Golf Handicap: How to Use It - MyScorecard

On every course scorecard, you will see a line called 'HDCP.' HDCP stands for Handicap, and rates the difficulty of each hole (1 being the hardest, ... FEATURETOURUSGAHANDICAP    KnowledgeCenter TheProperGolfer KnowledgeCenterCategories KnowledgeCenterHome GolfHandicapsDecoded TheHandicapFormula TheSlope&Rating CourseHandicaps ScoreProbabilities 9vs.18HoleHandicaps TheSlope&RatingII:Calculations ThePeoriaSystem TheCallawaySystem TheScheidSystem System36 PlayingfromUnratedTees TheProperGolfer HowdoIusemyGolfHandicap? Statistics:Greens&Fairways Etiquette:WhoGoesFirst? TheLanguageofGolf TheLanguageofGolfII ImproveWithConceptGolf WelcometoConceptGolf IntroductiontoConceptGolf SwingPrinciple#1:Address SwingPrinciple#2:Alignment SwingPrinciple#3:WeightTransfer SwingPrinciple#4:Relaxation SwingPrinciple#4:RelaxationII SwingPrinciple#5:RightLeg/Knee ApplyingtheConcepts AdvicetoaFrustratedGolfer GolfTipsbytheLPGAGCFW OverviewoftheLPGAGolfClinics MakingaGoodScore BumpandRun FromChocolatetotheDanceFloor LearntheGameBackwards Balancing&RepeatingYourSwing RulesofGolfExplained WaterHazards&CasualWater TheUnplayableBall TheTee TheFlag Dropping&Replacing LocalRules Impediments&ObstructionsI Impediments&ObstructionsII DecisionsontheRules GolfGamestoPlay Match&Medal Junk Stableford Chicago AlternateShotGames BestBallGames Vegas Skins Nassau ThreesomeGames Wolf CanadianWolf Rabbit Heads-Tails SixPointScotch RecommendedGolfBooks GolfisnotaGameofPerfect FiveLessons(BenHogan) LittleRedBook(HarveyPenick) OnGolf(BobbyJones) MissingLinks(RickReilly) GolfbyDesign(RobertT.Jones,Jr.) MemberRec-KissThatCauseMySlice Blog:TheScratchPad Share HowdoIusemyGolfHandicap? OneoftheusefulapectsofyourMyScorecardHandicapisthatitcreatesanevenmatchbetweenyouandyourfriendsevery timeyouplaytogether.Inthisarticle,weexplainexactlyhowtouseyourhandicaptocreateafairmatchbetweengolfers. CourseHandicaps Beforeyoustart,itisimportanttonotethatyouwillbeusingyourcoursehandicaps-notyourhandicapindex. Yourhandicapindexisacourse-independentmeasure(samenomatterwhereyouplay). Incontrast,yourcoursehandicapisspecifictoeachcourseyouplayandwillchangefromcoursetocoursedependinguponthecoursedifficulty. Youcanthinkofyourhandicapindexasgeneralmeasureofyourskilllevel,whilethecoursehandicapisyourexpectedskilllevelonthatparticularcourse thatyouwillbeplaying. (Aneasywaytotellthedifferencebetweenthetwoisthatyourindexistoonedecimalplace,whileyourcourse handicapisaninteger). MyScorecardwillcalculatebothyourhandicapindexaswellascoursehandicapforyou.YourhandicapindexisdisplayedaboveyourScorecard.Tofind yourcoursehandicap,eitherclickonthehandicapindexnumber,orclickonthecoursehandicaplinkbelowyourScorecard. Tostart,findyourcoursehandicapatthecourseyouwillbeplaying.Onceeveryoneinthegrouphastheircoursehandicaps, youcanusethemtoevenupthematches.Wewillusethe imaginaryfoursomeofJack,Tom,Brad,andRyantoillustrate.First,findthememberwiththelowestcoursehandicap andsubtractthatnumberfromallfourplayers'coursehandicaps.Thelowestmembershouldnowhaveahandicapofzero. Inourexamplefoursome,Jackhasthelowesthandicapof12andsubtractsthatnumberfromthethreeotherplayers. ApplyingCourseHandicaps &nbsp   CourseHandicap StrokesGiven Jack 12- Tom 2614 Brad 2311 Ryan 142 Theresultingnumbersarethestrokeseachplayerreceivesovertheeighteenholes(notethatthelowesthandicap playeronlygivesstrokesandneverreceivesany). Butwhendoeseachplayerreceivetheirstrokes?Forgameswheretotalscorematters,yousimplysubtractthefullnumber fromeachgolfer'sscoreattheendoftheround.Butwhenthescoreoneachholemattersweneedtobeabletodecide onwhichholetogiveeachplayerstrokes.Oneverycoursescorecard,youwillseealinecalled'HDCP.' HDCPstandsforHandicap,andratesthedifficultyofeachhole(1beingthehardest,18 theeasiest).Iftwofriendsofcoursehandicaps10and22playamatch,thenthelessskillfulplayerwillreceive 12strokes-oneoneachofthetwelvehardestholes.Ifthedifferencebetweenplayersis20strokes,theless skillfulplayerwouldreceive2strokesontheholeswithhandicap1and2,and1strokeonremaining16holes. Forourexamplefoursome,thestrokesgivenonthefirstsevenholesareshownbelow: Whenyoutheseremovestrokesfromeachplayer,theresultingscoresarecalled'netscores.'Withthisinmind,youcan nowplayanyofthegamesdiscussedintheGameoftheMonthsectionoftheKnowledgeCenter.Tryone thenexttimeyouareoutonthecourse! Doyouhaveadvicethatanswersquestionsoftenaskedbynewplayers?Sendusanemailand wewillpostyouradviceontheKnowledgeCenter. BacktoTop   Features FeatureTour MyScorecardMobileApps CoursePartners&Affiliates Help&ContactUs USGAHandicaps USGAHandicapLookup USGAHandicapCards Golf&HandicapInsights GolfHandicapsDecoded TheProperGolfer ImprovewithConceptGolf GolfGamestoPlay Legal&Privacy PrivacyStatement Disclaimer FollowUs Blog Facebook Twitter   ©Copyright1999-2016,MyscorecardLLC,AllRightsReserved