Know Your USGA Handicap Index Section I I wonder how many strokes I'll receive the next time I tee it up against my buddy Woodstock?
To figure this out, I need to start with my USGA Handicap Index. A Handicap Index is the number issued by my golf club and is expressed as a number taken to one decimal place. This number represents my potential scoring ability. Mine is 11.6. Not bad for a beagle, is it?
No matter where I play or which set of tees I use, USGA Handicap Indexes travel well and make handicaps fair. Your Handicap Index isn't your handicap; it simply leads you to your Course Handicap, which is the specific number of strokes you need to play on a specific set of tees to adjust your score back to the level of scratch (i.e. Course Rating). If you're like me, you may need more strokes on a difficult golf course and fewer strokes on an easier course.
