Handicap
A number representing a golfer's skill level, used to adjust scores so players of different abilities can compete fairly.
Handicapping used to vary by country: as recently as 2020, golfers played under six different regional systems (including separate ones in the US, UK, and Australia) that didn't always translate cleanly to each other. The World Handicap System, developed jointly by the USGA and The R&A, replaced all of them with one global standard, adopted by over 130 countries as of 2025.