Under the Golf Australia (GA) Handicapping System (which aligns with the World Handicap System – WHS), a Daily Handicap is the number of strokes you receive for a specific round on a specific course and set of tees on that day.

In simple terms:

Your GA Handicap is who you are as a golfer.
Your Daily Handicap is how many shots you get today, here, from these tees.

The key components

1. GA Handicap (your “base” handicap)

• This is the number you see on the Golf Australia website (e.g. 19.2).
• It reflects your demonstrated playing ability.
• It does not change by course.

2. Daily Handicap (course-specific)

Your Daily Handicap adjusts your GA Handicap to account for:

• The difficulty of the course (Slope Rating)
• The par and Scratch Rating
• The tees you are playing from
• The gender rating applied to those tees

This ensures golfers of different abilities can compete fairly on any course.

How Daily Handicap works (conceptually)

• Harder course = higher Daily Handicap
• Easier course = lower Daily Handicap
• Higher slope = more strokes allocated to higher-handicap golfers
• Lower slope = fewer strokes allocated

The calculation is handled automatically by:

• Golf Connect
• Club software
• Honour boards / scorecard apps

It's rare that players calculate this manually in practice however this option does exist. Each Club will have ‘Daily Handicap Lookup Charts’ on display where you can calculate your daily handicap prior to play. Alternatively the Golf Australia app also has a build in daily handicap calculator. This option is the most accurate as it has alive integration with the Dot Golf System.

Why Daily Handicap matters

Your Daily Handicap is the number used to:

• Allocate strokes on the scorecard
• Determine nett scores
• Set competition eligibility
• Apply maximum hole scores under WHS

It is not stored long-term — it only applies to that round, on that course, from those tees.

Example

• GA Handicap: 19.2
• Course: Easier par-59 course with low slope
• Resulting Daily Handicap: 17

On that day:

• You receive 17 strokes
• Those strokes are allocated to the hardest holes on the scorecard
• Your nett score = gross score – 17

In short

• GA Handicap = your overall ability
• Daily Handicap = your playing allowance today
• It ensures fairness across different courses and tees
• It’s the number that actually matters when you tee off

Stableford scoring is a popular golf scoring system that rewards good holes rather than punishing bad ones. Instead of adding up every stroke for the round, you earn points on each hole based on how you score relative to par, then total your points at the end.

How it works

• Each hole is scored individually.
• Your score on the hole is compared to the hole’s par.
• You receive points depending on that result.
• If you have a really bad hole, you can pick up once you can no longer score points — which keeps play moving.

Standard Stableford points (used in Australia under Golf Australia) Handicaps in Stableford

In most competitions (including Golf Australia events):

• Your handicap is applied per hole.
• On the hardest holes (based on stroke index), you receive extra strokes.
• Your nett score on the hole (after handicap strokes) determines how many Stableford points you earn.

Example:

• Par 4, Stroke Index 3
• You receive 1 handicap stroke
• You score a 4 (nett 3 = birdie)
• You score 3 Stableford points

Winning a Stableford competition

• Total points across all holes are added up.
• Highest total points wins, not the lowest score.

Why golfers like Stableford

• One bad hole doesn’t ruin your whole round
• Encourages attacking play
• Faster pace of play
• More enjoyable for higher-handicap golfers

In golf, your nett score is your score after your handicap has been applied. It’s the number used to fairly compare players of different abilities.

Simply put

• Gross score = the actual number of strokes you take
• Handicap = the number of strokes you’re allowed
• Nett score = gross score minus handicap strokes

How it works on the course

Your handicap is converted into strokes on specific holes, based on the hole’s stroke index (see explanation further below).

• If you receive 1 stroke on a hole, you subtract 1 stroke from your score on that hole
• If you receive 2 strokes, you subtract 2, and so on

Example

• You score 92 gross
• Your course/daily handicap is 18

Nett score = 92 − 18 = 74

Using the Stroke Index Step-by-step

First, you need your daily/course handicap.

Case A: Handicap 1–18

You receive 1 stroke on holes where:

• Stroke index ≤ your handicap
  

Example: Daily handicap = 12

• You get 1 stroke on SI 1–12
  
• No strokes on SI 13–18
  

Case B: Handicap over 18

You receive:

• 1 stroke on every hole, plus
  
• Extra strokes on the hardest holes
  

Example: Daily handicap = 22

• 1 stroke on all 18 holes
  
• 2nd stroke on SI 1–4

Why Nett score matters

• Most club competitions are decided on nett score
• It allows high- and low-handicap golfers to compete on equal terms
• Common formats using nett scores include:

• • Stableford (nett points)
  • Par
  • Medal (nett stroke)

In short your nett score = your score after handicap strokes are applied.

The Golfer App allows you to digitally score golf rounds along with offering GPS functionality. To enter your scores simply follow the below steps.

1. Open your Golfer App
2. Select a Club to start a round (App will bring up courses closest to your location)
3. Ensure you toggle the Handicap details and your GA Handicap and Golf ID number are correct.
4. Press the "Save" button to continue and start your round
5. To submit the number of strokes taken click on the star icon.

6. Then click the edit pencil on the next screen.

7. Then select your score and click the done button.

8. After your round, have your playing partner digitally sign your card and submit your round.

The Golfer app offers some great functionality, particulary when tracking your score and how well you’re playing.

Whilst in a round (see how to start a round article) you can click "Rankings" during your round to see your total progress. 

To view your hole-by-hole scores and stableford point click on the scorecard button

At the completion of your specified 9-hole or 18-hole round, the scorecard screen will appear. Here you can select the individual scores on your scorecard and adjust your score if needed. If you would like to navigate back to the hole-by-hole screens, simply click the GPS button at the bottom left corner of the app. 

An official golf handicap is a numerical figure assigned to a golfer that reflects their ability or relative ability and allows golfers to compete on an equal footing with others. The lower the handicap, the better the player is relative to those with higher handicaps. In Australia, Golf Australia is the peak national amateur governing body through which handicaps are conferred.

GOLFLink handicaps allow golfers of all abilities to be able to compete against one another and are calculated and allotted in accordance with the Australian Handicapping, Slope Rating and Course Rating Systems as specified by Golf Australia.

For more information please see https://www.golf.org.au/golflink

We should start with what is a Golf handicap.

A golf handicap is a number that represents a player’s playing ability, allowing golfers of different skill levels to compete on a fair basis. In simple terms your handicap is how many strokes you need to play against par so you can compete evenly with better or worse players.

Golf Australia (GA) is the governing body for amateur Golf in Australia and is tasked with administrating what is called the World Handicap System.

In Australian Golf you’ll commonly hear two terms, what is your GA Handicap and what is your Daily Handicap. The below should explain a little more.