Men vs. Women: How to Determine Proper Handicaps

How many times have you played a match against your husband, boyfriend, or male
competitor and felt that the stroke allocations were unfair. He says he's a 5 and
you're a 15. So he says you get 10 strokes. Well, that probably is wrong. Read
below to find out the proper way to figure out strokes when competitors play from
different tees.

The following is taken from the USGA Handicap System manual and can also be
found on the USGA website www.usga.org.

Section 9-3 Assignment of Strokes
c: Players Competing From Different Tees or Men and Women From Same Tees

(i) Different Tees: Men vs. Men; Women vs. Women; Women vs. Men
Different tees usually have different USGA Course Ratings. Since Course Ratings
reflect the probable scores of scratch golfers, the higher-rated course is more
difficult, and the player playing from the set of tees with the higher USGA Course
Rating receives additional strokes equal to the difference between the Course
Ratings, with .5 rounded upward.

Example 1: If men playing from the middle tees where the men's USGA Course
Rating is 70.3 compete against men playing from the back tees where the men's
USGA Course Rating is 72.6, the men playing from the back tees will add two
strokes (72.6 - 70.3 = 2.3 rounded to 2 strokes) to their Course Handicaps.

Example 2: If women playing from the forward tees from which the women's
Course Rating is 73.5 compete against men playing from the middle tees from
which the men's Course Rating is 70.9, the women will add three strokes
(73.5 - 70.9 = 2.6 or 3 strokes) to their Course Handicaps.

(ii) Same Tees: Men vs. Women
Men and women playing from the same set of tees will have different
USGA Course Ratings. Since the women's Course Rating will be higher,
women receive additional strokes equal to the difference between the USGA
Course Ratings, with .5 or greater rounded upward.

Example: If women playing from the middle tees where the women's Course
Rating is 77.3 compete against men playing from the same tees which the
Men's Course Rating is 70.9, the women will add six strokes (77.3 - 70.9 =
6.4 or 6 strokes) to their Course Handicaps.

(iii) Foursome Competitions Using Different Tees or Men and Women
Using Same Tees
In foursome competitions using different tees or men and women from the
same tees, use half of the difference in Course Ratings

Example: A, a man, and B, a woman, are partners in a foursome competition
against C, a man, and D, a woman. The men play the white tees, rated 71.2,
and the women play the red tees, rated 73.6. The difference in the
Course Ratings is 2.4. After the Course Handicap of each team is
determined, one-half of the difference between the Course Ratings or one
stroke is added to the Course Handicap of each team. If A and B are both
men, the procedure applies only to side C and D.

In a foursome competition in which sides are using different tees, the side
playing from the set of tees with the higher USGA Course Rating receives
additional strokes equal to the difference between the Course Ratings.

Example: A, a man, and C, a man, are partners in a foursome competition
against B, a woman, and D, a woman. The men play the white tees, rated
71.2, and the women play the red tees, rated 73.6. The difference in
the Course Ratings is 2.4. After the Course Handicap of each team is
determined, the full difference between the Course Ratings (two strokes)
is added to the Course Handicap of the women's team.