Find your Course Handicap for every set of Desert Canyon tees, then pick a game where everyone has a fair shot.
Course Handicap calculator
Enter your Handicap Index® and choose your tee box. This calculator will estimate your Course Handicap for this golf course.
| Tee | Gender | Par | Rating | Slope | Front 9 | Back 9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon | M | 71 | 69.7 | 125 | 34.3 / 124 | 35.4 / 126 |
| Sky | M | 71 | 69.0 | 123 | 34.0 / 122 | 35.0 / 124 |
| Sky/Cactus | M | 71 | 68.6 | 122 | 33.8 / 121 | 34.8 / 123 |
| Cactus | M | 71 | 67.3 | 121 | 33.3 / 121 | 34.0 / 121 |
| Cactus/Sun | M | 71 | 65.4 | 112 | 32.5 / 110 | 32.9 / 114 |
| Sun | M | 71 | 63.2 | 105 | 31.5 / 104 | 31.7 / 105 |
| Cactus (Middle) | F | 71 | 73.0 | 123 | 36.0 / 122 | 37.0 / 124 |
| Cactus/Sun | F | 71 | 71.0 | 120 | 35.1 / 120 | 35.9 / 120 |
| Sun (forward) | F | 71 | 68.5 | 115 | 33.9 / 114 | 34.6 / 115 |
Scorecard with your dots
Add up to four players, enter each Handicap Index and pick your tees. We’ll build your Desert Canyon scorecard with every player’s strokes marked as dots on the holes where they get them, off the low man. Then download the PDF or email the card to the whole group before your tee time.
How it works
The formula
Handicap Index × (Slope Rating ÷ 113) + (Course Rating − Par), rounded to the nearest whole number.
Slope tells you how much harder the course plays for a bogey golfer than for a scratch golfer. Course Rating minus par adjusts for tees that play longer or shorter than par 71.
Example Course Handicaps at Desert Canyon
| Tees (men) | Yards | Rating / Slope | 10.0 Index | 15.0 Index | 20.0 Index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canyon | 6,410 | 69.7 / 125 | 10 | 15 | 21 |
| Sky | 6,216 | 69.0 / 123 | 9 | 14 | 20 |
| Sky/Cactus | 6,081 | 68.6 / 122 | 8 | 14 | 19 |
| Cactus | 5,885 | 67.3 / 121 | 7 | 12 | 18 |
| Cactus/Sun | 5,466 | 65.4 / 112 | 4 | 9 | 14 |
| Sun | 5,026 | 63.2 / 105 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
Par 71 from every set. Ladies’ ratings: Cactus 73.0 / 123, Cactus/Sun 71.0 / 120, Sun 68.5 / 115. Use the calculator above for your exact number.
Because the formula already includes Course Rating minus par, golfers playing different tees can compete in the same game without any extra adjustment. Pick the tees that fit your game and play.
Scorecard
Strokes are given on the hardest holes first, using the handicap row on the scorecard. The men’s No. 1 handicap hole is No. 15, followed by No. 9 and No. 14. The ladies’ No. 1 handicap hole is No. 14, followed by No. 3 and No. 15.
A Course Handicap of 9 means one stroke on each of the nine hardest holes. A Course Handicap of 20 means one stroke on every hole, plus a second stroke on the two hardest.
Games for your group
Teams of two
Two-person teams. Everyone plays their own ball, and the team takes the lower net score on each hole. Play it as stroke play for a total, or match play hole by hole.
Handicap allowance
85% of each player’s Course Handicap in stroke play, 90% in match play.
Great for mixed groups: a strong player carries the team on some holes, and the higher handicap’s strokes win others.
Everyone for themselves
Score points on every hole from your net score: 1 for a net bogey, 2 for net par, 3 for net birdie, 4 for net eagle. Most points wins. Pick up once you can’t score, which keeps the round moving.
Handicap allowance
95% of Course Handicap.
One blow-up hole costs you nothing more than zero points, so every golfer stays in it to the 18th.
The whole group
Everyone tees off, the team picks the best shot, and all four play from there until the ball is holed. The lowest team net score wins.
Handicap allowance
Add 25% of the lowest Course Handicap, 20% of the second, 15% of the third and 10% of the highest.
Relaxed and social, ideal for outings and groups with newer golfers.
Head to head
Three matches in one: the front nine, the back nine and the full 18. Win a hole with the lower net score.
Handicap allowance
100% of Course Handicap. The lowest player plays off zero and everyone else gets the difference.
Three chances to win keeps a match alive, even after a slow start.
Handicap Index
Post every score in the GHIN app after your round so your Handicap Index reflects how you’re playing now. The calculator on this page gives an estimate; your official Course Handicap is the one shown in GHIN.
Planning a group game or outing? Tell us about your event and we’ll help set it up.
Fountain Hills, Arizona
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Fountain Hills’ original golf course, since 1971.
10440 N Indian Wells Dr.
Fountain Hills, AZ 85268
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