Handicap

The USGA Handicap System™ enables golfers of all skill levels to compete on an equitable basis. This section of the site will help golfers understand why having a Handicap Index® is important. There are links to "The USGA Handicap System" manual, the USGA's handicapping equivalent of "The Rules of Golf", and a Course Handicap™ calculator to allow players to convert their Handicap Index to the Course Handicap for any course that has been properly rated. Articles and resources are available for anyone interested in starting a golf club or for current Handicap Committee chairmen who need assistance in maintaining handicaps for their respective clubs. The current version of the USGA Handicap System went into effect on Jan. 1, 2012, and the next revision will take effect on Jan. 1, 2016. Any modifications to the System are noted on this Web site. 

 

 

 

 

Browse the 2012-2015 Rules

Appendix H Method for Determining Most Improved Player

The USGA recommended method for determining a club's most improved player at the end of a season or year is as follows:

Add 12* to the player's Handicap Index at the start of the season. This is value A. Add 12 to the player's Handicap Index at the end of the season. This is value B.

Divide value A by value B, calculating to three decimal places. This is the improvement factor. The player with the highest improvement factor should receive the most improved player award.

Example:

Starting Handicap Index:

 

22.6

Ending Handicap Index:

 

17.4

Value A:

 

22.6 + 12 = 34.6

Value B:

 

17.4 + 12 = 29.4

A / B:

 

34.6 / 29.4 = 1.177

Improvement Factor:

 

1.177

 

Continue this process for every player who improved during the year. The player with the highest improvement factor is the most improved player.

Note: Add 6* instead of 12 in the case of a nine-hole Handicap Index (N).

*The numbers 6 and 12 have been determined by the USGA as equitable in gauging the improvement of players encompassing the entire spectrum of handicaps. For example, it is relatively the same improvement factor to go from a 20.0 to a 10.0 Handicap Index (improvement factor of 1.454) as it is to go from a 5.0 to a scratch, or zero Handicap Index (improvement factor of 1.416), yet the change in Handicap Index is "10" (20 - 10) versus "5" (5 - 0) strokes. The numbers of 6 and 12 take into consideration the level of a player's improvement rather than the net change in Handicap Index.