A 20 handicap means that the golfer is expected to average one stroke over par for a given round of golf. This means that the golfer should finish each round with a score one stroke higher than par, or the predetermined amount of strokes that the courses is intended to take.
For example, a par-72 round of golf would mean that a 20 handicap golfer would typically finish the round with a score of 73 strokes. Therefore, a 20 handicap requires a golfer to play with an average of 73 strokes per round.
