Golf Course Rating Differential Calculator

Work out golf course rating differential instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Golf Course Rating Differential Calculator

The World Handicap System differential is (adjusted gross score - course rating) x 113 / slope rating, where 113 is the slope of a course of standard difficulty. The slope adjustment is what makes a round on a hard course worth the same as an easier round elsewhere, so a differential travels between courses while a raw score does not.

Formula

Score differential

differential = (adjusted gross score - course rating) x 113 / slope rating

Worked example

With the default values below, Golf Course Rating Differential Calculator returns Score differential of 14.49. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Adjusted gross scoreminimum 1: 88
Course ratingminimum 1: 71.2
Slope ratingaccepts 55–155: 131

Results

Score differential: 14.49
Strokes above the course rating: 16.80
Slope adjustment factor: 0.8626
Handicap index if every round matched this: 13.91

Step by step

1Values used
2Score differential
3Score differential= 14.49
4Strokes above the course rating= 16.80
5Slope adjustment factor= 0.8626
6Handicap index if every round matched this= 13.91

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 4 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Golf Course Rating Differential figure worked out?

differential = (adjusted gross score - course rating) x 113 / slope rating. The World Handicap System differential is (adjusted gross score - course rating) x 113 / slope rating, where 113 is the slope of a course of standard difficulty.

Why does this matter?

The slope adjustment is what makes a round on a hard course worth the same as an easier round elsewhere, so a differential travels between courses while a raw score does not.

What do I need to enter?

Enter adjusted gross score, course rating, slope rating. The defaults shown are a realistic worked example — swap in your own figures to get a result you can use.