The rule
For your handicap, no hole counts for more than net double bogey:
Net double bogey = par + 2 + the strokes you get on that hole
Your score with every hole cut to that cap is your adjusted gross score, and it's the score that goes into your handicap. It came in with the World Handicap System in 2020, and in the US it replaced Equitable Stroke Control.
Working it out hole by hole
First find your strokes for the tees (your course handicap). Then use the stroke index on the scorecard, 1 for the hardest hole to 18 for the easiest, to see where they fall.
A golfer gets 20 strokes: one on every hole, and a second on stroke index 1 and 2.
| Hole | Par | Stroke index | Strokes | Net double bogey | Score | Counts as |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| 7 | 4 | 9 | 1 | 7 | 9 | 7 |
| 12 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 6 |
The 9 and the 7 save the golfer three strokes on the score that goes into their handicap.
A golfer who gets 10 strokes gets one only on stroke index 1 to 10. On the other holes their cap is plain double bogey: par + 2.
Plus handicaps and new golfers
- Plus handicaps give strokes back, starting on the easiest hole. A +2 has a cap of par + 1 on stroke index 17 and 18.
- No handicap yet: until you have one, each hole counts at most par + 5.
Picking up
Once you reach net double bogey, you can pick up: the hole can't count for more. If you pick up earlier, write down the score you most likely would have made, and never more than net double bogey. It keeps the pace up and costs your handicap nothing.
The cap is only for your handicap. In a stroke play event, every stroke still counts toward your result, so check the rules of the day before you pick up.
Why it matters
Without a cap, one 11 could spoil an otherwise good round, the kind that counts toward your handicap. With it, your handicap tracks the golf you play most of the time. It also means blow-up holes hurt your score more than your handicap, which is why cutting them is the fastest way to lower scores. How to break 100.
See your cap on every hole of any course in the Strokes Calculator.
Updated November 13, 2026 by the Greens team.