Handicap
Parful runs thisTeam handicaps
Also called How a team handicap is calculated, Combined handicap for pairs, Side handicap.
A team handicap is the single number a side plays off when it keeps one card. It is built from the players' Course Handicaps in one of three ways: a weighted split of the players in handicap order (scramble, greensomes, chapman), a percentage of the combined total (foursomes), or a percentage of each player separately (four-ball).
At a glance
- Input
- Each player's Course Handicap™, after any club maximum, sorted low to high
- Weighted split
- Greensomes and chapman 60% of the lower plus 40% of the higher; two-player scramble 35% low plus 15% high
- Percentage of combined
- Foursomes: 50% of the two Course Handicaps added together
- Per player
- Four-ball: 85% of each player's own Course Handicap in stroke play, 90% in match play
- Rounding
- Once, at the end, to a whole stroke
- Larger scrambles
- Tiered by team size; the tiers are on the scramble page
On this page8
Why a side needs one number
In an individual format every player has their own Playing Handicap™ and their own card. When a side plays one ball there is one card, so there has to be one handicap for it. Adding two Course Handicaps together would hand a pair far too many strokes, because two players choosing the better shot are much stronger than either alone. Each format has a formula that discounts the combined ability by roughly the right amount, and the formulas differ because the formats differ in how much the stronger player can carry the weaker one.
The three ways a side's handicap is built
Parful reads the players' Course Handicaps, applies any club maximum to each, sorts them from lowest to highest and applies the format's rule. There are three kinds of rule.
- A weighted split of the ordered players. The lowest Course Handicap gets the largest weight. Greensomes and chapman use 60% of the lower plus 40% of the higher. A two-player scramble uses 35% of the lower plus 15% of the higher. Scrambles of three and four players use a tiered set of weights by team size, listed on the scramble page.
- A percentage of the combined total. Foursomes (alternate shot) adds the two Course Handicaps and takes 50%, because both players hit every other shot and neither can be hidden.
- A percentage of each player separately. Four-ball and the best-ball family build no team number. Each player gets 85% of their own Course Handicap (90% in four-ball match play, relative to the lowest player) and plays their own ball; the side's score on each hole is the better net.
Order of operations
- 1Work out each player's Course Handicap for the tee they play, from their Handicap Index®.
- 2Apply the club's maximum Course Handicap, if there is one, to each player.
- 3Sort the players from lowest to highest.
- 4Apply the format's rule: weights on the ordered list, a percentage of the sum, or a percentage of each.
- 5Round once, at the end, to a whole stroke. That is the side's Playing Handicap, placed on the card by stroke index.
Rounding each player's share and then adding them can produce a stroke that neither method would give on its own, which is why the rounding happens exactly once.
How Parful calculates it
Every team format Parful runs carries a named handicap rule for each team size, and the scorecard, the leaderboard and the admin grid all read the same rule from the same place. When a team is built, the app computes the side's handicap from the members' Course Handicaps on their chosen tee, shows the formula beside the result (for example "60% low + 40% high") and places the strokes on the team card. Change a tee or swap a player and the number is recomputed.
A competition that freezes handicaps also freezes each scramble side's combined strokes at the moment of the freeze. The team match play knockout template offers a simpler rule for its matches: play off the average, the lowest or the highest handicap in the side, times a percentage the admin sets.
Worked example
A worked example: two pairs, four formats
Blue tees. Maria has a Course Handicap™ of 13 and Tom 20; Sam has 6 and Dee 24. The same two pairs are shown under each rule, rounded once at the end.
| Format | Rule | Maria 13 and Tom 20 | Sam 6 and Dee 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Foursomes | 50% of combined | (13 + 20) × 0.5 = 16.5, rounds to 17 | (6 + 24) × 0.5 = 15 |
| Greensomes | 60% low + 40% high | 13 × 0.6 + 20 × 0.4 = 7.8 + 8.0 = 15.8, rounds to 16 | 6 × 0.6 + 24 × 0.4 = 3.6 + 9.6 = 13.2, rounds to 13 |
| Chapman | 60% low + 40% high | Same as greensomes: 16 | Same as greensomes: 13 |
| Scramble, 2 players | 35% low + 15% high | 13 × 0.35 + 20 × 0.15 = 4.55 + 3.0 = 7.55, rounds to 8 | 6 × 0.35 + 24 × 0.15 = 2.1 + 3.6 = 5.7, rounds to 6 |
| Four-ball (stroke) | 85% of each player | Maria 13 × 0.85 = 11.05, plays 11. Tom 20 × 0.85 = 17 | Sam 6 × 0.85 = 5.1, plays 5. Dee 24 × 0.85 = 20.4, plays 20 |
- In four-ball there is no side number. Maria and Tom each carry their own strokes on their own ball; the pair's score on a hole is the better of the two nets.
- Foursomes gives the most strokes because both players must hit half the shots. A scramble gives the fewest because the side always plays from the better ball.
Common variants
- Shamble
- Best drive selected, then own ball to the green. There is no USGA® standard allowance for a shamble; Parful uses the scramble tiers for the side's handicap by default.
- Team match play knockout
- The admin plays each side off the average, the lowest or the highest Course Handicap in the side, times a modifier percentage, or keeps individual handicaps per player. Strokes are then given on the difference between the two sides.
- Aggregate and team Stableford
- Where a team score is the sum of every member's own result, each player uses their own Playing Handicap at the format's per-player allowance. No side number is built.
Team handicaps questions
How is a greensomes handicap calculated?
60% of the lower Course Handicap™ plus 40% of the higher, rounded once to a whole stroke. A pair off 13 and 20 plays off 16. Chapman uses the same split.
What is the foursomes handicap allowance?
50% of the two Course Handicaps added together. A pair off 13 and 20 has a combined 33 and plays off 17 after rounding.
Does a four-ball pair get one team handicap?
No. Each player receives 85% of their own Course Handicap™ (90% in match play, relative to the lowest player) and plays their own ball. The side's score is the better net on each hole.
Why does a scramble give so few strokes?
Because the side always plays from its best shot, a scramble team is far stronger than either player alone. The 35% and 15% weights for two players reflect that; larger teams get smaller weights per player.
Is the club maximum applied before or after the team formula?
Before. Each player's Course Handicap™ is capped at the club maximum first, then sorted and weighted. A player off 38 at a club with a limit of 30 enters the formula as 30.