Golf Handicap

What is a golf handicap?

The’handicap (in English Handicap Index) summarizes your golfing ability in a single number, for example 18,2. It tracks your progress from one golf course to the next and lets you play on equal footing with partners who are stronger or weaker than you: each player receives strokes based on their handicap.

• 54 is the maximum handicap: it is the starting handicap for every golfer who is just starting out in France.
• 0 corresponds to a “scratch” player, capable of playing the course at his SSS.
• The best amateurs have a handicap negative (For example, we say “plus 2.”).

Index or handicap: What's the difference?

The two words are often confused. The’handicap measures your level, regardless of your background. The playing handicap is the whole number of strokes you take on a given course, starting from specified tees: it is calculated based on your handicap, the course's slope, and its SSS.

How is the handicap calculated?

Since 2020, France has been implementing the World Handicap System (WHS), managed by the French Golf Federation. Each score card submitted yields a differential; your handicap is the average of the 8 best spreads among your last 20 trades. It is recalculated every day a new score is recorded.

The complete formula, the limits, and a step-by-step example with figures are in our guide Golf Handicap Index: What It Is and How to Calculate It.

Where can I check their handicap?

In France, their handicap and card history are available in your member portal at ffgolf.org and in the federation's app.