Golf handicaps are a number that represents the golfer's ability based on their previous golf round's scores. It serves the purpose of comparing your performances with other golf players. For men, your golf handicap is generally between zero and twenty-eight, and, for women, between zero and thirty-six.

A golf handicap represents the number of strokes a player is expected to take above or below the course's par score. The higher the handicap, the more strokes a player is allowed to subtract from their actual score to determine their net score.