Gross, handicap, and net score
Gross is the player's final 18-hole total. The handicap is the adjustment calculated from hidden holes, and net score is gross minus the applied handicap.
Enter final hole scores including penalties. Adding a penalty again after entering the final score would count it twice.
- Gross = final 18-hole strokes
- Handicap = adjustment derived from hidden holes
- Net = gross - applied handicap
Hidden holes and the core formula
A common example selects 12 hidden holes totaling par 48 on a par-72 course. The hidden score is scaled to the full course, course par is removed, and the result is multiplied by 0.8.
Formula: (hidden score × course par ÷ hidden par - course par) × 0.8. Replace both par values when the event uses a different setup.
Worked example: par 72 and hidden par 48
With a capped hidden-hole total of 58, 58 × 72 ÷ 48 equals 87. Subtract 72 and multiply by 0.8 for a calculated handicap of 12.0.
A gross 90 becomes net 78. If the event caps handicaps at 10, the applied handicap is 10 and the net becomes 80.
- Scaled score: 87
- Calculated handicap: 12.0
- Net from gross 90: 78
Rules to confirm before final standings
Confirm whether hole scores are capped at double par, the maximum handicap, treatment of negative values, and rounding method.
Tie-breaks may use back count, designated holes, or lower handicap. Use the calculator as an aid and apply the organizer's published rules to official standings.
How hidden-hole scores become a handicap
New Peoria scales the score on preselected hidden holes and compares it with course par. A common form is (hidden-hole total × 1.5 - course par) × 0.8, but organizers may use a different factor or cap.
If twelve hidden holes total 60 strokes on a par-72 course, (60 × 1.5 - 72) × 0.8 gives 14.4. Apply rounding and the maximum handicap exactly as announced.
- Example handicap = (hidden-hole total × 1.5 - 72) × 0.8
- Net score = gross score - applied handicap
- Set hidden holes, factors, and caps before play
Define tie-breaking before the event
When net scores tie, publish whether back nine, last six, last three, final hole, lower handicap, or a draw decides the order. Do not invent a rule after seeing the results.
Rounding, truncation, negative handicaps, and maximum strokes per hole can also change standings. Share one rules sheet and apply it consistently.
Input errors an organizer should check
Confirm that hole-by-hole entries equal the 18-hole total and that pars and hidden-hole flags match the scorecard. Withdrawal, missing holes, and conceded strokes need an event rule rather than a generic calculation.
New Peoria is a day-of-event method for a social competition, not an official long-term handicap system. Use the relevant association or tournament rules when official status is required.
- Cross-check entries with the original card
- Keep hidden holes undisclosed until the proper time
- Show the formula and rounding rule on the results sheet