Handicap Visual Tool
With an established 20-score record, your lowest 8 differentials count. A new round replaces the oldest, while the other 19 stay. A bad round may not enter your best 8. Losing an old low round can raise the average, even after a decent new round.
A score differential compares your gross score, adjusted for handicap purposes, with the course difficulty for the tees you played. It accounts for Course Rating, Slope Rating and playing conditions. It's not your total shots or simply your score minus par. Lower is better.
How to use this tool
Choose one of the three examples, then drag the slider or type your next differential. Switch Before/After to see the 8 counting rounds highlighted on the same grid. Expand “Try your own 20 differentials” to edit your record, oldest first. Use Reset this example to start again.
Want to estimate your Handicap Index from your scores? Use the Golf Handicap Calculator.
One round out. One round in.
Your record rolls forward. The other 19 rounds stay on your record.
Green + BEST 8 = counts in the selected view. Orange outline = a retained round changes counting status.
These 19 rounds stay
Oldest to newest, read across each row
19 existing rounds + 1 new round = your latest 20
Try your own 20 differentials
Edit the example values below, oldest first. Use differentials from your scoring record, not total shots.
Values stay only in this open page. Nothing is saved or sent.
This is a teaching tool, not an official handicap calculator. It shows the average of the lowest 8 of 20 differentials, rounded to one decimal. It does not model soft/hard caps, exceptional-score reductions, committee adjustments or a record with fewer than 20 scores. Your official Handicap Index can differ.
Keep submitting all acceptable scores, including bad rounds. Eight counting scores does not mean a 40% chance of playing to your handicap.