Whether it’s reevaluating what a successful round or hole means for your game or moving up or back a set of tees depending on the course you play, there are multiple ways you can use your Handicap Index this season to approach your round differently.
Focus on target score, not par
For most golfers, shooting anywhere close to par for an entire round is an unrealistic goal. An alternative number to aspire to is target score, which represents the number you’ll need to card in order to play to your handicap. To determine it, add your Course Handicap™, which changes from course to course and tee to tee, to the par of the tees you’re playing. For example, if your Course Handicap is 20 and par is 71, your target score would be 91.
Remember, your Handicap Index measures your demonstrated ability – your potential – not the score you should shoot every time. Generally, golfers hit their target score about 15-20 percent of the time and can expect to shoot 2-5 strokes higher in most rounds.
Dot your scorecard
Just as shooting even par is an unlikely round for many golfers, so is achieving par on specific holes, depending on your ability. By dotting your scorecard, or using the built-in technology in the GHIN app, you can identify which holes you’re getting strokes on prior to the round and adjust your approach accordingly.
How it works: the Stroke Index – or “Handicap” row as it’s displayed on a scorecard – generally represents the difficulty of each hole ranked 1 (hardest) to 18 (easiest). By knowing your Course Handicap, you can determine the number of strokes it should take to play to your handicap on each hole. For example, if your Course Handicap is 12, then 1 over par (a bogey) would be considered a good score on holes allocated 1 through 12. On holes allocated 13 through 18, making par is within reach if you play them well.
The same approach is true if you play 9-hole rounds. If your 9-hole Course Handicap is 6, then a bogey on the six most difficult holes and par on the remaining three holes would be good scores. Sure, a round of golf rarely plays out this way, but it’s helpful to set expectations and goals before that first tee goes in the ground.
Try different tees
For the courses you play most often, move back or forward a set of tees from one round to the next to change the types and lengths of shots you’ll hit. You can calculate your Course Handicap/target score before your round to see how the change impacts the number of strokes you’re getting, and the change can put you in a better position to reach those performance goals.
Don’t have a Handicap Index? Sign up in minutes today at usga.org/getahandicap.