What Does a +20 Golf Handicap Mean? A Thorough Breakdown for High Handicappers
Hey there! As a fellow recreational golfer, I know firsthand how confusing golf handicaps can be. What does it really mean to have a +20 handicap? Is that considered a "good" score? How do handicaps even work?
Well, you‘ve come to the right place to get a full handicap education!
I‘m going to walk you through everything you need to know about handicaps, what it means to be a +20 golfer, and how high handicappers can understand and improve their game.
Get ready to be a certified golf handicap expert by the end of this guide!
An Introduction to Golf Handicaps
Let‘s start at the beginning – what is a golf handicap and why do we use them?
A handicap is a numerical measure of a golfer‘s scoring potential, used to level the playing field for amateurs of different abilities. According to the United States Golf Association (USGA), "The purpose of the USGA Handicap System is to make the game of golf more enjoyable by enabling golfers of all skill levels to compete on an equitable basis."
Handicaps allow us weekend hackers to play fair matches against low handicappers, mid handicappers, or even our pro friends! The handicap system gives the higher scorer a stroke allowance to account for the skill difference.
Your handicap number represents the number of strokes above par you can generally be expected to shoot on a course of "normal" playing difficulty (that magic number is based on some calculations we‘ll dig into soon).
Now for a pop quiz!
-
What do you think these terms mean in golf?
- Scratch golfer
- Bogey golfer
- Par golfer
Here‘s a quick explanation of each:
- Scratch golfer: A player with a zero handicap, expected to shoot even par or better. The best of the best.
- Bogey golfer: A player with around a 20 handicap, expected to shoot around 20 strokes over par. Average amateur level.
- Par golfer: A player with a handicap between 8-12, expected to shoot around par. Excellent recreational player.
So there you have a quick intro to what handicaps represent. Let‘s dig deeper!
Understanding Your Handicap Number
When you hear someone say "I‘m a 20 handicap", what does that really mean? Let‘s break it down:
- Par for a standard 18-hole course is 72 strokes
- A 20 handicap golfer is expected to shoot 20 strokes OVER par
- That‘s around 92 total strokes on an average course
The handicap system is based on course par being 72. From there, your handicap number indicates how many extra strokes you‘re likely to take compared to the scratch (zero handicap) golfer‘s score.
Some key handicap levels:
- Scratch: 0
- Low: 1-9
- Medium: 10-19
- High: 20+
So as a 20 handicapper, you are towards the higher end of the scale, about average for a casual golfer. Nothing wrong with that! The fun thing about handicaps is you can track your improvement over time as your index drops.
I put together this handy reference chart to break down approximate scoring potential by handicap levels:
| Handicap | Scoring Potential | Percentage of Golfers |
|---|---|---|
| Scratch (0) | Par or better | Less than 1% |
| Low (1-9) | Below 80 | Around 5% |
| Medium (10-19) | 80s to low 90s | Roughly 25% |
| High (20+) | 90s and above | Almost 70% |
As you can see, the majority of weekend players actually fall into that high handicap category, so you‘ve got lots of friendly competition out there!
Now let‘s distinguish between your two key handicap numbers:
Handicap Index vs. Course Handicap
This is an important differentiation every golfer needs to understand about how handicaps work:
- Handicap Index – Your underlying skill number, calculated from your scoring history
- Course Handicap – The number of strokes you get on a specific course that day
Your handicap index is your base skill number that you earn through posting lots of scores and having them analyzed against the course difficulty and ratings. This represents your potential ability.
But the number of strokes you actually get will vary depending on the specifics of where you‘re playing that day. That‘s your course handicap.
The course handicap lets you adjust your scoring potential based on the difficulty of a certain course versus an average one. So you may play to around a 20 handicap index, but have a course handicap that‘s higher or lower on any given day.
Let‘s walk through an example:
Say your handicap index calculates out to 20, meaning your scoring potential is 20-over par on an average course.
But today you‘re playing at a particularly challenging track with a high slope rating of 135.
To calculate your course handicap, you multiply your index by the slope rating divided by 113 (the USGA standard slope), then add the difference between the course rating and par.
So if you‘re playing a par 72 course with a slope of 135 and rating of 75.2, your course handicap would be:
- (20 * (135/113)) + (75.2 – 72) = 27
Giving you 27 strokes for the round to adjust for the harder than average difficulty!
