The United States Golf Association (USGA) came up with a way to level the playing field for golfers with varying abilities by introducing the handicap system about a century ago. For example, let's say that a person whose average round is 100 wants to play someone who usually shoots an 80. Without a handicap system, that cannot happen fairly. So using a handicap system, the weaker player will receive strokes on certain holes. At the end of a round, they'll simply add up their scores, subtract their handicaps, and end up with a "net score." And then by comparing the net scores, they can figure out who won.
Handicap Index
A golfer can get a Handicap Index after having played as few as five 18-hole rounds, but it can be issued only by a club that's authorized to do so by the USGA. A handicap index is a number that reflects what a player might shoot on his best day. For instance, if a player's handicap index is 20, he can be expected to shoot about 20 over par. Once he records 20 rounds, his handicap index is figured on his 10 best rounds out of 20.
Course Ratings
Essentially, a course rating will tell you how difficult a particular course is, but it is based on what a scratch golfer might score. For instance, if a course has a course rating of 73, it means that scratch players should be able to shoot a 73 there. Obviously, the higher the course rating, the more difficult the course is to play.
Slope Rating
In the early 1980s, the USGA introduced a major refinement of its handicap system by adding the "slope rating" to the course rating to determine the difficulty of a particular golf course for the average player. By slope rating, the USGA figures a number for each course that anticipates the difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer. The slope ratings go from 55 to 155, and the average is about 113.
Adjusted Gross Score
As if the system were not already complicated enough, the USGA has a rule against a player running up his score to receive a higher handicap. So it allows a player to record no more than 2 to 3 strokes over par on a particular hole, even though the player may have taken more shots.
Getting a Golf Handicap
As stated earlier, a handicap can be issued only by an authorized user, and most golf courses can issue them. However, if you are not associated with a club, the USGA will allow you to form a "club without real estate" if you have a few as 10 friends who who like to form such a club and appoint a handicap committee.
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