# Golf handicap **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 25, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-handicap/184252 "2003-06-25T07:35:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![lite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b5ac83/32.png) [@lite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lite)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-handicap/184252/1 "2003-06-25T07:35:31Z")
OK, I trust someone here can help. Have a link on how to determine golf handicap? ---
**Author:** ![Aro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b3f665/32.png) [@Aro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aro)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 8:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-handicap/184252/2 "2003-06-25T08:00:28Z")
You have to hand in your last three scorecards to your club and they basically take the average over those three rounds. Nothing complicated to it, really. NOTE: This is on the ‘honour system’ though, as people can deliberately play badly for a few rounds, get given a high handicap and then clean-up in all the following events due to their subsequent advantage. ---
**Author:** ![Tarantula](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e274bd/32.png) [@Tarantula](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tarantula)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 8:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-handicap/184252/3 "2003-06-25T08:14:52Z")
Here ya gogo… [All you could want to know about handicaps](http://golf.about.com/cs/handicapping/a/handicapsummary.htm) You should just type “Golf Handicaps” into Google… Enjoy 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![WillGolfForFood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/82dd89/32.png) [@WillGolfForFood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillGolfForFood)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2003, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/golf-handicap/184252/4 "2003-06-25T21:35:44Z")
Also, [the USGA’s website](http://www.usga.org) has a pretty thorough description of their handicap system. As does the website of [the fellow who inventted the USGA’s current rating/slope system used to compare golf courses for difficulty](http://www.popeofslope.com).