Handicaps

How handicaps work

A golfer can have more than one handicap on record. The Hub uses the strongest one it has, in this order:

A starting handicap doesn’t vanish after the first round. It counts as two rounds in the golfer’s calculated average, behind every real round, and fades out as real rounds arrive — it’s gone once they have 10 rounds of their own.

From that handicap, the Hub works out the playing handicap — the number actually used on the scorecard.

What goes on the scorecard

Four things turn a handicap into a playing handicap, in this order:

1. Index to lowest (if it’s on): subtract the lowest handicap among that week’s players, so the best golfer plays at scratch. A golfer below that low ends up as a plus handicap and gives strokes back. Canceled players, alternates and golfers still in their seasoning weeks don’t count as the lowest.
2. Nine holes: a 9-hole round halves it. Always type 18-hole handicaps — the Hub does this for you.
3. Handicap Percentage: scales what’s left. 100% is the full handicap; 90% is nine-tenths of it.
4. Handicap range (if the league sets one): the result can’t go above the most strokes or below the fewest the league allows. See Limit the handicap range.

The scorecard then gives whole strokes. A golfer who receives strokes gets them on the hardest holes first, shown as a small dot. A plus golfer gives strokes back on the easiest holes first, shown as a hollow ring — a +2 adds a stroke on each of the two easiest holes.

Try it: what goes on the scorecard?

Golfer's handicap Lowest this week Handicap Percentage

100%

Index handicaps to lowest player 9-hole round

For a plus handicap, type a plus sign, like +2.

Playing handicap14

For example, Casey has a handicap of 20.0 and the lowest this week is 6.0, with indexing on: Casey’s playing handicap is 20 − 6 = 14. If you override Casey to 16, it becomes 16 − 6 = 10. The override screen shows both numbers side by side before you save.

Seasoning weeks

Where Edit League League Configuration

Seasoning gives a league a few weeks to learn everyone’s game before handicaps count. During seasoning every golfer plays gross, whatever handicap they carry — including golfers with a starting handicap. Their rounds still feed the handicap they get when seasoning ends.

• Bye and canceled weeks don’t use up a seasoning week.
• A flex league pass always uses the league’s first N sessions.
• With re-scoring on, neither setting can be changed once the first scorecard is in.

Where to see handicaps

Change a golfer’s handicap

Where Leagues your league Players pencil icon

1. Open the Players tab and find the golfer.
2. Click the pencil icon in their Handicap column. The Override handicap box opens.
3. Type the New 18-hole handicap value — for example 12.4. For a plus handicap, start with a plus sign, like +5.
4. Compare the Current and New (preview) boxes. Where indexing, 9 holes or a percentage changes the number, the preview shows the playing handicap too.
5. Under Apply to, choose one week — or Rest of season to hold the golfer at this handicap for every week they haven’t played yet. For rest of season you can add a Reason (optional), kept so the decision can be looked up later.
6. Click Save override. A message says Override applied (one week) or Adjustment applied (rest of season).

Set or correct a starting handicap

Where Players flag button beside the pencil

Use this when a golfer joined without a starting handicap, or the one on file is wrong.

1. On the Players tab, click the small flag button (Set starting handicap) beside the golfer’s pencil.
2. Type the New starting handicap (18-hole) — +2 for a plus handicap. On a 9-hole league the box shows what it plays as for 9 holes.
3. Save. The golfer’s handicap is recalculated straight away. Weeks not yet submitted use it; submitted weeks keep theirs.

Limit the handicap range

Where Edit League Handicap Limit the handicap range

Caps how many strokes a golfer can get in a round, and how few. It’s also in the league wizard.

1. Tick Limit the handicap range.
2. Type Most strokes in a round and Fewest strokes in a round — for example 16 and +2.

Enter strokes for the round your league plays, after the handicap allowance — not an 18-hole handicap. A 9-hole league enters its 9-hole numbers: a rule of “16 most, +2 fewest over 9 holes” is entered as 16 and +2. Each box shows the 18-hole handicap it matches.

Let the Hub calculate, or manage them yourself

Where Leagues your league Edit League Handicap

• Leave Auto-calculate handicaps on and handicaps update by themselves after each submitted round.
• Turn it off to manage handicaps yourself: set starting handicaps, and use overrides and rest-of-season adjustments afterward.
• Handicap Allowance (%) on the same page changes what share of each handicap is used. (It’s the same setting the wizard calls Handicap Percentage.)
• In a week’s session menu on the Schedule tab, Snapshot team handicaps saves the team handicaps for that session.
• A week’s handicaps are locked once that week is played, a match is recorded as forfeited or stopped, or its prizes are calculated. Later handicap changes don’t move it.