Handicaps in golf are the subject of public shame and personal aspiration. But they are also a crucial part of the game for many amateur players, an essential mechanism for allowing any two players of ...

A couple of years ago, I was invited to play in a competitive golf event in Georgia. I hadn’t played in a tournament setting for quite a while, and to be completely honest, when I signed up, I didn’t ...

Cutting your handicap is one of the most exciting feelings in golf but with a big handicap drop comes a new pressure to live up to it. Suddenly you’re not getting a shot per hole and pars become the ...

April has been called the cruelest month. For golfers, though, it’s the coolest month. It means the active season for handicap posting is fully underway. On April 1, a cluster of states kicks goes ...

We’ve all played with someone who turns up on the first tee and responds to the question about their handicap with something along the lines of: “I’m not sure really, I don’t have an official index. I ...

Like any group of golfers, the Golf Digest staff can kill hours dissecting a player’s game and whether their handicap fits. When a 13-index stops a towering 8-iron five feet from the flag, the initial ...