Maple Fairways: Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the questions golfers ask about the Maple Fairways planning tools: unofficial handicap figures, score differentials, Stableford points, skins pot splits, and altitude adjustments. Every handicap output on this site is unofficial and is labelled unofficial. Official handicaps come only through Golf Canada and its member clubs. For the full explanations, see the explainer articles in this hub, and for the arithmetic itself, use the free calculators at maplefairways.com.
Is the course handicap from Maple Fairways an official handicap?
No. The result is an unofficial course handicap, produced by an unofficial course handicap calculator for education, casual planning, and friendly formats only. Official handicaps come only through Golf Canada and its member clubs. Golf Canada is the authorized administrator of the World Handicap System in Canada, and the World Handicap System is governed by the USGA and The R&A.
How is a course handicap calculated?
The World Handicap System formula is: course handicap equals handicap index times slope rating divided by 113, plus course rating minus par, rounded to the nearest whole number. For example, an index of 14.2 with a slope rating of 128, a course rating of 71.8, and par 72 works out to about 15.9, which rounds to 16. Any figure you calculate on this site is an unofficial course handicap.
What is a score differential?
A score differential expresses what one finished round was worth in handicap terms, adjusted for the course rating and slope rating of the tees played. Differentials are the building blocks from which a handicap index is derived. The Maple Fairways differential calculator computes a differential for a single round, and its result is unofficial, like every handicap output on this site. Official handicaps come only through Golf Canada and its member clubs.
How many points is a net par worth in Stableford?
A net par is worth 2 points. The standard table used on this site is: net double bogey or worse 0 points, net bogey 1 point, net par 2 points, net birdie 3 points, net eagle 4 points, and net albatross 5 points. Points are scored on your net result on each hole, after any handicap strokes you receive on that hole by stroke index. Any handicap figure used to set up a casual game here is unofficial.
Where do my handicap strokes fall in Stableford?
Strokes fall by stroke index, the ranking printed on the scorecard. If you receive 12 strokes, you get one stroke on each hole ranked stroke index 1 to 12. If you receive more than 18 strokes, the allocation wraps around and a second stroke falls on the lowest stroke index holes. Your net score on a hole is your gross score minus the strokes you receive on that hole, and points are awarded on the net score. Strokes for casual games on this site are based on unofficial handicap figures.
When should I pick up my ball in Stableford?
Pick up when the points are gone. Once you can no longer finish the hole at net double bogey or better, the hole is worth 0 points whatever happens next, so there is nothing left to earn. Picking up keeps the group moving, protects pace of play, and is part of how the format is designed to work. It is good practice, not quitting.
How does the skins pot splitter divide a pot?
It is arithmetic only. Enter the total friendly pot your group agreed on, the number of skins each player won, and how your group handles carried over skins, and the splitter divides the pot in proportion to skins won. With carryover, a hole won after ties is worth the skins accumulated for it, as your group agreed before play. The tool does not place bets, hold money, or facilitate gambling. It simply splits numbers your group already decided on.
How much farther does a golf ball carry at altitude?
The approximation this site uses is about 2 percent of carry per 1,000 feet of elevation, and it is labelled as an approximation. A 150 yard carry at sea level becomes about 165 yards at about 5,000 feet, because 5 times about 2 percent is about 10 percent, and about 10 percent of 150 is about 15. Temperature is a smaller factor: warm conditions tend to add a little carry and cold conditions tend to take a little away. Use the figure for planning club selection, then refine it from your first real shots on the course.
Sources and figures note
Handicap methods follow the World Handicap System, governed by the USGA and The R&A. Golf Canada is the authorized administrator of the World Handicap System in Canada. Official handicaps come only through Golf Canada and its member clubs, and every handicap output from Maple Fairways is unofficial. The Stableford table and the altitude approximation used here are the standard table and the site approximation described in the hub overview. Maple Fairways is part of Mississippi Maple.