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Golf Course Handicap Calculator (WHS)

Convert a World Handicap System Handicap Index into a Course Handicap and Playing Handicap for a specific tee's slope, rating and par.

Enter your Handicap Index and the tee's slope, rating and par. Add an allowance for a Playing Handicap.

About this tool

The Golf Course Handicap Calculator converts your World Handicap System (WHS) Handicap Index into the number of strokes you actually receive on a given set of tees. It uses the official WHS formula Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating / 113) + (Course Rating − Par), rounded to the nearest whole number. The value 113 is the neutral slope of a course of standard difficulty, and slope ratings run from 55 (easiest) to 155 (hardest).

This tool assumes you already know your Handicap Index — it is a tee-to-strokes converter, not an Index calculator — so it complements rather than duplicates a handicap-index tool. Enter your Index plus the tee's Slope Rating, Course Rating, and Par, and it returns both the unrounded figure and the rounded Course Handicap you would use for that tee.

Many competitions apply a handicap allowance — for example 95% of Course Handicap in a stroke-play field or 90% in fourball — to keep results equitable. Enter an allowance percentage (default 100%) and the calculator also reports your Playing Handicap = Course Handicap × allowance, rounded. Everything is computed locally in your browser, so your figures never leave your device.

Frequently asked questions

What is the WHS course handicap formula?
Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating / 113) + (Course Rating − Par), rounded to the nearest whole number. Slope 113 is the neutral standard, so a harder tee (higher slope) yields more strokes.
How is this different from a handicap index tool?
A Handicap Index is your portable playing ability, computed from scoring history. This tool takes that Index and converts it into the strokes you get on one specific tee, using that tee's slope, rating, and par.
What is a playing handicap?
It is Course Handicap adjusted by a competition allowance, e.g. 95% for a stroke-play field or 90% for fourball, then rounded. Allowances keep different formats fair. With a 100% allowance the Playing Handicap equals the Course Handicap.
What slope rating should I enter?
Use the slope printed on the scorecard for the tee you are playing; it ranges from 55 to 155, with 113 being average difficulty. Higher slope means the course plays harder for higher handicappers, so you receive more strokes.

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