RCGA Handicapping Calculation

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NOTE: The Handicap season for posting scores from Ontario golf courses is April 15 to October 31. All games played outside the Active Handicap season in Ontario should not be posted for your Handicap. You may post scores if you played at a course during an Active Handicap Season (I.E. Florida/Arizona in December). For more information consult the RCGA Handicap System Manual.

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The Handicap Formula

Your handicap is a measurement of your scoring potential, not your average score.

An RCGA Handicap Factor is a number that represents the potential scoring ability of a player on a course of standard difficulty. Potential scoring ability is measured by a player's best scores. For this reason, only your best 10 differentials from your last 20 games are used in the handicap calculation. It is expressed as a number taken to one decimal place. These scores are identified by calculating the handicap differential for each score. The RCGA Handicap Factor is calculated by taking 96 percent of the average of the best handicap differentials.
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RCGA Handicap Factor Formula

The RCGA Handicap Factor Formula is based on the best handicap differentials in a player's scoring record. If a player's scoring record contains 20 or more scores, then the best 10 handicap differentials of the most recent 20 scores are used to calculate his RCGA Handicap Factor. The percentage of scores used in a scoring record decreases from the maximum of the best 50 percent as the number of scores in the scoring record decreases. If the scoring record contains 9 or 10 scores, then only the best three scores (30 to 33 percent) in the scoring record will be used. Thus, the accuracy of a player's Handicap Factor is directly proportional to the number of acceptable scores he has posted. An RCGA Handicap Factor shall not be issued to a player who has returned fewer than five acceptable scores. The following procedure illustrates how authorized golf associations and golf clubs calculate a player's Handicap Factor.


For those players with less than 20 games to use in the calculation, use the following table to determine how many scores should be used.The procedure for calculating a Handicap Factor is as follows:

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Use the following table to determine the number of handicap differentials to use

</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>Number of Acceptable Scores</TD><TD width=121>Differentials To Be Used </TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>5 or 6</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 1</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>7 or 8</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 2</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>9 or 10</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 3</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>11 or 12</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 4</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>13 or 14</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 5</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>15 or 16</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 6</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>17</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 7</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>18</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 8</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>19</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 9</TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD width=141>20</TD><TD width=121>Lowest 10</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

1. Take your ESC adjusted gross and subtract the course rating of the tees you played. The course rating has a decimal, e.g., 71.3. The result is the differential.
2. Divide the result by the Slope of the tees you played and multiply by 113. The result is an "adjusted differential".
3. Take the low 10 of your last 20 adjusted differentials, (or use the chart if less than 20 rounds) add them together.
4. Average the handicap differentials being used by dividing the result by the number of used rounds
5. Multiply the result by .96 (96%).
6. Delete all numbers after the tenths digit. Do not round off to the nearest tenth

Example: 11 scores available.

Total of lowest 4 handicap differentials: 103.5

Average (103.5 divided by 4): 25.875

Multiply average by .96: 24.84

Delete digits after tenths: 24.8 RCGA Handicap Factor: 24.8 Note: Bonus for Excellence is the incentive that is built into the RCGA Handicap System, for players to improve their games. It is the term used to describe the small percentage below perfect equity that is used to calculate Handicap Factors (96%). As your Handicap Factor improves (gets lower), you have a slightly better chance of placing high or winning a handicap event.

How to Determine Handicap Differentials
A handicap differential is computed from four elements: adjusted gross score, RCGA Course Rating, RCGA Slope Rating and 113 (the Slope Rating of a course of standard difficulty). To determine the handicap differential, subtract the RCGA Course Rating from the adjusted gross score; multiply the difference by 113; then divide the resulting number by the RCGA Slope Rating. Round the final number to the nearest tenth.

Handicap Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score - RCGA Course Rating) x 113 / RCGA Slope Rating

Posative Handicap Differential
When the adjusted gross score is higher than the RCGA Course Rating, the handicap differential is a positive number. Following is an example for determining a differential using an adjusted gross score of 95 made on a course with a RCGA Course Rating of 71.5 and a RCGA SLOPE Rating of 125:

• Adjusted Gross Score - RCGA Course Rating: 95 - 71.5 = 23.5
• Difference x Standard Slope: 23.5 x 113 = 2655.5
• Result/RCGA Slope Rating: 2655.5/125 = 21.244
• Handicap Differential (rounded): 21.2

Negative Handicap Differential
When the adjusted gross score is lower than the RCGA Course Rating, the handicap differential is a negative number. Following is an example for determining a differential using an adjusted gross score of 69 made on a course with a RCGA Course Rating of 71.5 and a RCGA SLOPE Rating of 125:

• Adjusted Gross Score - RCGA Course Rating: 69 - 71.5 = -2.5
• Difference x Standard Slope: -2.5 x 113 = -282.5
• Result/RCGA Slope Rating: -282.5/125 = -2.26
• Handicap Differential (rounded): -2.3

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How do I get my handicap card to play in tournaments after entering my handicap online?

The handicapping here on this site is unofficial. You need to be a member of Golf Canada (RCGA) to have an official handicap. You can join thier public player program if you are not a member at a Golf Canada member course.

http://e.golfcanada.ca/index.php?rou...63&language=en