My handicap, according to Garmin, is 16. What I am interested in knowing is what score I would need to achieve if I played at a specific course tomorrow to lower my handicap.
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Use that index to get your course handicap, then shoot 1-2 under it. More in-depth analysis: review the app’s scores that are being calculated, and improve your index on the lowest score. Use your lowest score, for instance, of 14.6 to determine your course handicap and aim to score higher than that.
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How? What do you mean by index?
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To be blunt, if you don’t understand the handicap system enough to know what index means you really need to research how the entire handicap system works. People are going to have to explain it to you start to finish to explain what you’re asking for specifically.
Warning:
This is a detailed read…but you asked!
TL;DR:
Use the USGA course handicap calculator for simplicity.
Here are the 4 key points about course ratings and handicaps:
- Course Rating: Reflects how difficult the course is for a scratch golfer. For example, a Par 72 course with a rating of 70 is slightly easier for a scratch golfer.
- Slope Rating: Measures the course’s difficulty for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer. Slope ratings range from 55 to 155, with 113 being average.
- Course Handicap: Determines your specific handicap for a course. For instance, a 16 handicap on a Par 72 with a 125 slope rating becomes 18, while a 5 handicap becomes 6. This reflects the course’s difficulty.
- Score Differential: Shows how your round affects your handicap. Calculated as:
(113/slope rating) × (adjusted gross score - course rating)
For example, an adjusted gross score of 85 on a course with a 125 slope rating gives a score differential of 13.56, improving your handicap.
Adjusted Gross Score: Maximum score per hole is net double bogey to prevent high scores from skewing your handicap. For instance, a gross score of 90 might adjust to 87 if you had a blow-up hole.
Your handicap is the average of your best 8 of 20 scores. To improve it, you need a better score differential than one of those 8 rounds. Knowing how to calculate your adjusted gross score, course handicap, course rating, and slope rating is essential.
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Thanks! What I need to know is how to find my course handicap before I play, so I can add it to par to set my target score.
I track my scores and performance with Garmin Approach products and can see my course handicap in the Garmin golf app after a round. I’ve asked in the Garmin forum how to access this information before playing.
When I was working on lowering my golf handicap, I found that improving your score significantly depends on the course’s difficulty and your current handicap. For example, if your current handicap is 16 and you’re playing a course with a higher course rating, you’d generally need to shoot a score significantly below your current average to lower your handicap. In my experience, shooting about 4-5 strokes better than your average score, adjusted for the course’s difficulty, can lead to a noticeable improvement. So if you’re aiming to lower your handicap, targeting a score that’s around 4-5 strokes better than your usual performance at that course would be a good goal.