2 October 2026 · 9 min read
Golf abbreviations explained: HCP, CR, GIR, DNS, DQ, PHCP and more in two sentences
HCP, PHCP, CR, SR, SI, DQ, WD, DNS, CUT and GIR in one table, with the Swiss Golf worked example: an index of 15 becomes 15, 18 or 20 strokes depending on the tee.
The abbreviations in leaderboards and golf apps fall into three groups. HCP, PHCP, CR, SR and SI belong to the handicap, DQ, WD, DNS and CUT say what happened to a player in a tournament, and GIR is a statistic about hitting the green. Here each abbreviation gets one or two sentences, plus a worked example and the sources: Swiss Golf, the R&A, the DGV and The Open.
Handicap: HCP, CH, PHCP, CR, SR and SI
Handicap abbreviations come in pairs: one number for you and one for the course. The table explains them according to the Swiss Golf handicap rules:
| Abbreviation | Stands for | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| HCP, HCPI | Handicap, Handicap Index | The measure of the ability shown, based on a course with the Slope Rating 113. The index is the average of the 8 best of the last 20 Score Differentials. |
| CR | Course Rating | The difficulty of a course for the scratch player under normal course and weather conditions. |
| SR | Slope Rating | The relative difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch players. |
| Par | The number of strokes a scratch player expects on a hole, with two strokes on the green. | |
| CH | Course Handicap | The number of handicap strokes you receive for a given tee. |
| PHCP | Playing Handicap | The Course Handicap adjusted by the handicap allowance: the actual number of strokes you receive in the round. |
| SI | Stroke Index | The number of each hole that shows whether handicap strokes are given or received. |
| AGS | Adjusted Gross Score | Your adjusted gross score including all penalty strokes. |
| SD | Score Differential | The value that shows your playing potential on a day on a course. |
| PCC | Playing Conditions Calculation | The calculation that checks whether the conditions of a day differ from normal so much that the Course Rating no longer fits. |
PHCP is the short form of Playing Handicap. Swiss Golf writes the term out in the handicap rules; I did not find the short form there. The DGV states that the Playing Handicap mostly equals the Course Handicap (DGV, glossary). Only when a competition does not allow play off the full handicap, for example in a scramble, is it adjusted. Which formats those are is in Scramble, foursomes and four-ball.
From HCP to PHCP: a worked example
The example comes from Swiss Golf (WHS in 6 steps): a Handicap Index of 15 on a course with par 72 and three tees. The formula is named by the DGV: Course Handicap equals Handicap Index times (Slope Rating divided by 113) plus (Course Rating minus par).
| Tee | CR | SR | Par | Course Handicap | Target in strokes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 69.6 | 132 | 72 | 15 | 87 |
| Yellow | 71.9 | 135 | 72 | 18 | 90 |
| White | 73.9 | 137 | 72 | 20 | 92 |
Check the blue tee: 15 times 132 divided by 113 is 17.5, plus 69.6 minus 72, which is minus 2.4, gives 15.1, rounded 15. You have the same index but from the white tee you get 20 strokes instead of 15, because the course is harder there. In a competition with full handicap that is your PHCP, and the target is par plus Course Handicap.
After the round the calculation runs backwards: Score Differential equals 113 divided by SR times (AGS minus CR minus PCC). With 90 strokes that gives 17.5 from the blue tee and 13.3 from the white. The harder the tee, the lower the Score Differential. The new index comes from the 8 best of the last 20. The whole calculation with numbers is in Recalculating your Handicap Index yourself, and the system is explained in The golf handicap explained.
Leaderboard: DQ, WD, DNS and CUT
In a leaderboard there is sometimes only an abbreviation instead of a score. It is a status, not a result:
| Abbreviation | In full | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| DQ | Disqualified | Exclusion from the competition. Under Rule 1.3c it can follow serious misconduct or a breach whose advantage is too big for the score to count. The leaderboard marks the result with DQ. |
| WD | Withdrawn | The player started and stopped voluntarily, in the round or between rounds. |
| DNS | Did Not Start | The player was entered but did not play the first tee shot. |
| CUT | Cut | The player did not make the cut and does not play on. |
The Rules and the DGV explain DQ (R&A, Rule 1; DGV: the result is marked DQ on the results list). For WD and DNS I rely on Caddie AI, a golf app provider (Caddie AI), not on a rulebook. According to it the first tee shot is the border: whoever played it is WD, otherwise DNS. DQ is involuntary, WD and DNS mostly voluntary. As a classic case for DQ the same page names a wrong scorecard, where a player signs for a lower score than he played. How to fill in the card correctly is in Stableford and the scorecard explained.
What does the cut mean in golf?
