What does handicap refers to when playing golf?
Answers:
Is golf really a sport or just a recreation?
All golfers are not created equal. But with the USGA Handicap System, all golfers can compete equally.The handicap system is a method of leveling the playing field. If a golfer who shoots in the low 70s plays a golfer who shoots in the high 90s, we all know who's going to win. But by using handicaps, those players can play each other as if they are equal in ability.
In its simplest terms, a handicap refers to how many strokes above par a person has historically shot. A 7 handicap should theoretically shoot a 79 on a par 72 golf course, where an 18 handicap golfer would expect to shoot a 90. A scratch golfer, plays to par.
When competing, the golfer with the higher handicap will receive the number of strokes equal to the difference in the players handicaps (11 strokes for the two players listed above. In match play, he will take one stroke for the 11 toughest rated holes on the course (rated 1-11 on the score card).
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