How to Find Your Handicap

What I really need in my life is more math. I hope you can detect the sarcasm in that. It's fine to have to do a little addition after a round of golf (we all know most of us fudge our score anyway so it's rather addition in general) but complex things involving variables doesn't excite me all that much. But unfortunately, calculating your golf handicap takes a little bit more than adding 4, 5, and hopefully not very many sixes.

In order to even attempt calculating your handicap you're going to have to stop cheating. I say that with a smile, but you really have to be fair to the rules of the game to calculate a true handicap. The next part is to play five rounds without fudging the score - ouch, I know, but it has to be done.

I know that most of you are perfectly honorable and the previous step will be no problem, it's also why I have no idea what my handicap is even though I know how to calculate the thing. But even with five rounds worth of relatively accurate scores - all from a single course, you can then do the following.

-Take each of the five score totals

-Subtract from each the rating of the course on which you played

-Multiply those numbers by 113

-Divide by the slope of the course

-Take the lowest one and multiply it by .96

-have another drink

And that's all there is to calculating your golf handicap. You can get the rating and slope for each course from the scorecard or the pro shop. In order for your handicap to be "official" you will need to register it in some way with the course, most locations will have a computerized system of some kind for this.

Once you know your golf handicap you'll be ready to take over the world, or brag or maybe take up another hobby. Well, probably not the other hobby bit, golf is way too much fun even if you're not all that great at it. Believe me, I know.