The USGA defines a golf handicap as "an equalizing system which allows players of varying levels to compete with each other based on a player’s average 18-hole score." This system depends on each golfer having a number called their "handicap." You might have heard other golfers talking around the clubhouse, saying things like, "Oh Janice, she's a 12 handicap. She can really play!" Or, "Sally doesn't play very much anymore. Her handicap is up to a 28 now." You may already know that the lower the handicap number, the better the player.

Why do you think that is? It makes perfect sense. The handicap is a number that helps even out scores among players so the competition is more fair. Pretend you are on a par 3 hole. It is the easiest hole on the golf course, but you are a beginner golfer. You are teeing it up with a friend who has played golf for years. Chances are, you never even thought of challenging this person to a match because there's no way you can beat her just on raw score. On any given day on this par 3 hole she will likely make a 3 or a 4, whereas you could make a 4, but you're new to the game and will probably make a 5 or a 6, maybe worse! Of course, you could also make a hole-in-one...but handicaps are based on your scoring history and so far, you're still a double-bogey (two over par a hole) or even triple-bogey (three over par on a hole) golfer. She tends to make pars and bogeys, sometimes birdies. Tough for you to beat! But, if you both had handicaps, you could enter into a more competitive match quite easily.

You: 36 handicap, you're just starting out and play once or twice a month
Her: 16 handicap, she's played for a while and is in a weekly league

Since the par 3 you are playing at the moment is the easiest hole on the course and there are 18 holes, this hole is also considered "the 18th most difficult hole." On your scorecard, each hole is ranked in terms of difficulty. You will see these rankings labeled "handicap" at the bottom of the card under each hole. For example:

As you can see, the par 3 17th has an "18" under it for Ladies' Handicap. Notice the rankings for the other holes. Which is the most difficult hole? Looks like #7, a par 4. You can see that it has a "1" under it for Ladies' Handicap. What about the second most difficult? See #12, also a par 4. It has a "2" under it for Ladies' Handicap. Difficulty ratings come from the course and are typically assigned based on yardage (the longer, the more difficult) and the length of carry over hazards (water). Now that you can tell which holes are the hardest and which ones are less difficult, you can apply your handicap number to this course and to your match with your friend. Here's how:

There are 18 holes in golf. You are a 36 handicap. The 36 equals the number of "strokes" you will be given during the round to help even the match. These are not strokes you actually take. These strokes do not replace strokes you are supposed to take. You still have to putt everything out. A "gimme" putt counts for one stroke as it always should. So does a whiff! Handicap strokes can be applied in two ways: to your score for each hole AFTER you finish scoring the hole (match play, best ball), OR as a total to your total score at the end of the round (stroke play, medal play).

How do you know on which holes to use your handicap strokes? Use the hole rankings on the scorecard! Every handicap is first applied the most difficult hole and runs through to the least difficult hole until the strokes run out. For instance, your friend is a 16 handicap. She will get one stroke on the hardest hole, one stroke on the second hardest hole, one stroke on the third hardest hole and so on through the 16th hardest hole on the course. She would not get a stroke on the 17th or 18th hardest holes. This means, in your match with her, she does not get a stroke on the par 3 hole you are about to play.

But, as you may have already figured out, YOU do! Not only that, because you are a 36 handicap, you get TWO strokes on every hole. Think about it. Golf is 18 holes. You apply your handicap from hardest to easiest hole until the holes run out. When you get to 18, you still have 18 strokes of your handicap left to apply, so you start over with the most difficult hole AGAIN and apply strokes until your handicap runs out. If you were a 22 handicap, you would get one stroke on each of the 18 holes, and you would get a second stroke on the first four hardest holes.

Let's say your playing partner makes a 4 on the par 3 17th. That is her score for the hole. She does not get a stroke because her handicap ran out on the 16th hardest hole. You make a 5 on the hole. Apply your two strokes of handicap, however, and you actually "net" a 3! In match play, you win the hole. In stroke play, you have to finish the round before you apply your total handicap strokes. Let's say your friend shoots 84. Subtract her 16 handicap and she "nets" a 68. You shoot 103. Subtract your 36 handicap and you "net" a "67." She won with raw scores, but you got her by a stroke with handicaps. When you play in a golf outing or in a league, often times there are two "winners" - low gross and low net. Your friend has a better "gross" score than you, but with the help of your handicap, you can be competitive in "net" scoring.

If you have additional questions about handicaps and how they work, feel free to visit Ask the Pro!

So, how do you get a handicap?!

Calculating it by hand is a nightmare. Fortunately, we have computers to help you keep track. Your handicap is influenced by:

• how many rounds you play

• where you play them

• what you shoot

Entering your scores into a handicap tracking program along with the course "slope" and "rating" is the first step toward establishing a handicap. Slope and rating numbers are available in the course pro shop or typically printed right on the scorecard. You can also get them through the USGA's National Course Database. The slope is usually a number like 121. It's three digits. The average slope is 113. Courses above that number are harder, courses below are less difficult. The range is 55 to 155. The rating looks like 68.1 or 72.4. It's a two-digit number with a decimal. These numbers combined with your scores determine your two-digit handicap.

You will find that the more you play, the lower your scores and subsequently, the lower your handicap. To keep things consistently fair, once you have a handicap in the 20's or teens or better, there are restrictions on the highest score you can record on a hole. It's called "Equitable Stroke Control" and it keeps those "disaster holes" from dramatically influencing your handicap. We all have a really bad hole now and then, but if you normally shoot 88 and suddenly you shoot 98 because you took 10 extra strokes on one forgettable hole, there's no reason to put those strokes in when the rest of your game was business as usual. Instead of a 15 on that hole, you would take an 8, the maximum allowed (depending on your existing handicap), meaning your adjusted score is a 91. That is the score you would enter, not 98.

Understanding how handicapping works is a big step toward understanding the tradition, integrity and fairness that is synonymous with the game of golf. Not only that, you can literally play with any level golfer and score competitively. Now that you know how to do it, get serious! Get a handicap!