Getting a Golf Handicap

 An Australian Golf Handicap is a numerical figure, which is a reflection of an amateur golfer’s playing ability. Australian Golf Handicaps allow golfers of all physical golf abilities to be able to compete against one another and are calculated and allotted in accordance with the Australian Handicapping and Course Rating Systems as specified by Golf Australia. The maximum Australian Handicap permitted for men is 36 and for women is 45.

All affiliated golf clubs in Australia are permitted to allocate Australian Handicaps to the membership categories that each club deems appropriate. Such handicaps shall only be available to golfers in respect of whom an annual fee is payable to the State governing body. Usually categories of club membership associated with course playing rights entitle a player to attain and hold an Australian Handicap. In addition State Associations are permitted to directly allocate Australian Handicaps to non-club members through programs such as Golf Access.  A player is only entitled to have one Australian Handicap that must be allocated by the player’s “home club”. If a player is or becomes a member of more than one golf club, he or she must select one club as the “home club”.

Click here...> for a copy of the current Australian Men's Handicapping System.

How then does a player initially get an Australian Handicap?

Following joining a club or a program such as Golf Access, a player must submit scorecards from three rounds of golf (of between 9 and 18 holes) attested by an “approved marker”. An “approved marker” is generally a golfer who holds either a men or women’s Australian Handicap. The initial 3 cards should be from the player’s “home club”. Each card must indicate the Calculated Course Rating (or Australian Course Rating if no CCR is available). On submission of the cards, each card is analysed and adjusted (if necessary) so that the worst score for any given hole is not more than 3 over par (eg. triple bogey). Thus if a player returned a score of 9 or more on a par 5 hole, the score is adjusted to a 8. It should be noted that this adjustment is only made to a player’s initial three cards.

After these adjustments have been made, the difference between the amended score and the CCR of each card is ascertained. These three differentials are added together and then averaged by dividing by three. The resulting average (to one decimal place) is the player’s exact handicap, which can then be rounded to the nearer whole number (.5 being rounded up) to give the player’s Australian Handicap. As the exact handicap is the starting point for future handicapping, both figures must always be recorded.

Example

A player having submitted three scorecards would be allocated an Australian Handicap as follows: -

Round	Adjusted Score	CCR (or (ACR if CCR is not available)	Differentials (ie. adjusted score minus the CCR)
1	91	73	18
2	90	74	16
3	83	72	11
		Total	45/3 = 15.0

Consequently in the above example, the player’s initial Australian Handicap would be 15.

The Home Club’s Handicap Committee may allot a player an initial handicap less than the average if it has good reason to consider that a lower handicap is more appropriate to the player’s ability. An example may be a player returning to the game after a long absence (2 years or more) but who previously held a handicap lower than that calculated by submitting three “new” cards upon rejoining a club. In addition, younger players are sometimes allocated an initial lower handicap, as their rate of improvement is often quite rapid.

It should also be noted that a fundamental assumption of the Australian Handicapping System is that every player will endeavour to make the best score he can at each hole in every round he plays and that he will report every eligible round for handicapping purposes, regardless of where the round was played.

The maximum Australian Handicap for men is 36 and 45 for women. This greatly assists new and elderly golfers gain and retain a competitive involvement in the game.

An Australian Handicap is required in order for a player to compete in amateur or open events (including club competitions) away from a player’s home club. It is in many ways an essential passport for enjoying golf competitions wherever the game is played.