1. Select course and tees

Start by choosing the course and the tee set you’re playing from in the Handicalc™ calculator. Behind the scenes, Handicalc™ uses the Course Rating™, Slope Rating® and par for those tees.

These values tell Handicalc™ how difficult that set of tees is compared with a standard WHS™ “reference” course.

2. Enter Handicap Index® values

Next, you add each player and their Handicap Index®. Handicalc™ then converts each Handicap Index® into a Course Handicap for the selected tees using a WHS™-style calculation.

Course Handicap calculation (WHS™-style)

A common WHS™-style formula (exact details can vary by union) is:

Course Handicap = (Handicap Index® × Slope Rating® ÷ 113) + (Course Rating™ − Par)

The precise implementation, including whether the (Course Rating™ − Par) adjustment is applied at Course Handicap or Playing Handicap stage, can vary slightly between jurisdictions. Handicalc™ is designed to be flexible so it can support different WHS™-style setups.

3. Choose the playing format

After Course Handicaps are calculated, you select the format you’re playing – for example singles stroke play, singles match play, fourball better-ball or foursomes.

Each format has its own recommended WHS™ allowance percentage. For example, singles stroke play usually uses 95% of Course Handicap, while fourball better-ball typically uses a lower percentage for each player. You can see the current allowances for formats on the Formats page.

4. Apply format allowance to get Playing Handicap

Handicalc™ then applies the relevant allowance to each Course Handicap to arrive at a Playing Handicap for the chosen format.

Playing Handicap calculation (simplified example)

If a format uses 95% allowance, a simple WHS™-style approach is:

Playing Handicap = Course Handicap × 95%

Example: Singles stroke play

Format: Singles stroke play, 95% allowance

Course Handicap: 15

Apply the allowance:
15 × 95% = 14.25
Round according to WHS™ rounding rules:
Playing Handicap ≈ 14

Handicalc™ does this automatically and shows you the Playing Handicap you should use for that round.

5. Handle mixed tees and multiple players

Many real-world competitions involve players on different tees or with a mix of genders. In these cases, Handicalc™ considers Course Rating™ differences between tees and applies WHS™-style adjustments so that everyone can compete fairly.

When there are multiple players, Handicalc™:

Calculates a Course Handicap for each player based on their own tees
Applies the correct format allowance to each player or side
Adjusts for differences in Course Rating™ where required (e.g. mixed tees)
Outputs Playing Handicaps and any strokes to give or receive

Example: Fourball better-ball (simplified)

Format: Fourball better-ball

Exact allowances can vary; see the Formats page for the WHS™-style percentages Handicalc™ uses.

Each player gets a Course Handicap from their Handicap Index® and tees.
Handicalc™ applies the appropriate allowance to each player (for example, a percentage of Course Handicap).
Playing Handicaps are compared so that you can see who receives strokes on each hole.

The result is a simple view of how many shots each player receives, and where, for your fourball match.

6. Take it to the course

Once Handicalc™ has finished the calculations, you can use the output:

On the first tee to agree shots for a friendly match or fourball
In the pro shop or office when setting up a competition
As a cross-check against other systems or competition software

The aim is simple: consistent, transparent and repeatable shot allowances using WHS™ concepts, without needing to do the maths yourself.

Handicalc™ is intended as a practical tool to help apply WHS™-style calculations. The official Rules of Handicapping and your Committee’s Terms of Competition always take precedence.

When you’re ready, head to the Calculator to try it for yourself, or explore the Formats page for more detail on allowances used for different types of play.