Date Published: 23/05/2025
For many golfers – especially those new to the game – the term “stroke index” can sound like insider jargon. However, understanding it is essential for anyone aiming to play fair, competitive rounds and track handicap performance accurately.
In short, the stroke index (often abbreviated as SI) is a system used to rank the holes on a golf course based on their difficulty. It plays a crucial role in calculating how handicap strokes are applied during a round.
Each hole on a golf course is assigned a stroke index number from 1 to 18. Stroke index 1 is considered the hardest hole on the course, while stroke index 18 is deemed the easiest.
These rankings consider various factors, including hazards, layout, and elevation changes – not just hole length.
Typically, the stroke index is distributed evenly across the front and back nine to ensure balance in match play. This means both halves of the course have a roughly equal distribution of harder and easier holes.
Stroke index becomes particularly important when handicap strokes are involved. In match play, golfers use the stroke index to determine on which holes handicap strokes should be applied.
Here’s how it works: if a golfer has a handicap index that equates to 10 strokes for a given course, they receive one extra stroke on each of the 10 most difficult holes, as defined by the stroke index.
So, if hole 5 has a stroke index of 4, and the golfer’s handicap allows a stroke there, a score of 5 would be recorded as a net 4.
In stableford or stroke play competitions, the stroke index helps determine how many shots a player receives on each hole, which in turn impacts the final net score.
This ensures a level playing field, allowing golfers of different abilities to compete fairly.
It’s important not to confuse stroke index with course rating or slope rating.
Course rating assesses the overall difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer, while slope rating reflects how much harder the course plays for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer.
Stroke index, on the other hand, pertains to individual hole difficulty and how handicap strokes are distributed within a round.
Understanding stroke index is one thing, but seeing how it influences your rounds is another. That’s where iGolf comes in. For just £46 per year, iGolf offers non-club members the chance to hold a WHS Handicap Index.
Every round entered through the platform automatically factors in course ratings and stroke index, ensuring your digital handicap record is accurate and up to date.
Whether you’re working on reducing your net scores or just learning how the system works, iGolf makes tracking progress easy and accessible. It’s the smart way to improve your game – one stroke (index) at a time.
Ready to start your handicap journey? Sign up to iGolf today and take control of your game.