Callaway Handicapping is a method used to "handicap the unhandicapped". If all the players in a round do not have established Handicap Indexes, this method can be used to create Playing Handicaps "on the fly" using the scores posted by the players.

In this article, we will discuss the details of this method.

How Playing Handicaps are Computed

Playing Handicaps are computed using a deduction chart (as shown below). These charts differ depending on the par for the course.

To compute a Playing Handicap, follow these directions:

Find the row in the chart that contains the player's gross score. This row tells you the number of "worst" holes to deduct (right-hand Deduct column).
Note which column position the score falls in within that row — 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, or 5th from the left. You'll use this same column position again in Step 5.
Identify the "worst" holes to be deducted. The maximum score that can be counted on any hole is double par — for instance, on a Par 4, the score cannot be higher than 8. If using "Callaway 15", holes 16, 17, and 18 cannot be deducted. If using "Callaway 16", holes 17 and 18 cannot be deducted.
Add the "worst" holes together to get the total deductions.
Using the column position identified in Step 2, find the matching value in the Adjustment to Deduction row, highlighted in yellow at the bottom of the chart. This is the final adjustment.
Add the total deductions (Step 4) and the adjustment (Step 5) together, then subtract that combined number from the gross score to determine the net score.

A deduction table for a Par 72 course is listed below.

Note: If par is different than 72, simply add or subtract the number of strokes — corresponding to the difference in par — from the gross scores listed in the chart. For example, if par is 71, then subtract 1 from each of the gross scores listed below.

Score					Deduct*
--	--	70	71	72	no holes and adjustment
73	74	75	--	--	1/2 worst hole and adjustment
76	77	78	79	80	1 worst hole and adjustment
81	82	83	84	85	1-1/2 worst holes and adjustment
86	87	88	89	90	2 worst holes and adjustment
91	92	93	94	95	2-1/2 worst holes and adjustment
96	97	98	99	100	3 worst holes and adjustment
101	102	103	104	105	3-1/2 worst holes and adjustment
106	107	108	109	110	4 worst holes and adjustment
111	112	113	114	115	4-1/2 worst holes and adjustment
116	117	118	119	120	5 worst holes and adjustment
121	122	123	124	125	5-1/2 worst holes and adjustment
126	127	128	129	130	6 worst holes and adjustment

Adjustment to Deduction

-2

-1

*Maximum deduction -50

Example using Callaway 16 on a Par 72 Course (chart above):

Player's gross score for 18 holes is 96.
Locate 96 in the chart: it falls in the row "96, 97, 98, 99, 100," which corresponds to a deduction of 3 worst holes.
Note the column: 96 is the 1st score listed in that row.
Deduct the three "worst" holes (cannot deduct holes 17 and 18 since this is "Callaway 16"). The player's three worst holes have a score of 9 (par 5), 8 (par 4), and 7 (par 4), for a total deduction of 24.
Using column 1 (from Step 3) in the yellow-highlighted Adjustment to Deduction row, the adjustment is -2.
Total deductions plus adjustment: 24 + (-2) = 22.
Net score is 74 (96 - 22 = 74).

Setting up a Tournament using Callaway Handicapping

To set up a tournament using Callaway Handicapping, follow these directions:

Navigate to the tournament setup screen:
1. Single-Round Tournament: Navigate to Rounds > Tournaments > New Tournament (or select an existing tournament to edit).
2. Multi-Round Tournament: Navigate to Event/League > Multi-Round Tournaments > Add New Multi-Round Tournament (or select an existing one to edit).
Locate the Handicap field in the Tournament Format section. For details on all available handicap options, Click Here.
Select "Callaway 16" or "Callaway 15" as the Handicap option (as shown below).

Notes:

It is not suggested to use Callaway Handicapping for a Match Play tournament, as it will impact the results after the match is completed. If you do use Callaway Handicapping for Match Play, ensure all matches play all 18 holes. Further, inform players that the tournament results are not final until the round has been set to completed and the Callaway Handicap has been processed.
It is not advisable to use Callaway for scramble tournaments because there will be very few scores over par.

Shotgun Starts when using Callaway Handicapping

In a shotgun start, players begin their round on different holes. The holes excluded from deduction (e.g., holes 17 and 18 for "Callaway 16") are always the course's actual hole numbers — not the holes each player happens to finish on.

For example, a player starting on hole #11 will play holes 11 through 18, then 1 through 10. Even though holes 9 and 10 are the last two holes in that player's personal sequence, the excluded holes are still 17 and 18 — the same for every player in the tournament, regardless of where they started.