How are 9-hole scores counted toward your Handicap Index?

Did you only have time for nine? You’re not alone.

Nine-hole rounds are on the rise, according to data from the USGA. Of the 300 million scores recorded by the governing body since 2020, around 45,000 million were for 9-hole outings. The annual tally has been swelling.

It’s no wonder, really. Nine-hole rounds are fun and fast. They fit nicely with a lot of golfers’ lifestyles. 

And then there’s this: a single 9-hole round can be counted toward your Handicap Index. (Don’t have a handicap yet? You can register for one here).

That wasn’t always the case. Prior to 2024, a score from a 9-hole round could not be posted in isolation. It either had to be combined with an existing 9-hole score, or set aside until you played another 9 on another day, maybe even on another course — factors that introduced all kinds of variables. 

Not anymore.

On Jan. 1 of last year, the World Handicap System (WHS) — established in 2020 to unify golfers around the globe through a standard measure of playing ability — was updated to more accurately reflect how the game was being played and to more precisely reflect a golfer’s ability. Among the changes were modifications aimed at 9-hole rounds.

Thanks to those updates, when you play a 9-hole round on a course that has been assigned a Course and Slope Rating, there’s no need to wait to combine your score with a score from another 9-hole round. You can post that score immediately, and, using that score, the WHS will automatically produce an 18-hole tally based on your “expected score” for the 9 holes you didn’t actually play. As the term suggests, your expected score is what a player of your ability — based on your handicap — would be expected to shoot on a course of standard difficulty.

The result of this automatic calculation is a more faithful indicator of how a player would perform over 18 holes on a given day than you would get by combining 9-holes scores from different days under different conditions. It’s fast, easy and gratifying, just like squeezing in a late-day nine.

If you still need a handicap, sign up for one here.