The stroke index on a scorecard is something both new golfers and seasoned vets can struggle to wrap their heads around when they play golf.
Especially if you’ve just gotten your first handicap and have begun playing different formats other than stroke play like handicap match play games.
Well, by the end of this post, you will completely understand what the golf stroke index is and why it’s important to know for your golf game, how it’s calculated, how it’s used in different formats, and who decides what each hole’s index should be.
Let’s get into it!
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So What Is The Stroke Index In Golf?
The stroke index in its most basic definition is a system where holes are ranked from 1-18 from what should be considered the most difficult on the course to the least.
There are other factors that a committee will consider when allocating these stroke indexes but the difficulty of a hole is one of the most important.
I’ve come across some articles where they state it’s got nothing to do with hole difficulty but this is not true and it’s one of the most important factors to consider.
So why would they say this?
How Are Stroke Indexes Decide For Each Hole
When deciding what holes will receive what index it’s not as simple as just taking into account which holes are the most difficult. It is an important factor for your course committee to consider but they also need to make it fair for golfers of all levels.
Before you find out what this means let’s first find out what the ideal stroke indexes should be for a golf course.
Ideally stroke indexes should be split down the middle from 1-18 with all the odd numbers being allocated to the hardest 9 holes and the even numbers to the easier 9 holes.
Also, low-index holes like 1,2,3,4,5, or 6 should not be assigned to the first and last holes of each 9. So holes 1, 9, 10, and 11.
The reason is in certain competitive formats having a low index on one of these holes could favor a high-handicap player who may have an additional 1-2 shots over a golfer with a low handicap.
In a match play situation finishing strong on any of these holes can be enough to give a golfer an edge even if it’s only mentally.
Instead golf courses should assign stroke indexes in the middle for each of these holes.
Something else they must try not to do is to have indexes going in numerical order for consecutive holes.
The Reality Of Assigning Stroke Indexes For Each Hole
Although golf courses try to follow the above guidelines they very seldom do.
To follow the above blindly would mean certain holes would receive a higher or lower index than they actually should.
I’ve played tons of courses where you start on index one or start the second 9 on index two.
It’s a tough way to start a round but regardless of the rules if the golf courses have to assign the toughest holes with the lowest indexes. It wouldn’t make sense to follow the guidelines and give hole 1 a higher index when it’s the toughest golf hole on the course.
More often than not golf courses allocate indexes based on the average member scores on the holes. So while they do have to make it fair by using the guidelines they also have to be realistic.
How Your Golf Handicap And Stroke Index Work Together
Depending on the format you’re playing will decide how your golf handicap and the stroke indexes will work together.
Stroke Play – How Your Golf Handicap And Index Work
For example, if you’re playing straight-up stroke play and your golf handicap is 16 it means you have an extra shot of holes with an index between 1-16.
This extra shot essentially means if you make a bogey on any of these holes it’s treated as if you made a par when the rounds finished. Meaning if you shot 88 (+16) on a 72 par course your net score would be 72 or level par.
The number of strokes taken away is relative to your handicap.
Match Play – How Your Golf Handicap And Index Work
In a golf match play situation, it works slightly differently. Let’s say your opponent has a handicap of 10 and your handicap is 4.
This would mean that you will have to give your opponent 6 shots throughout the round.
But where will they get these extra shots? Simply they will have an extra shot on holes with an index of 1-6, meaning if you got a par and they scored a bogey on one of these holes the hole would be halved (Draw).
Meaning if you both got pars on any of these holes your opponent would win that hole and gain a point.
Stableford – How Your Golf Handicap And Index Work
Lastly, if you’re playing Stableford your handicap and the hole index will decide how many points you can get on each hole.
Golfers with a handicap of 2 will only have extra shots on holes with an index of 1 or 2. This means if they get a par on these holes they will receive +3 points, but if they get a par on holes with indexes of 3-18 they would only receive +2 points for their par.
Similarly, if someone had a handicap of 19 if they got a par on the hole with an index of 1 they would receive +4 points for a par as they have 2 shots on this hole.
What Does Having A Shot On A Hole Mean?
Having a shot on a hole is a term you may hear on the golf course while you play.
If someone you’re playing with asks you if you have a shot on that hole, they are simply asking if your handicap allows you an extra stroke depending on the index.
On a hole where the index is 8 and your handicap is 18 then yes you would have a shot on that hole.
The same can be said if a golfer says that they don’t have a shot on the hole it just means their handicap is lower than the golf stroke index of that particular hole.
Who Is In Charge Of Picking The Indexes For Each Hole?
Every golf course has a group of members who form a committee. This committee is in charge of multiple decisions for each golf course.
One of these decisions would be to decide on which holes will certain indexes be assigned.
It can be tricky as stated before there are guidelines to go by but they also have to take into account the difficult holes in the course.
Although they will review the indexes every year most of the stroke indexes will remain the same with maybe only a couple of changes a year.
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