Supported formats & WHS™ shot allowances

Handicalc™ supports a wide range of golf formats — from singles to team events — and applies WHS™-style allowance percentages suitable for each type of play. These allowances help ensure fairness across both social and competitive rounds.

For more detail on the maths behind these allowances, visit the How it works page or try a real example using the Handicalc™ calculator.

Singles (stroke play)

Standard individual scoring (medal or Stableford). Each player competes independently.

Typical WHS™ allowance: 95% of Course Handicap.

Singles match play

Head-to-head match between two players, awarding strokes based on Playing Handicaps.

Typical WHS™ allowance: 100% of Course Handicap.

Fourball betterball

Two-player teams. Each player plays their own ball; the better net score counts.

Typical WHS™ allowance: 85% of Course Handicap.

Foursomes

Partners play alternate shots using the same ball, taking alternate tee shots.

Typical WHS™ allowance: 50% of combined Course Handicaps.

Greensomes

Both players drive, the team selects the best tee shot, then alternate shots are played.

Typical WHS™ allowance: weighted blend (often 60% low + 40% high).

Pinehurst / Chapman

Both partners tee off, then play their partner’s ball for the second shot. The team selects the best ball after two shots and plays alternate shots to finish the hole.

Typical WHS™ allowance: 60% of lower Course Handicap + 40% of higher Course Handicap.

Best 1–4 of 4

Each golfer plays their own ball; the team score uses the best 1, 2, 3 or all 4 scores depending on competition rules.

WHS™ allowances:
Best 1 of 4: 85% each
Best 2 of 4: 85% each
Best 3 of 4: 100% each
Best 4 of 4: 100% each

Texas Scramble

All players tee off, the best ball is chosen, and all players play each shot from that position.

WHS™-style team allowance:
4-player teams: 25% / 20% / 15% / 10% (lowest to highest)
3-player teams: 30% / 20% / 10%

Total Score of 2 – Match Play

Both players in a team complete each hole. Their combined net score is compared against the other team to determine the match play result for the hole.

Typical WHS™ allowance: 100% of each player's Course Handicap.

Best 1–4 of 4 (Par/Bogey)

Similar to Stableford/medal versions, but each hole is scored as +1, 0 or −1 versus par/bogey using the best 1, 2, 3 or 4 net scores.

WHS™ allowances follow the standard team percentages listed above.

Custom formats

Handicalc™ can support society-specific or non-standard formats with bespoke allowances.