A golfer's handicap is a measure of how he plays, on average, per round. Casual golfers might not establish handicaps, but handicaps are required for most amateur tournaments and are useful to set fair matches. A "low" handicap is relative, depending on the level of golfers with whom you typically play and quality of players at your club.
Low Handicap
In most cases, a low golf handicap is one that is a single digit. In other words, it is a handicap of between 1 and 9. Different people may have different definitions of a low handicap.
For example, a golfer with a handicap of 2 might not feel that 9 is considered low. Still, anyone with a single-digit handicap is a skilled golfer.
Moderate and High Handicaps
If a golfer has a handicap between 10 and 18, she is a skilled player with a moderate handicap. Basically, a handicap of 10 means the player consistently shoots 10 strokes higher than the difficulty rating of the courses she plays regularly.
Someone with a handicap of 18 is sometimes called a "bogey golfer," meaning she averages a bogey, or one shot above par, per hole.
A high handicap is anything above 18, but even a high handicap can indicate you are an okay golfer. According to the Golf Channel, the average score for all U.S. golfers is 100. This number takes into account many golfers who play only occasionally.
Scratch Golfer
Many golfers with low handicaps hope to be able to one day call themselves "scratch" golfers. Use of this term means the golfer is capable of shooting par or better on a consistent basis.
Considerations
A golfer's handicap is directly related to the difficulty, or slope, of the courses where he plays the most. For example, someone with a handicap of 10 who plays an easy, municipal course could not reasonably expect to shoot 10 strokes over par at a challenging course such as St. Andrews in Scotland.
FAQs
What Is a Low Handicap in Golf? If your eight-best average amounts to anywhere between 1 and 9, you have what's considered a low handicap. That range is subdivided by many into high, low, and mid-single-digit handicaps, which can be an incentive to improve.
What is low handicap golf? ›
A Low Handicap Index is established once a player has at least 20 acceptable scores in their scoring record. Once a player has established a Low Handicap Index, it is re-evaluated every time a new acceptable score is submitted and must be displayed in the player's scoring record.
What is a mid handicapper golfer? ›
A mid handicapper is someone who plays with a handicap that is between 11 and 20, although there are no official level definitions. This generally means that you can shoot in the 80s in each round and break 90 in every other round.
What is a respectable golf handicap? ›
A golfer with a handicap of 35+ would probably see 20 as a good handicap, but a semi-pro golfer with a handicap of 1 or 2 may consider a scratch handicap to be “good”. A general rule of thumb is to aim to work towards a single digit handicap. In play terms, this would mean shooting between 78 and 82 on a par 72 course.
What is a bad golf handicap? ›
What is a good or bad handicap number?: The lower the handicap number means the better the golfer. The higher the handicap number means the worse the golfer. For example: A 1-handicapper is a good golfer. A 40-handicapper is not nearly as good.
Has Tiger Woods ever shot a 59? ›
Since then, as a Golf Digest article from 2014 details, the scorecard has been lost. The 59 remains the only time Woods has posted golf's magic number. And, interestingly, he's never shot 60 in his life. “I've shot 61 a bunch,” he says.
What is a beginner golf handicap? ›
What is a Golf Handicap for a Beginner? On average, a beginner golf handicap is above 30. Breaking 90, which means finishing with 18 strokes over par, would be considered a good score as a beginner. So, a good golf handicap for a beginner to aim for would be 18 or under.
What is my handicap if I shoot 95? ›
Average Score Chart of Every Handicap Index below 24
What's my golf handicap if I shoot 100? If we make the assumption that you typically play a par 72 course, a player that shoots 100 every time they play would have a golf handicap of approximately 28.
What is a 20 handicapper? ›
If you are a 20 handicap, you would have a total of 20 strokes given to you for the round. This means that whatever your total score is (gross score), you would subtract 20 strokes from that score and that would be your handicap-adjusted score (net score).
If you shoot a 90, your handicap comes in at the upper mid-range at 18. That means there's much room to improve, but you're doing great.
What is a scratch golfer? ›
A scratch golfer is an individual who can shoot par or better on any given golf course. This feat requires a mastery of the fundamentals of golf, from tee shots, fairway shots, and approach shots to putting. Scratch golfers are also known as zero-handicap golfers.
What is considered scratch golfer? ›
A scratch golfer is a golfer who shoots par or better on a regular basis. These golfers have a handicap of zero. They can usually shoot in the 70s or better.
What's the worst handicap you can have? ›
Under the EGA Handicap System, initial handicaps require just a single 9 or 18-hole score recorded using the maximum handicap of 54.
What is a decent golf handicap for a woman? ›
With women golfers, we see a lot of consistency in their scores from age. Remember, this is the handicap index, so the course handicap would likely be an average of around 24-28, which is the average for female golfers.
What is the highest golf handicap for a woman? ›
The maximum handicap for any player, regardless of gender, is 54.0. There are a few reasons why this change was implemented.
Is it good to have a low handicap? ›
The lower the handicap, the better the golfer; and the higher the handicap, the worse the golfer. If you have a high handicap, you need more than the suggested number of strokes (par) to finish the golf course. Scratch golfers have a handicap of zero. That means they finish the course or hole on par.
What is a 22 handicap in golf? ›
If a golfer plays off a 22 handicap then they will receive 22 shots during the course of the round - 1 on each of the 18 holes and 2 strokes on those holes which are rated in difficulty of 1, 2, 3 and 4.
What is a 10 handicap in golf? ›
With Equitable Stroke Control (ESC), every golfer is assigned a maximum score allowable on a hole. The limit depends on the player's Course Handicap (not the Handicap Index). As the table below shows, a 10-handicapper could take no score higher than 7 on any hole, regardless of its par.
What does 85 handicap mean in golf? ›
1: In Four-Ball stroke play with a handicap allowance of 85%, player A gives 3 strokes back to the course, player B receives 14 strokes, player C receives 6 strokes and player D receives 22 strokes.
