Gross vs net skins: a worked score example
Gross skins compare strokes taken. Net skins compare those strokes after the agreed per-hole handicap allocation.
GolfDock editorial · Reviewed
Keep three numbers separate
Handicap Index, Course Handicap and Playing Handicap are different values. Use the competition’s Playing Handicap for the tees and format being played. Do not enter a Handicap Index directly just because it is the number a golfer remembers. Ask the organizer which allowance and tee information apply; the calculator allocates the supplied Playing Handicap and does not calculate an official Handicap Index.
One hole, two different winners
On a hole where Alex receives two strokes and Sam receives none, Alex’s gross 5 becomes net 3 while Sam’s gross 4 stays net 4. Sam wins the gross comparison; Alex wins the net comparison. Neither result is a scoring error. The disagreement comes from answering different questions. Decide the format before the first tee instead of selecting whichever result feels fair afterward.
Read the stroke index from the correct tees
For an agreed 18-hole Playing Handicap of 20, a player receives one stroke on every hole and an additional stroke on stroke-index holes 1 and 2. A plus handicap gives strokes back rather than receiving them. Check that your entered stroke indexes cover the selected round without duplication. Nine-hole allocations need the correct nine-hole input, not an unexamined 18-hole value.
Net ties still follow the tie rule
If Alex records 5 with one stroke received and Sam records 4 with none, both net scores are 4. That is a tie in a net skins game even though the gross scores differ. Apply the agreed carryover rule after calculating each net score. Keep gross strokes in the original scorecard so a reviewer can check how the net result was reached.
A quick setup checklist
Confirm the round length, each golfer’s tees and Playing Handicap, stroke-index order, carryovers and treatment of the final tied hole. Leave missing scores blank until confirmed. USGA handicapping guidance explains the official terminology and allowances; a friendly skins agreement is still your group’s responsibility. A calculator result is not an official handicap posting or a ruling on an event dispute.