This allows you to compete on any course without being at a scoring disadvantage for your skill level. Pretty cool how it works!
Calculating and Tracking Your Handicap Index
Now you know why handicap indexes and course handicaps are different. But how do you actually get that base index number that represents your golf potential?
The USGA uses a specific formula to calculate your index from your most recent 20 scores:
- Convert each score to a differential based on the course/slope ratings
- Take the lowest 8 differentials
- Average those lowest 8
- Multiply by 0.96 (that‘s the USGA magic number!)
When you join an authorized golf club, they‘ll give you access to post scores through the GHIN handicap tracking system. GHIN follows the USGA formula to update your index after each round.
I like to use TheGrint app since it‘s free and integrates with GHIN to track my handicap automatically. Pretty slick!
The key things to remember are:
- Post all your scores – good and bad!
- Index updates on the 1st and 15th of each month
- More scores = more accurate handicap
It‘s awesome to see your index dropping as you improve! Stick with it and the handicap system will reward you.
Why Women Have Higher Handicaps than Men
You may notice your female golf buddies have higher handicaps even when they seem to play just as well as you. There‘s a reason for that!
Women naturally have slower swing speeds than men. They also have lower muscle mass and height on average. This leads to shorter driving distances and more difficulty reaching greens in regulation.
To account for these physical differences, the USGA uses different tees, ratings, and scales for women to optimize their handicap potential. The result is females generally have handicaps around 8-10 strokes higher than males of similar scoring ability.
So while the ladies might be playing from a closer tee box, their higher handicap allows them to remain competitive on results. Maintaining separate handicap systems equalizes the competition across genders. Kudos to the USGA for thinking of the big picture!
Improving from a 20 Handicap to a 15 or Lower
Now for the fun part – how can you improve as a high handicapper and see your scores dropping? Here are my top tips:
1. Take Lessons
Some pro instruction can go a long way to improving your swing fundamentals and consistency. Work on proper grip, alignment, posture – the building blocks to better shots.
2. Practice the Short Game Obsessively
They say hitting putts is "golf‘s great equalizer", and I think that‘s true! Work endlessly on your chipping, pitching, sand shots and putting to save strokes around the greens.
3. Play Strategically
Course management is key. Don‘t just whack away with your driver – strategize based on your distances and strengths. Position yourself smartly.
4. Track Your Statistics
Apps like Arccos Caddie give awesome stat tracking to help identify strengths and weakness in your game. Analyze and practice your weaknesses!
5. Strive for "Bogey Golf"
Aim to make bogey or better on every single hole. Eliminate doubles and others. Staying out of major trouble is huge!
Stick with those fundamentals and your handicap will keep dropping. I‘m excited for you!
Here are some inspiring tips from the pros on knocking strokes off your handicap:
"Practice chipping and putting more than anything else – that‘s where you can improve quickly." – Jack Nicklaus, the Golden Bear with 18 major wins
"Consistent ball-striking comes from repetitive motion. To improve, you need disciplined practice to groove your swing." – Annika Sorenstam, 72-time LPGA winner and World Golf Hall of Famer
"Course management is crucial. Don‘t just hit driver everywhere – play strategically to your strengths." – Gary Player, career Grand Slam champion
Let those tips motivate you to put in the work and watch your handicap improve with time and effort. You‘ve got this!
In Summary
Let‘s recap the key things you now know about golf handicaps:
- Handicaps allow golfers of different abilities to compete on equal terms
- Your handicap index represents your potential scoring ability
- Higher handicaps mean higher scores – a 20 handicap averages around 20 over par
- Course handicaps factor in difficulty to adjust your strokes for each round
- Improving comes from practice, strategy, and playing smartly
Understanding exactly what your handicap means is the first step to tracking your improvement and hitting your golf goals.
You‘re now an expert on how handicaps work! Congratulations!!
I hope this guide gave you some great tips and motivation to take your game to the next level. Let me know if you have any other golf handicap questions! I‘m always happy to chat more about this fascinating game.
Now get out there, post some scores, and enjoy competing against golfers of all abilities. You‘ve got this!
Your friend,
-Terry