- Instant shot allowance calculations
- Singles, fourball, foursomes, greensomes & more
- Works with rated golf courses worldwide
- Ideal for clubs, societies & away days
Built for golfers & clubs worldwide
Calculate Golf Shot Allowances in Seconds
Search your course, pick a tee, choose a format and enter your handicap. HANDICALC® instantly returns the correct WHS™ shot allowances — perfect for competitions, fourballs, tours and match play.
or download the app
UK, Ireland & more
Coverage
All major
Playing formats supported
<1s
Average calculation
100%
WHS™ aligned
What it does
Built around the World Handicap System™
HANDICALC® applies the WHS™ to your handicap and course details to calculate your correct shot allowances. Supporting 20+ formats — from singles and fourball to scrambles, betterball and team events — it works with any course that has a rating, handles mixed tees automatically, and delivers results in under a second.
How it works
What is a WHS™ shot allowance?
Under the World Handicap System™, the strokes you receive in a round depend on three things. Your Course Handicap converts your Handicap Index to the difficulty of the course. Your Playing Handicap then adjusts this again using the WHS™ allowance percentages for your chosen format.
HANDICALC® automates the entire process so you always use the correct numbers — no charts, no lookup tables, no mistakes.
01
Your handicap
Your current WHS™ Handicap Index — the baseline number of strokes you receive.
02
The tees you play
Course Rating and Slope of the tee you chose, used to set your Course Handicap.
03
The format you play
Stroke play, match play, fourball, foursomes — each has a different WHS™ allowance.
The formula
Course Handicap × Format Allowance % = Playing Handicap
e.g. CH 14 × 95% (singles stroke play) = PH 13
App preview
See HANDICALC® in action
Three taps and you have your playing handicap. Here's what the app actually looks like — from course search to final result.
1
Search any rated course
2
Enter players & handicaps
3
Instant playing handicap
Format reference
See all formats Every format. Every allowance.
HANDICALC® supports all the formats your club, society or weekend group is likely to play. These are the headline WHS™ allowances — the calculator handles the rest.
95%
Singles stroke play
Official WHS™ allowance
100%
Singles match play
Official WHS™ allowance
85%
Fourball stroke play
Official WHS™ allowance
90%
Fourball match play
Official WHS™ allowance
50% combined
Foursomes (alternate)
Official WHS™ allowance
60% / 40%
Greensomes
Official WHS™ allowance
25/20/15/10%
Scramble (4-person)
Official WHS™ allowance
95%
Stableford
Official WHS™ allowance
The basics
How golf shot allowances work
Your Handicap Index is the same at every course. Under the World Handicap System™ it is converted to a Course Handicap for the tee you play, using that tee’s Slope Rating, Course Rating and par: Handicap Index × Slope ÷ 113, plus (Course Rating − Par).
The format then decides how much of that Course Handicap you actually receive, which gives your Playing Handicap. HANDICALC® does both steps for any rated course and tee, including mixed tees and separate men’s and women’s ratings, so every player in the group gets the right shots.
See the full list on the formats page, follow a worked example in how it works, or check the FAQ.
Common allowances
- Singles stroke play
- 95% of Course Handicap
- Fourball betterball
- 85% of Course Handicap
- Foursomes
- 50% of the pair's combined Course Handicaps
- Greensomes
- 60% of the lower + 40% of the higher
- Texas Scramble (4 players)
- 25% / 20% / 15% / 10%, lowest to highest
Why HANDICALC®
Why golfers trust HANDICALC®
Whether you're organising a club event, planning a tour, or just playing a weekend match, HANDICALC® ensures everyone receives the correct allowances every time.
20+ golf formats supportedWorks with mixed tees & gendersOfficial Course & Slope RatingsUsed by golf societies & clubs
Built on published WHS™ principles
Calculations are based on the published World Handicap System™ recommendations.
Works with rated golf courses worldwide
Anywhere with a Course Rating and Slope Rating — from championship venues to your local club.
Designed for accuracy
Built for clubs and societies that can't afford to get strokes wrong on competition day.
Fast & mobile-friendly
Check shots from the first tee. No app install, no chart on paper, no faffing about.
Created by golfers, for golfers
Made by a small team who play, run competitions and organise trips themselves.
Regularly updated
Course rules and allowance percentages updated to reflect the latest WHS™ guidance.
Ready when you are
Get the right strokes — before the first tee.
Free, fast and accurate. 20+ formats including fourball, betterball, scrambles and match play. Mixed tees? Handled automatically. No sign-up, no spreadsheets, no charts — just the correct WHS™ shot allowance for every round.
Popular pages
Quick reference resources from the HANDICALC® knowledge base.
WHS™ shot allowances for each format
Singles, fourball, foursomes, greensomes, scramble — every official allowance, side by side.
Read moreHow playing handicaps are calculated
From Handicap Index to Course Handicap to Playing Handicap — explained simply.
Read moreCommon WHS™ handicap questions
Rounding rules, mixed tees, women vs men, par adjustments and more.
Read moreWhat golfers are saying
Rated 5.0 on the App Store
Based on 4 App Store ratings.
“Must have for golfers”
Essential for those that play any type of golf, endless amounts of formats. Great for societies and those that plan golf trips.
— Daveod17
“Great new app”
Just what is needed as an organiser of inter club matches and societies.
— 123 Andy S