Hole index
The hole index is the difficulty ranking of a course's 18 holes as it appears on the scorecard.
On the scorecard each hole carries, next to par and length, an index number from 1 to 18. Index 1 is the hardest hole, index 18 the easiest. The course sets this ranking, and it controls the distribution of handicap strokes: where the handicap gives you extra strokes is determined by the hole index. In match play it decides on which holes the weaker player receives handicap strokes; in Stableford it converts your gross into net.
In practice it works like this: playing with handicap 18, you get one stroke on every hole. With handicap 9 you get one stroke on the nine holes with index 1 to 9. Example: you are on a par 4 with hole index 3 and your handicap is 24. You are entitled to two handicap strokes there, because 24 is more than 18 and the index belongs to the second round of the distribution. A gross six is a net par there and earns two Stableford points.
A typical misconception: that the hole index is an objective measure of difficulty. It also takes into account where handicap strokes are best distributed for fair scoring, which is why a long par 5 is not automatically index 1. Every course has its own index; it cannot be compared between courses. And be careful not to confuse them: the hole index has nothing to do with the slope rating, which describes how much harder the whole course plays for higher handicaps.
FAQ
How do I work out my handicap strokes with the hole index?
With handicap 18 you get one stroke on every hole; with handicap 9 only on the nine holes with index 1 to 9. If your handicap is above 18, the distribution starts again from the front: with handicap 24 there are two strokes each on the six hardest holes (index 1 to 6). The scorecard shows you the index of each hole right next to par and length.
Does hole index 1 mean that is where most strokes are lost?
Not necessarily — the index is not a pure measure of difficulty. It also takes into account where handicap strokes are most sensibly distributed for fair scoring, which is why a long par 5 is not automatically index 1. And the index only applies to this one course; a comparison between courses is not possible.
What is the difference between the hole index and the slope rating?
The hole index ranks the 18 holes of a single course by difficulty and controls the distribution of handicap strokes. The slope rating, by contrast, describes how much harder the whole course plays for players with a higher handicap compared to the scratch player. Both appear on the scorecard but answer completely different questions.