Why Does My Handicap Index Increase After Submitting a Good Score, and Vice- Versa?
Understanding the 20 Score Record
What happens if I don’t have 20 scores on my scoring record?
- Under the WHS, you can obtain a Handicap Index once you have submitted scores from 54 holes
- Each score is converted into a Score Differential, which takes into account the difficulty of the course played, and your initial Handicap Index will be the lowest Score Differential, minus 2
- The ‘minus 2’ adjustment errs on the side of caution, as there is not much evidence upon which to base the calculation and determine your true ability
- This is an important safeguard which protects the rest of the field
- Until there are 20 Score Differentials in the record, the calculations are based on a sliding scale, with additional adjustments when the number available is less than 7
|
Number ofScore Differentialsinscoring record |
Score Differential(s)to be used in calculation ofHandicap Index |
Adjustment |
|
3 |
Lowest 1 |
-2.0 |
|
4 |
Lowest 1 |
-1.0 |
|
5 |
Lowest 1 |
0 |
|
6 |
Average of lowest 2 |
-1.0 |
|
7 or 8 |
Average of lowest 2 |
0 |
|
9 to 11 |
Average of lowest 3 |
0 |
|
12 to 14 |
Average of lowest 4 |
0 |
|
15 or 16 |
Average of lowest 5 |
0 |
|
17 or 18 |
Average of lowest 6 |
0 |
|
19 |
Average of lowest 7 |
0 |
|
20 |
Average of lowest 8 |
0 |
How is my Handicap Index calculated when I have 20 scores on my record?
- Each new acceptable score that you submit replaces the 20th oldest score, to create a new ‘most recent’ 20 score record
- Your previous 20th oldest Score Differential drops to 21st position and is no longer included in your next Handicap Index calculation
- This continues on a 20-score rolling cycle, with new scores added continually replacing your older scores
- The average of the best 8 Score Differentials from your ‘most recent’ 20 scores is recalculated after each new acceptable score submitted
Why does my Handicap Index increase after submitting a good score, and vice-versa?
- Each new acceptable score that you submit replaces the 20th oldest score and creates a new Score Differential
- If a good 20th Score Differential is replaced within your best 8 Score Differentials with a good, but higher, Score Differential your updated Handicap Index could potentially increase
- If a poor 20th Score Differential is replaced within your best 8 Score Differentials with a poor, but lower, Score Differential your updated Handicap Index could potentially decrease