What is the Peoria handicap system?
The Peoria method and its variants (Double or "New" Peoria, and New-New Peoria) are popular hidden-hole handicap systems used for one-off golf events such as charity scrambles, company outings, and social competitions. Before play begins, the organizer secretly designates a set of "hidden holes." After the round, only the player's strokes on those hidden holes are counted and scaled up to estimate a full 18-hole gross score, producing a fair handicap even for players without an official one. This calculator assumes a standard course par of 72.
How the three methods differ
The methods differ only in how many hidden holes are used and the multiplier needed to project the score to a full round:
Peoria uses 6 hidden holes whose pars sum to 24, with a multiplier of 3 (\(24 \times 3 = 72\)). Double (New) Peoria uses 12 hidden holes (pars sum to 48), multiplier 1.5 (\(48 \times 1.5 = 72\)). New-New Peoria uses 9 hidden holes (pars sum to 36), multiplier 2 (\(36 \times 2 = 72\)). In every case the hidden-hole par total times the multiplier equals the course par of 72.
How to use it
Pick your method, then enter the total number of strokes you scored on that method's hidden holes. The calculator multiplies that total by the method multiplier to project an 18-hole gross, subtracts par (72), and multiplies by the standard 80% allowance (0.8) to give your handicap.
$$\text{Handicap} = \left(1.5 \times \text{Total Strokes} - 72\right) \times 0.8$$
Worked example
Double Peoria, total hidden-hole strokes \(S = 60\): projected gross = \(60 \times 1.5 = 90\); \(90 - 72 = 18\); \(18 \times 0.8 = 14.4\). The handicap is 14.4. A player who beats par on the hidden holes can score a negative handicap, which is shown as-is and not clamped to zero.
FAQ
Why 0.8? The 0.8 factor is the conventional 80% handicap allowance built into all three Peoria systems to slightly favor better players.
Can the handicap be negative? Yes. If your projected gross is below 72, the result is negative and is displayed exactly as computed.
Which holes are hidden? The organizer chooses them in secret before the round. You only need the resulting stroke total here, not which specific holes were used.
