In the early part of the 20th century, the United States Golf Association decided to take a rather radical approach to competition among amateurs on the golf course. Realizing there was nothing fun about playing with someone who was far superior, the USGA introduced the handicap system to golf. In short, the handicap allows a golfer who is not as accomplished to subtract strokes from his score at the end of a match in order to compete with a better golfer. It has proven to be a popular approach to playing golf throughout the world.
Determining your handicap
A golfer's handicap is determined by his average score. To get a handicap, he must turn in his scores to the USGA. Here's how it works: If a golfer plays at a particular course 10 times--public or private--he is eligible for a handicap rating. That handicap is basically the average score the golfer has achieved minus par for that course. If Heather plays 10 times at the Park River Golf Course, and her average score is 92 and par at Park River is 72, her handicap is 20.
Using your handicap
Take your handicap, which will be mailed to you at your favorite golf course by the USGA, and show it to your competitor at your next round of golf. If Heather has a handicap of 20 and she is playing against Elizabeth with a handicap of 16, Heather would get four strokes over that particular round. That means at the end of the round, Heather would be able to subtract four strokes from her score (because her handicap is four strokes higher than Elizabeth's), and that would be her total. So if Heather shot a 91 and Elizabeth shot an 89, Heather would win the match by two strokes.
Handicap in match play
In match play, the overall score the golfer gets for 18 holes does not matter. Each hole is scored, and the golfer who has the lowest score wins each hole. If Elizabeth and Heather are involved in a match play competition and handicaps are being used, Heather would get a stroke from Elizabeth on the four hardest holes on the course. The difficulty of each hole is noted on the scorecard with a "rating" number. Under the rating category, the hardest hole has a rating of 1 and the easiest hole has a rating of 18. So if the 7th hole is 525-yard par 5 and is rated as the No. 1 handicap hole on the course, Heather would get a stroke on the hole. If Heather shot a 7 on that hole and Elizabeth shot a 6, the hole would be "even" because Heather was allowed to subtract a stroke from her score on that hole. She would also be able to subtract a stroke on the No. 2, 3 and 4 handicap holes on the course.
About The Author
Steve Silverman is an award-winning writer who has been covering sports for 28 years. He is the author of "The Minnesota Vikings: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" (Triumph Books, Chicago) and two other books on the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers.
