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Glossary Math & Statistics

Golf handicap (score differential)

A golf score differential compares a round to the difficulty of the course, so scores from different courses can be compared and a handicap computed.

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In more detail

The formula is (score − course rating) × 113 / slope rating. A 90 on a course rated 72.3 with a slope of 130 is a differential of 15.4; on a slope of 113 and rating of 72 it is 18. A handicap index averages your best recent differentials.

Try these tools

Golf Handicap Calculator

Calculate your golf score differential from your score, course rating, and slope rating — the building block of the USGA Handicap Index.

See also

  • Glossary Mean, median and mode
    The mean is the sum divided by the count, the median is the middle value when sorted, and the mode is the most frequent value.
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