What's the difference between my Handicap Index, Course Handicap and Playing Handicap?

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Accepted Answer

Handicap Index: your portable measure of ability, the same wherever you play. It isn't the number of strokes you get on the course. Course Handicap: the strokes you get from a particular set of tees, so it changes with the tees you play: Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − par) Example (Handicap Index 15.0): Tees Course Rating Slope Par Course Handicap Target score (par + CH) Green 72.0 128 70 19 89 White 70.0 125 70 17 87 Silver 68.0 120 70 14 84 Your club's look-up chart or app does the sum for you. Playing Handicap: the strokes you actually receive in a given format: Playing Handicap = Course Handicap × handicap allowance In general play, your Course Handicap is your Playing Handicap. In competitions, the GB&I national associations have made these allowances mandatory: Format Allowance Individual stroke play 95% (regardless of field size) Four-ball stroke play 85% Individual match play 100% Four-ball match play 90% If players in a competition are playing from tees with different pars, those playing to the higher par add the difference to their Playing Handicap. Where you get your strokes: compare your Playing Handicap with the stroke index on the card. A Playing Handicap of 10 gets one stroke on stroke index 1 to 10.

Format	Allowance
Individual stroke play	95% (regardless of field size)
Four-ball stroke play	85%
Individual match play	100%
Four-ball match play	90%