Most golfers are familiar with four-ball matches, but not all golfers know how to handicap them. Here’s a step-by-step guide.
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All golfers are not created equal. But many want to compete on equal footing. That’s where handicaps come in.
In addition to helping golfers keep track of their individual performance, the World Handicap System (WHS) allows for equitable matches between opponents of different abilities — provided the system is used correctly.
Do you know how to put the numbers into play?
As a test case, let’s consider a popular form of competition — four-ball, a two-vs.-two format in which partners from each team play their own ball, using the lower of their two scores as the team score on each hole.
Maybe you play this format with your friends and wind up bickering in advance about the proper way to set up your match using handicap indexes. But there’s no need for that. It’s a simple process, especially if you’ve got a score-posting app, such as GHIN. Here’s a step-by-step guide.
First, get everyone’s handicap. (Don’t have a handicap? You can sign up here.) Then determine each player’s Course Handicap, an adjusted figure based on the difficulty of the course and the tees you’re playing. The app will calculate this automatically.
Adjust the player with the lowest value to zero (scratch), and determine the difference for the other three players. Then, apply a 90-percent handicap allowance to each of those three players; the app will calculate this, too. Round off the differential, and that’s how many strokes each player should get.
Why a 90 percent allowance and not 100 percent? That change was made in 2024 after research conducted by the game’s governing bodies showed that it’s more equitable to have the handicap allowance applied relative to the players in the match, as opposed to where they fall in relation to scratch.
Got it? Good. Now, book a tee time and let the games begin. And if you still need a handicap, get one here.
