Ever wonder where the handicap in golf was established? The initial numbering system originated in Scotland around the year 1670 using the average of a player’s best 3 rounds in any given year. The Scots are credited with building the first golf courses which in turn revolutionized the way adults spent time in the area of recreation. The term handicap was introduced in the late 1800s from a golf game known as “hand in cap”.

Today’s USGA handicap system accounts for differences in the skill level of players and the difficulty of various golf courses around the country. The goal is to properly allocate handicap strokes to ensure all rated players are evenly matched as possible. The entire handicap system is dependent on the integrity of individual golfers posting accurate scores and the USGA provides guidelines for peer review within licensed golf clubs. The system has undergone minor changes since USA implementation in 1911.

Try the calculator here: http://www.usga.org/course-handicap-calculator.html