Golf Handicaps Decoded

Those familiar with the Callaway System will find a striking similarity in the Scheid system. Those who are not may want to review the explanation of the Callaway System, also found in this section of the Knowledge Center.

The Scheid system is also a "worst-holes" calculation, in that it uses up to eight of the player's worst holes in a round, adjusted by a 'factor,' to obtain a handicap. That handicap is then subtracted from the player's gross score to obtain a net score. The net scores for all players can be compared to see who will win the tournament prize.

The system was invented in answer to a growing number of complaints and issues with the Callaway system. The two major issues, handicapping higher players and giving them a better chance to win the match have been addressed. The Scheid system calculates a 'handicap' for handicaps up to 50, and shifts the calculation so that scores now add an extra hole to their handicap calculation, but need to take an extra deduction. As a result the Scheid system has proven to be more useful for large outings with many beginning players, and has helped ensure more exciting tournaments.

Calculating your Scheid handicap is done using the table below. First, look up your gross score on the left side of the table, and find how many holes you will need to use to calculate your handicap.

The Scheid System

Gross Score							Handicap Calculation
-	-	72	73	-	-		Use gross Score + adjustment
-	74	75	76	-	-		Handicap = 1/2 worst hole score + adjustment
-	77	78	79	-	-		Handicap = Worst hole score + adjustment
-	80	81	82	83	-		Handicap = 1 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
-	84	85	86	87	-		Handicap = 2 worst hole scores + adjustment
-	88	89	90	91	-		Handicap = 2 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
-	92	93	94	95	-		Handicap = 3 worst hole scores + adjustment
-	96	97	98	99	-		Handicap = 3 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
-	100	101	102	103	104		Handicap = 4 worst hole scores + adjustment
-	105	106	107	108	109		Handicap = 4 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
-	110	111	112	113	114		Handicap = 5 worst hole scores + adjustment
115	116	117	118	119	120		Handicap = 5 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
121	122	123	124	125	126		Handicap = 6 worst hole scores + adjustment
127	128	129	130	131	132		Handicap = 6 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
133	134	135	136	137	138		Handicap = 7 worst hole scores + adjustment
139	140	141	142	143	144		Handicap = 7 1/2 worst hole scores + adjustment
145	146	147	148	149	150		Handicap = 8 worst hole scores + adjustment
-3	-2	-1	0	+1	+2		Adjustment factor for handicap

Next, take look up the # of worst scores (for 2 1/2, the third worst score is divided by two), but with the following rules:

• Deduct worst holes based only on their relation to par (For example, a 5 on a par 3 is worse than a 6 on a par 5).
• Worst scores cannot be used from the 17th and 18th holes (it is too easy to throw the last few holes if a golfer is ahead)
• For any worst score that is greater than twice the hole par value, only twice the par value should be deducted (in the spirit of ESC)
• Once the scores are added up, round up any fractions to the next higher number (e.g. a 7 on a par five that counts as half a worst score should be rounded up to a 4)

Finally, adjust the sum of those scores by the adjustment factor. To find the adjustment factor, look up your score in the above table. At the bottom of the table, in the same column, is the adjustment factor. If your sum of worst holes is 18, and your gross score is 89, than your adjustment factor is -1 and your Scheid handicap is 17.

Your net score is simply your gross score minus your Scheid handicap (in the above example, your net score is 89 - 17 = 72). In the case of a tie, the player with the lower 'handicap' is designated as the winner.

Here is an example: Imagine a Scheid tournament where you shoot a 123. You look up in the table and find that your Scheid handicap is your 6 worst scores plus an adjustment factor of -1. Your seven worst scores are an 11 on a par 5, a 9 on a par 5, an 8 on a par 5, a 7 on a par 5, two 7's on par 4s, and a 7 on a par 3. But, your second worst score, the 8, took place on the 17th hole and therefore cannot count towards your Scheid handicap. In addition, because your 11 on the par 5 and the 7 on the par 3 are more than twice the par value of the holes, they can only count as a ten and a six, respectively, towards the Scheid handicap. The resulting handicap is 10 + 9 + 7 + 7 + 7 + 6 - 1 (for the adjustment) = 45. Your net score is 78.
Next time you have an office tournament, or go out with friends who don't have handicaps, tell them about MyScorecard.com. And then, if you would like to play that day, you can use the Scheid System to approximate handicaps and create a more exciting and competitive round for everyone.