Callaway Handicap System

What is a Callaway Handicap

The Callaway Scoring System is a one-round handicapped scoring system that provides an algorithm that essentially removes the worst holes of a single round.

The Callaway Scoring System was invented by Lionel Frank Callaway to give the occasional golfer a chance to compete in tournaments with very skilled golfers.

"I noticed that golfers in Bradford, as elsewhere, complained of their fellow club members high handicaps, rather than their own handicap problem. I retired to my room with a stack of paper and some sample golf cards, determined to try and figure out something to help them."

- Lionel Frank Callaway, 1953

Official Callaway Handicap Table from 1980 Magazine

A 1980 magazine clipping with the 1957 "Official" Callaway Handicap System.

RAW SCORE DEDUCT
72 or less No Handicap
73 74 75   ½ worst hole
76 77 78 79 80 1 worst hole
81 82 83 84 85 1½ worst hole
86 87 88 89 90 2 worst holes
91 92 93 94 95 2½ worst holes
96 97 98 99 100 3 worst holes
101 102 103 104 105 3½ worst holes
106 107 108 109 110 4 worst holes
111 112 113 114 115 4½ worst holes
116 117 118 119 120 5 worst holes
121 122 123 124 125 5½ worst holes
126 127 128 129 130 6 worst holes
ADJUSTMENT
-2 -1 0 +1 +2

Callaway Handicap Table

The Callaway Handicap System provides a table to determine the number of worst holes to be deducted along with an adjustment.

There are rules to apply to the Callaway Table:

  • No hole may be scored at more than twice the par value.
  • Half strokes count as a whole - for example, a seven on a par five that counts as half a worst score is rounded up to a four.
  • The 17th and 18th holes are never deducted. This is because a good golfer can optimize their Callaway Handicap. Some golfers have extended this concept to never deduct the last three holes. The Cruncher App provides an option to customize which of the holes cannot be deducted.

Example to Calculate a Callaway Handicap

Here is an example where a golfer scored a 90 on a par 71.

Looking at the Callaway Table we identify what is required for a score of 90.

RAW SCORE DEDUCT
72 or less No Handicap
73 74 75   ½ worst hole
76 77 78 79 80 1 worst hole
81 82 83 84 85 1½ worst holes
86 87 88 89 90 2 worst holes
91 92 93 94 95 2½ worst holes
96 97 98 99 100 3 worst holes
101 102 103 104 105 3½ worst holes
106 107 108 109 110 4 worst holes
111 112 113 114 115 4½ worst holes
116 117 118 119 120 5 worst holes
121 122 123 124 125 5½ worst holes
126 127 128 129 130 6 worst holes
ADJUSTMENT
-2 -1 0 +1 +2

We would expect that our score of 90 provides a deduction of the two worst holes.

However, for a par 71 course we need to shift the table by one. This changes the hole deduction and the adjustment as shown below.

RAW SCORE DEDUCT
71 or less No Handicap
72 73 74   ½ worst hole
75 76 77 78 79 1 worst hole
80 81 82 83 84 1½ worst holes
85 86 87 88 89 2 worst holes
90 91 92 93 94 2½ worst holes
95 96 97 98 99 3 worst holes
100 101 102 103 104 3½ worst holes
105 106 107 108 109 4 worst holes
110 111 112 113 114 4½ worst holes
115 116 117 118 119 5 worst holes
120 121 122 123 124 5½ worst holes
125 126 127 128 129 6 worst holes
ADJUSTMENT
-2 -1 0 +1 +2

With the Callaway table shift we now see that a score of 90 requires a deduction of our worst 2 1/2 holes with a -2 adjustment.

Now look at the per hole scores:

Par Score   Par Score
1 4 6 10 4 5
2 4 5 11 4 5
3 3 4 12 3 4
4 5 6 13 4 5
5 4 5 14 3 4
6 5 5 15 5 6
7 4 5 16 3 4
8 3 4 17 4 6
9 4 5 18 5 6
Out 36 45 In 35 45
Total 71 90

 

To complete the Callaway Handicap calculation from the Callaway Table:

  • The Unadjusted Callaway Handicap is the sum of the two and a half worst holes. This is identified as Hole 1 (6) + Hole 4 (6) + half of Hole 15 (6/2) = 15
  • With a Raw Score of 90 the Handicap Adjustment is -2 so the Adjusted Callaway Handicap is 15-2 = 13
  • The Callaway Handicap is then applied to the Raw Score to be 90-13 which creates a Callaway Score of 77

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