ShotTally / Betting & games
Match play strokes calculator
In match play, the higher handicap plays off the difference. Enter both course handicaps and see exactly how many strokes are given and on which holes they land.
How it works
Singles match play under the World Handicap System is played off the difference between course handicaps — the lower player plays at scratch and the higher player receives the full difference (100% allowance is the WHS standard for singles).
Strokes land on the holes with the lowest stroke index numbers on the card. If the difference exceeds 18, the receiver gets a stroke on every hole plus a second stroke starting again from stroke index 1.
Course handicap first
The number to enter here is your course handicap (your index adjusted for the tees you're playing), not your handicap index. Two players with identical indexes playing different tees can legitimately owe each other strokes. Four-ball and other formats use reduced allowances (typically 90% for four-ball match play) — use the allowance selector for those games.
FAQ
Do you use full handicap difference in match play?
Yes — 100% of the course handicap difference is the standard singles allowance under the World Handicap System. Four-ball match play commonly uses 90% for each player before taking differences.
What is stroke index?
The 1–18 ranking on the scorecard showing where handicap strokes apply — stroke index 1 gets a stroke first. It's set by the club to spread strokes across both nines, not purely by difficulty.
What if the handicap difference is more than 18?
The receiving player gets one stroke on all 18 holes, then a second stroke starting from stroke index 1 again. A 23-stroke difference means two strokes on SI 1–5 and one everywhere else.
Do strokes carry into a playoff hole?
Standard practice: yes — extra holes are played with the same strokes as the card, so if the match goes to the 19th (SI 7, say) and the receiver strokes there, the stroke counts.