Number of Scores Required to Obtain a Handicap Index®

USGA Handicap System (pre-2020): A Handicap Index® is issued to a player after five 18-hole scores are submitted and a revision takes place.

• Scores can be made up of any combination of 9-hole and 18-hole scores.
• A Handicap Index® is revised on the 1st and 15th of each month.

Rule Change for 2020: A Handicap Index will be issued to a player after three 18-hole scores are submitted and a revision takes place.

• Scores can be made up of any combination of 9-hole and 18-hole scores.
• Revisions will be daily, so a player’s Handicap Index will become active the day after their third 18-hole score is submitted.

Reasons for Change:

• One of the key principles of the World Handicap System™ is to enable as many golfers as possible the opportunity to establish and maintain a Handicap Index.
• By requiring fewer scores, players who only play sporadically may be more likely to obtain a Handicap Index.
• Statistics show that players with a Handicap Index play more rounds of golf, so making it easier to get a Handicap Index can help increase participation.