Question 1

What is a handicap index?

Accepted Answer

Your handicap index is a number (typically 0–54) that represents your average potential ability, calculated from your best recent rounds. It's not your average score - it's closer to your best.

With an index, players of any standard can compete fairly using net scoring. In Golf with Mates you set your index in your Profile; the app handles the per-course conversions for you.

Question 2

Course handicap vs playing handicap - what's the difference?

Accepted Answer

Course handicap is your handicap index converted for a specific tee on a specific course, using its slope and rating. It's the number of strokes you'd receive if no handicap allowance applied.

Playing handicap is your course handicap multiplied by the format's handicap allowance (e.g. 100% for stroke play, 90% for individual stableford in some setups, 50% for foursomes). It's the number of strokes you actually receive in this round.

The scorecard shows both so there's no confusion about which strokes you're getting.

Question 3

What handicap allowance does each format use?

Accepted Answer

The net column on the scorecard uses the WHS Appendix C allowance for the played format:
Stroke Play (individual): 100%
Stableford (individual): host-selectable - 100% (Casual, default) or 95% (Competition / WHS handicap-record)
Match Play (individual): 100% with strokes received off the lower handicap
Best Ball: 85%
Scramble (4 players): weighted percentage of players' handicaps
Foursome: 50% of combined handicap
Chapman: 60% low + 40% high
Skins / BBB / Nassau: 100%

The Stableford-points column shown alongside the gross score uses the round's host-selected Stableford allowance (default 100%) - see "How are Stableford points calculated?" below.

Question 4

How are the Stableford points on my scorecard calculated?

Accepted Answer

Whatever individual-score format you play - Stroke, Stableford, Match, Skins, Nassau, BBB, Köpenhamnare - the app shows a Stableford-points column next to your gross score.

Those points are calculated using the round's Stableford allowance, which the host picks when creating the round:
Casual (100%) - default. Full Playing Handicap. Use this for friendly rounds with mates.
Competition (95%) - the WHS handicap-record allowance. Use this if you want the points column to match what would be reported to your home club for HCP-grundande purposes.

The same allowance drives the dots next to a player's name (extra strokes per hole) and the PH shown in the lobby, so dots, PH and points always agree.

The net column for the format you're actually playing (e.g. 100% for Match Play, 85% for Best Ball) is unaffected - it always uses that format's own WHS allowance.

Question 5

How do I set my handicap for the first time?

Accepted Answer

When you sign up, the app gently prompts you to add your handicap index - tap "Add now" and enter your number (0 if you play scratch).

You can also set or update it any time in Profile → My Handicap. Future rounds will use the new value automatically.

Question 6

Why does my handicap look different in this round?

Accepted Answer

Your handicap index is the same, but the strokes you actually receive depend on the course, the tee, and the format. Three things change the number you see:
The course's slope and rating - harder courses give you more strokes.
The tee played - playing forward usually means fewer strokes.
Format allowance - Foursomes for instance only gives you 50% of the combined handicap.

This is normal. The scorecard always shows the actual strokes you're receiving.

Question 7

Does the app use USGA or WHS rules?

Accepted Answer

The handicap maths follows the World Handicap System (WHS), which the USGA, R&A and most national federations (including the Swedish Golf Federation) jointly use. So whether you call your number a USGA Index or a WHS Index, the conversion to course/playing handicap is the same.

We don't post your scores to your home federation - that's done by your home club's system. Golf with Mates is for tracking the round itself.

🎯Handicaps

Handicaps