A professional golfer’s handicap is so low that it essentially goes into plus territory. Unlike amateur golfers who have handicaps reflecting strokes over par, a tour pro's handicap shows how many strokes they typically shoot under par. This article explores what a plus-handicap is, how it's calculated, and how you, the amateur golfer, can apply these insights to your own game.
Before we discuss the pros, let’s quickly review the basics. The official World Handicap System (WHS) is designed to create a level playing field, allowing a 25-handicap player to have a fair match against a 5-handicap player. Your Handicap Index isn’t just your average score, it represents your potential playing ability. The system uses your best 8 scores from your last 20 rounds in a formula involving two other key numbers:
For amateurs, handicaps provide strokes. If you play a course and your course handicap is 18, you get to subtract one stroke from your score on each hole to get your "net score." This is how you can shoot a 90 and still "beat" a friend who shot an 80 but has only a 5-handicap.
This is where things become interesting. On the PGA Tour, you're not just seeing scratch golfers, you're seeing players who are significantly better than scratch. They don’t maintain official WHS handicaps for tour play because everyone competes "straight up" or "gross." However, if their tournament scores were entered into the system, their Handicap Index would be a "plus" number.
A plus-handicap, often written as a "+" (like +5.4), operates in reverse. Instead of gaining strokes, a plus-handicapper has to add strokes to their score.
Let's use an example to clarify:
The best players in the world hover in the +7 to +9 range, an almost unfathomable level of skill. It means that on professional-level, challenging golf courses, they are still expected to shoot well under par.
So how do we determine these unofficial pro handicaps? While pros don't need them for competition, we can use their official tournament scores and the WHS framework to get a clear picture of their skill level. This is often done by golf journalists, statisticians, or organizations with access to the data.
The core of the handicap calculation is the Score Differential. The formula is:
Score Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score - Course Rating) x (113 / Slope Rating)
The "113" figure represents the slope rating of a standard, average-difficulty golf course. This formula essentially normalizes your score based on the course difficulty.
Let's imagine a pro, let’s call him Alex, plays in a tournament at a challenging private course like Winged Foot or Oakmont. The tournament tees have a Course Rating of 76.8 and a Slope Rating of 148. This is exceptionally difficult. Alex shoots a brilliant round of 3-under-par 69.
An amateur might think, "Okay, 3-under is great!" But the handicap system reveals just how incredible it really is. Let's plug it in:
Score Differential = (69 - 76.8) x (113 / 148)
First, solve the parentheses:
69 - 76.8 = -7.8113 / 148 = 0.7635Now, multiply them:
Score Differential = -7.8 x 0.7635 = -5.95
One incredible round produces a Score Differential of nearly +6.0! A pro's Handicap Index is the average of their best 8 differentials out of their last 20 rounds. When you factor in their unbelievable consistency, with scores rarely climbing above par even on bad days, you can see how their Index can settle into that +7 or +8 range. Their 72 isn't the same as an amateur's 72 - theirs was shot on a challenging course.
The math is one thing, but what does being a plus-handicapper actually look like on the course? It’s about more than hitting Bubba Watson drives or Phil Mickelson flop shots on every hole. It’s about something far less flashy but more effective: damage control and consistency.
A 15-handicapper’s miss can be catastrophic: a slice that goes out of bounds, a topped iron shot that dribbles 30 yards, or a chili-dipped chip. For a pro, a "miss" might be thinning an iron slightly but still finding the back of the green. Their bad drive might end up in the first cut of rough instead of the center of the fairway, but it's still in play. They almost completely eliminate penalties and "blow-up" holes that destroy an amateur’s scorecard.
Pros rarely aim directly at pins tucked behind bunkers just for glory. Their plus handicap is built on strategically dismantling a golf course piece by piece. They understand the percentages. They know when to attack and, more importantly, when to play to the fat part of the green, take their two-putt par, and move on. They are playing a strategic chess match against the course architect, whereas many amateurs are just whacking the ball and hoping for the best. For more on this, check out our guide to what is course management in golf.
This is arguably the biggest separator. A pro who misses a green has an astonishing ability to get up and down for par. Their proficiency with chipping, pitching, and bunker play turns almost certain bogeys into routine pars. Amateurs often measure their game by how far they hit their driver, pros measure theirs by how few putts they take and how often they save par from difficult positions. To learn how to improve this crucial aspect of your game, read our tips on how to improve your short game in golf.
Okay, you may not be on a quest for a +7 handicap, but you can absolutely adopt the mindset and strategies of a plus-handicapper to lower your own scores. It's about playing smarter, not just swinging harder.
For your next few rounds, forget about your good shots. Focus on your big mistakes. Is your driver always slicing into the trees on the right? Is your 100-yard shot consistently coming up short? Identifying your predictable miss is the first step toward correcting it or, at the very least, aiming away from it. A pro knows their miss and plays for it. You can too.
Before you step onto the tee box, take 30 seconds to devise a simple plan. Where is the trouble? A water hazard? Out of bounds? Make the commitment to aim away from that trouble, even if it feels "safe." Your goal isn't to hit a hero shot, it's to avoid a penalty stroke. Playing for the center of the fairway and the center of the green is a pro-level strategy that amateurs can use immediately.
Most amateurs overestimate how far they hit each club. They remember that one 7-iron they flushed 170 yards and assume that's their standard, not their absolute best. A pro knows that their standard 7-iron is 170, their "step-on-it" version is 175, and a soft one is 165. Take the time at the range to find your *average* carry distance for each club. Playing with accurate information makes choosing the right club much simpler. For more information on this, check out our article on how far each golf club can hit.
In short, a pro golfer's handicap is deep into "plus" territory, meaning they play complex courses consistently under par. This remarkable skill isn't just about a powerful swing, it's a testament to incredible consistency, bulletproof course management, and a world-class short game that avoids big numbers.
While playing at a +6 level may not be in the cards, we can help you build the same confident, strategic approach into your game. We believe expert-level advice should be accessible to everyone, which is why Caddie AI acts as your own on-demand course strategist. You can get a smart plan for any tee shot, figure out which club to hit from a tricky yardage, or even snap a picture of a bad lie to get instant advice on the best way to play it. We take the uncertainty out of the game, so you can execute every shot with clarity and commitment.
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