What Is Considered A Low, Mid And High Handicap... And Where Do You Fit?

Since the launch of the World Handicap System in January 2020, a golfer's handicap index has been automatically calculated by taking their eight best score differentials from their most recent 20 rounds.

A player's handicap is not designed to reflect their average score; instead it's how they're likely to play on a course of average difficulty.

A golfer's handicap is generally split into three different groups; low, mid and high and, because we're golfers, we tend to stick fairly rigidly to this.

A golfer with a handicap of 1-9 is considered to have a low handicap, a golfer with a handicap of 10-19 is generally thought to be a mid handicapper and a higher-handicap golfer is 20 and above.

For many, the quest to be a 'single-figure golfer' is one of the biggest goals for the amateur player. This has obviously become easier in recent years with the option to put in scores from general play as well as how the current system operates, but it remains a highly impressive achievement.

Where do you fit?

A recent report by the USGA showed that the average handicap index for a male is 14.2 and 28.7 for female.

Digging a little deeper into the report, it shows what handicap index the golfers (in the United States) are playing off:

Male

<0.0 1.99%

0.0 to 4.9 8.55%

5.0 to 9.9. 20.15%

10.0 to 14.9 26.72%

15.0 to 19.9 22.02%

20.0 to 24.9 12.01%

25.0 to 29.9 5.38%

30.0 to 34.9 2.05%

Female

<0.0 0.75%

0.0 to 4.9 1.38%

5.0 to 9.9. 2.53%

10.0 to 14.9 5.44%

15.0 to 19.9 10.64%

20.0 to 24.9 16.37%

25.0 to 29.9 19.72%

30.0 to 34.9 16.95%

35.0 to 39.9 11.65%

40.0 to 44.9 6.75%

45.0 to 49.9. 3.72%

50.0 to 54.0 4.10%

So, for the males, the mid 10-19 handicaps make up nearly 50 per cent, with just over 30 per cent sitting in the low handicap bracket. And for the female golfers, we have under 20 per cent in the low and mid handicaps.

Obviously it doesn't really matter other than how you might buy your clubs. Game-improvement clubs are generally aimed at golfers with a handicap of around 18 and above, but that also needs to take into account how a golfer plays the game.

For example a player might strike the ball well, and not be suited to game-improvement irons or metalwoods, but struggle on and around the greens.

Some brands will aim their irons at the 'better player' which would generally fit into a handicap index of around 5 and under. Again, it's all dependent on the player and their tendencies.

Golf is a very precise game so, when asked what your handicap is, you would never hear anyone reply that they are a low, mid or high handicapper. The one thing to take solace about in the amateur game is that, despite the modern technology and watching the tour pros finish a week at 20-under par, around 90 per cent of us need at least six shots per round.

Therefore it is easier to understand why we hear far more about the most forgiving drivers and other clubs on the market as this where the majority of golfers reside.