Score differential calculator
What a round is worth
See the score differential for a single round: the number your handicap is built from.
Each hole capped at net double bogey
To see whether this round is likely to count
Score differential
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Fill in your score, the course rating and the slope.
How it's worked out
A score differential measures one round against the difficulty of the course. It takes your adjusted gross score, subtracts the course rating and any playing conditions adjustment, and scales the result to a course of standard slope, 113.
It's rounded to one decimal place. Your best differentials from your last 20 rounds make up your Handicap Index.
Score differential = (113 ÷ Slope) × (Adjusted gross score − Course rating − PCC)
Sources: Rules of Handicapping (R&A and USGA, 2024) · checked 13 Oct 2026
A round of 90
An adjusted gross score of 90 on tees rated 72.0 with a slope of 130: (113 ÷ 130) × (90 − 72.0) = 15.65, which rounds to 15.6.
Questions
Why 113?
It's the slope rating of a course of standard difficulty. Dividing by your course's slope and multiplying by 113 puts every round on the same scale.
Can a differential be negative?
Yes, when you score below the course rating. Plenty of low handicappers have negative differentials, which is how a plus handicap comes about.
Should I use my gross score?
Use your adjusted gross score: each hole capped at net double bogey. If you had no disasters, it's the same as your gross score.
What is PCC?
The playing conditions calculation, between −1.0 and +3.0, applied when the whole field scored unusually high or low that day. It's on your score record. If you don't know it, use 0.
Related tools
Find your course
Course pages carry a playability score, the scorecard and a hole-by-hole guide where we have them. The calculators are free to use.