You guessed it! In the early days of golf, betting was a big part of the game. Clubs kept books of bets and odds on their players. There were lots of different types of bets, too. Strokes could be given every third hole, every other hole or every hole. The term ‘handicap’ came from horse racing. A jockey’s odds for a race were distributed in a cap. (hand-in-cap)
In the late 1800s and early 1900s golf tournaments became very popular. Many English clubs started using the term ‘handicap’ and held Handicap Contests/Tournaments which included odds. However, different clubs had different methods for giving odds/handicaps. As you can imagine, this led to many lively discussions. Soon, a proposal was made for a central authority to set and enforce uniform standards for handicaps. In Ireland in 1897, the first formula was devised to allow golfers to take their handicaps to other courses.
Today, Golfsoftware.com’s Handicap System software takes the work out of handicapping. You can choose USGA, RCGA, or even design your own custom handicap. For league play, League Manager will calculate weekly handicaps with the click of your mouse.