The cut is the line at which a field is reduced. At the Open Championship it happens once, after 36 holes: whoever stands in 70th place or better, ties included, plays on, whoever stands in 71st place or worse is out (The Open, 2018). In the 2018 piece there were 156 players in the field, the line splits it almost in half, and the exact number of those going through varies because of ties. Whoever is below it is cut. That is the rule of this tournament and not a general law of golf.
GIR: what the statistic measures
GIR stands for Green in Regulation. You are on the green in two strokes fewer than par: in the first stroke on a par 3, in the second on a par 4, in the third on a par 5 (Wikipedia, Golf). Two putts remain for the par. Professionals manage, according to the same source, usually between 60 and 70 per cent of greens. For amateurs the database of the provider Shot Scope (Shot Scope, benchmark booklet) shows a different picture:
| Handicap | Fairway in Regulation (FIR) | Green in Regulation (GIR) | Putts per round |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 50 % | 61 % | 29.4 |
| 5 | 48 % | 44 % | 30.2 |
| 10 | 49 % | 36 % | 31.2 |
| 15 | 48 % | 24 % | 33.1 |
| 20 | 46 % | 17 % | 33.1 |
| 25 | 46 % | 10 % | 33.8 |
The gap between a low and a high handicap is not at the fairway but at the green: 4 percentage points at the fairway (50 against 46 %), but 51 at the green (61 against 10 %). The statistic has limits. A ball at the edge of the green, 15 feet or about 4.6 metres from the flag, counts as a missed green, a ball on the green at 60 feet or about 18.3 metres counts as a hit, although the first can be the better shot (Shot Scope). A number that takes the distance to the hole into account is explained in Strokes Gained for amateurs.
Dormie and the words from match play
Dormie belongs to match play. If you are 3 up with three holes still to play, the match is dormie for you, and you cannot lose on the remaining holes (DGV service portal, match play). The opponent can only level. How a hole and a match are won is in Match play: the rules explained. For words such as birdie, bogey and par there is Golf terms explained.
What this means for you
In a leaderboard DQ, WD and DNS are not a score but a status, and the cut applies only to the tournament that names it. In a handicap line there are two numbers: your index and the course, that is CR and SR. From them comes your PHCP. Once you have recalculated it as above, the abbreviations lose their terror. Which apps show these numbers is in Golf apps in everyday use.
More on this: Hole in one.
Where to try it
Anyone new to golf needs no abbreviation, only an hour in the bay. How the first hour works is explained on golf simulator for beginners, the nearest venue is on the map, and anyone looking for lessons finds them under indoor golf training.
Frequently asked questions
What does HCP mean in golf?
HCP stands for handicap, more precisely the Handicap Index. It measures the ability shown, based on a course with the Slope Rating 113, and is the average of the 8 best of the last 20 Score Differentials (Swiss Golf).
What is the difference between HCP and PHCP?
The HCP is your index. The PHCP, the Playing Handicap, is the number of strokes you receive in a round: index times slope divided by 113, plus Course Rating minus par. With full handicap it mostly equals the Course Handicap.
What does GIR mean in golf?
GIR means Green in Regulation: you are on the green in two strokes fewer than par, so in the first stroke on a par 3, in the second on a par 4, in the third on a par 5. Professionals usually reach 60 to 70 per cent, handicap 15 according to Shot Scope 24 per cent.
What do DNS, DQ and WD mean in a golf leaderboard?
DNS means Did Not Start: entered but did not play the first tee shot. WD means Withdrawn: started and stopped voluntarily. DQ means Disqualified: exclusion from the competition, for example for serious misconduct under Rule 1.3c.
What does the cut mean in golf?
The cut reduces the field. At the Open Championship that happens after 36 holes: whoever stands in 70th place or better, ties included, plays on. Whoever is below it is cut. The number applies to this tournament.
Sources
- Swiss Golf: Handicap-Regeln 2024 (Definitionen von Handicap Index, CR, SR, Course und Playing Handicap, Stroke Index, AGS, SD, PCC)
- Swiss Golf: WHS in 6 Schritten (Rechenbeispiel mit drei Abschlägen, Score Differential, 8 der letzten 20)
- DGV: Glossar WHS und Handicap-Regeln (Formel Course Handicap, Playing Handicap, Par, DQ in der Ergebnisliste)
- R&A: Regel 1, Spielen nach den Regeln (Regel 1.3c, Disqualifikation)
- Caddie AI: What does DNS in golf mean? (DNS, WD und DQ im Vergleich, Anbieter einer Golf-App)
- The Open: What is the cut line at The Open? (Cut nach 36 Löchern, Platz 70 und gleiche Plätze, Beitrag von 2018)
- Shot Scope: Strokes Gained, Benchmark Statistics (FIR, GIR und Putts pro Runde nach Handicap)
- Wikipedia: Golf (Definition von Green in Regulation, Anteil der Profis)
- DGV-Serviceportal: Spielformen im Golf, Lochspiel (dormie)