Calculate your official World Handicap System (WHS) Handicap Index using your last 20 scores. Enter your adjusted gross scores along with each course's rating and slope, and our calculator will determine your current Handicap Index, Course Handicap, and Playing Handicap.
Enter up to 20 recent scores. For each round, provide: Adjusted Gross Score, Course Rating, and Slope Rating. A minimum of 3 scores is required; 20 gives the most accurate result.
The World Handicap System (WHS) was introduced globally on 2 November 2020, replacing six separate systems that had been used around the world. In the UK and Ireland, it replaced the long-standing CONGU Unified Handicapping System. The WHS is governed by the R&A and USGA and administered in England by England Golf.
The goal of WHS is to give every golfer a single, portable Handicap Index that travels with them to any affiliated golf club anywhere in the world, on any course, and under any playing conditions. It also makes the handicap more responsive to recent play through a rolling 20-round window.
Before your Handicap Index can be worked out, each round must be converted into a Score Differential. This single number represents how well you played relative to the difficulty of the course:
Let's break down the components:
Example: You shoot 90 on a course with a rating of 69.5 and slope of 128.
Differential = (90 − 69.5) × 113 ÷ 128 = 20.5 × 0.883 = 18.1
Once you have 20 differentials (or as few as 3 when you first establish a handicap), the calculation proceeds as follows:
| Scores Available | Number Used |
|---|---|
| 3 | 1 lowest |
| 4 | 1 lowest |
| 5 | 1 lowest |
| 6 | 2 lowest |
| 7–8 | 2 lowest |
| 9–11 | 3 lowest |
| 12–14 | 4 lowest |
| 15–16 | 5 lowest |
| 17 | 6 lowest |
| 18 | 7 lowest |
| 19–20 | 8 lowest |
The 0.96 multiplier (known as the playing conditions factor) is applied to reflect the fact that better players tend to perform better in competition than in general play. The result is truncated (not rounded) to one decimal place.
Your Handicap Index must be converted to a Course Handicap for each set of tees you play. This accounts for the actual difficulty of the course you are playing:
Example: Handicap Index of 15.4, Slope Rating 125, Course Rating 70.5, Par 72.
Course Handicap = 15.4 × (125 ÷ 113) + (70.5 − 72) = 15.4 × 1.106 + (−1.5) = 17.0 − 1.5 = 15.5, rounded to 16
The Playing Handicap is the final number used in a competition. It is the Course Handicap multiplied by a competition allowance, which varies by format:
| Format | Allowance |
|---|---|
| Strokeplay (individual) | 95% |
| Stableford (individual) | 95% |
| Par / Bogey (individual) | 95% |
| Four-Ball Betterball | 85% |
| Foursomes | 50% |
| Greensome | 60% lower + 40% higher |
To prevent handicaps rising excessively after a period of poor play, WHS includes a two-tier cap based on your Low Handicap Index (LHI), which is the lowest Handicap Index you have held in the last 12 months:
The WHS also includes a Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC) run after every round of sufficient competition. It compares the scores of all players on a given day to their expected scores based on their handicaps. If conditions were significantly harder or easier than normal, a Daily Scratch Variance of −1 to +3 is applied to each score differential for that day, ensuring scores reflect actual skill rather than weather or course setup.
If a single score differential is 7.0 or more below your current Handicap Index, an Exceptional Score Reduction (ESR) is triggered immediately, before the normal rolling calculation takes effect. This prevents a single exceptional round being diluted by many average rounds. Follow-up reductions may be applied if subsequent scores confirm the lower playing ability.
Scores can be submitted through your club's scoring app, a handicap terminal, or by your club administrator. Every eligible round played at an affiliated club must be submitted.
Since the WHS focuses on your best 8 of 20 differentials, consistency in peak performance matters more than avoiding bad rounds.
Course Rating and Slope Rating for each set of tees are set by the regional golf union's trained rating teams. You can find them:
The World Handicap System (WHS) was introduced in November 2020 as a unified global handicapping system. It replaced six different systems used around the world, including the previous CONGU system in the UK, creating one consistent method for all golfers worldwide. It is governed by the R&A and USGA and administered nationally by bodies such as England Golf.
Your Handicap Index is calculated from the best 8 of your last 20 score differentials. Each differential is calculated as: (Adjusted Gross Score − Course Rating) × 113 ÷ Slope Rating. The average of the best 8 is then multiplied by 0.96 to give your Handicap Index, which is truncated (not rounded) to one decimal place.
A Course Handicap is your Handicap Index converted for a specific course and set of tees. The formula is: Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par). This number, rounded to the nearest whole number, is what you actually use when playing on that course.
WHS has two caps to prevent a handicap rising too quickly. The soft cap limits any upward movement to 3.0 strokes above your Low Handicap Index (the lowest you have held in the past 12 months). Movement beyond 3.0 is applied at only 50%. The hard cap means your Handicap Index cannot exceed your Low Handicap Index by more than 5.0 strokes, no matter how many poor rounds you submit.
In England, golfers register through England Golf via the MyEG app or the England Golf website. You must be a member of an affiliated golf club to obtain an official handicap. Once registered, all eligible rounds must be submitted to maintain an active handicap. Your handicap is updated after each submitted score.
An Exceptional Score Reduction (ESR) is applied when a single score differential is 7.0 or more below your current Handicap Index. In this case, an immediate adjustment is made to your Handicap Index rather than waiting for the standard rolling calculation. This ensures that a standout exceptional round is quickly reflected. Additional handicap reductions may follow in subsequent rounds.
Under WHS, all 18-hole rounds played at affiliated clubs must be submitted. Nine-hole rounds can also be combined to form an 18-hole score differential. Rounds must be played in accordance with the Rules of Golf and submitted within the required timeframe set by your club. You cannot selectively omit rounds — all eligible play must be recorded.