VIII. Handicapping

1. The United States Golf Association (USGA)

A handicap is only an Official USGA Handicap Index if you get it from a golf club which follows the USGA Handicap System. The good news is that becoming a member of a golf club doesn't have to be difficult or expensive.

Many public courses host golf clubs with modest membership fees. Club membership often entitles you to a few extra benefits - such as reduced green fees, preferred starting times, as well as a chance to play in club sponsored tournaments and meet new people. At the other end of the scale are private clubs that can cost tens of thousands of dollars per year and may have long waiting lists.

Can't find a reasonably priced golf club to join or you don't want to feel tied to one golf course? Then consider joining or forming, a  golf club "without real estate". The USGA doesn't require a club to have a course, and the minimum membership is just 10 golfers who have a reasonable and regular opportunity to play golf with one another. Some clubs call themselves traveling clubs and host regular outings at different courses throughout the year. Check with the USGA for specific information on "Forming a Golf Club".

More information regarding the USGA Handicap System can be found at http://www.usga.org/handicap/ or you can contact the USGA directly.

I urge all United States based participants of RSG to consider becoming a member of the USGA.

 
2. The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of Saint Andrews (R&A)
Please contact the R&A directly for handicapping and club information. http://www.randa.org/
 
3. Quick Reference Allowance (QRA)
The USGA has developed a simple, but relatively effective estimator of a player's ability called "QRA" for "Quick Reference Allowance." QRA is not a substitute for the USGA Handicap System, but can produce fairly equitable results and is the best system for handicapping the otherwise un-handicapped.

To create a player's QRA, the tournament committee simply asks each un-handicapped player to submit his three best scores made on a regulation course (with par of 68 or more) in the last 12 months. Combine these scores with any previous scores that the player has made in a tournament in the past two years.

The player's QRA is the second best score minus 70 for men or 73 for women.


4. Modified Peoria System

The next best alternative, according to USGA studies, is to use a hole score selection system, often called the "Peoria system." Under this system, a player learns his handicap after the round is completed. By this method, the committee secretly selects a par 3 hole, a par 5 hole and four par 4 holes from an 18 hole course. The par 4's should be representative in length and difficulty with two chosen from the front nine and two from the back nine. A modified Peoria handicap is calculated by adding the player's strokes over par on the six selected holes, and multiplying by 2.8. This will equal the player's allowance to be deducted from his gross score. The maximum hole score for allowance purposes is three over par on par 3's and 4's and four over par on par 5's.


5. Callaway System

The Callaway System is a so-called "one-round" system or "worst-holes" system that compresses the spread of gross scores when converted to net scores. It is not a reliable handicap system and produces a result such that the player with the lowest gross score almost always becomes the low net score winner. Most players with higher gross scores are given net scores within a few strokes of the winner so that most players can feel competitive.

By the Callaway System, a player's allowance is determined after each round by deducting from his gross score for 18 holes the scores of the worst individual holes during the first 16 holes. The table below shows the number of "worst hole" scores he may deduct and the adjustment to be made, based on his gross score.

--
--
70
71
72
scratch
no adj.
73
74
75
--
--
1/2
worst hole + adj.
76
77
78
79
80
1
worst hole + adj.
81
82
83
84
85
1 1/2
worst holes + adj.
86
87
88
89
90
2
worst holes + adj.
91
92
93
94
95
2 1/2
worst holes + adj.
96
97
98
99
100
3
worst holes + adj.
101
102
103
104
105
3 1/2 
worst holes + adj.
106
107
108
109
110
4
worst holes + adj.
111
112
113
114
115
 1/2
worst holes + adj.
116
117
118
119
120
5
worst holes + adj.
121
122
123
124
125
5 1/2
worst holes + adj.
126
127
128
129
130
6
worst holes + adj.
Maximum Handicap - 50

ADJUSTMENT

-2      -1       0      +1      +2                 Deduct from or Add  to Handicap
 
NOTES:
1. No hole may be scored at more than twice its par.
2. Half strokes count as whole.
 
6. Scheid System
The Scheid System is an alternative "worst-score" system that has two advantages over the Callaway method:

1. It allows for a wider range of scores (up to 151)
2. It gives players who normally cannot compete for low gross score an opportunity to win.

This FAQ is Copyright 1999-2002 by Daniel J. Driscoll, all rights reserved. Product and company names used in this document may be trademarked or copyrighted by the respective owners. This document may be replicated in whole or in part, without alteration. All replications must include this copyright notice.