POST. 2015/05/19 DURBAN. . THIS file photo was taken in Durban in 2019.
Image: FILE
Getting a handicap is one of the best steps you can take as a golfer because it opens the door to fair competition with players of any skill level.
The process is straightforward now that most of the world uses the World Handicap System, and it really comes down to being part of an authorised organisation and posting honest scores from properly rated courses.
The first step is joining a golf club or a national golf association that is licensed to issue handicaps. An individual cannot create a handicap alone; the club or association provides the oversight and access to the system where scores are recorded.
Once you are set up, the focus shifts to playing and submitting scores. You will need a minimum number of rounds before the system can calculate an index for you, typically three 18-hole rounds or six 9-hole rounds.
Every score you post must come from a course with an official Course Rating and Slope Rating, because those numbers tell the system how difficult the course was on the day you played. It is important to play by the Rules of Golf when you are posting, and if you pick up on a hole, you record your most likely score rather than leaving it blank.
The idea is to reflect what you would have made if you had finished the hole, so the handicap stays fair.
After each round, you enter your gross score and the tees you played from into your club’s system or the association app. From there, the calculation happens automatically.
The system looks at your last 20 scores, takes the best eight differentials, averages them, and applies a small adjustment. That gives you your Handicap Index. When you play a specific course, that index converts into a Course Handicap based on the slope of the tees you are using, and that is the number of strokes you actually receive during play.
The most important part of having a handicap is honesty. It only works if every score reflects a real round played under the rules. A handicap is not about having the lowest number possible; it is about having an accurate number so that games with friends, club competitions, and even casual matches feel competitive and enjoyable for everyone.
See you on the fairways!
-Sewgolum is a PGA AA golf professional, Golf Pro for Saudi Aramco and was voted Top 5 International PGA professional for the year 2022.