with Stableford points recorded (gross/points) instead of net scores.
As one example of how to score a Stableford golf game, on the above scorecard, Jan scored a six on the par-five hole #2, which would be a net score of 5. That net score of 5 would equate to a par, earning 2 Stableford points for Jan.
