How the Club Does It

There are many different methods of handicapping used across the country for disc golf. The purpose of the handicap system is to try and "even the field" when players of varying abilities compete. Ideally, everyone would play to their handicap and then everyone’s net scores would be par for the course and the baseline score for our handicapping. However, in the real world it doesn’t always work that way, players are getting better, have bad days, have great days, etc. Gross score is your raw, unadjusted score. Net score is your gross score with your handicap adjustment. If your average is over par, you have a negative handicap and your handicap is subtracted from your gross score to take you down to par. If your average is under par, you have a positive handicap and your handicap is added to your gross score to take you up to par. The handicap system described here is only used at Ann Morrison Disc Golf Course, and is for 20 holes. See example below.

In 2005, the GSDG changed the way it calculates handicaps for league usage. We have fallen in line with the PDGA methodology and we use the rating system that is used by the PDGA to calculate a Scratch Scoring Average (SSA) for the course, Ann Morrison DGC is about a 54 (20 hole par would be 60); and a local rating for each player. This SSA and local rating are then used in a formula to determine the player’s handicap (only applicable to AMDGC).