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Golf · Glossary

What is Score Differential?

How a single round compares to the course difficulty, the building block of your handicap.

A score differential measures one round's performance relative to the course's difficulty. The formula is (adjusted gross score − course rating) × 113 ÷ slope rating. The 113 is the slope of a course of standard difficulty, so dividing by your course's slope makes differentials comparable between venues. Your Handicap Index is built from your best differentials.

Key points
  • (Score − course rating) × 113 ÷ slope
  • 113 = standard course slope
  • Makes rounds comparable across courses
  • Best differentials form your index

Try the tool

Put this into practice with our free calculator.

Open the Score Differential Calculator →