The handicap index is an average of golf round scores and has its own calculation. This formula requires you to sum your differentials and divide these by the number of differentials used, and then multiply the result by 0.96.
Handicap betting is where one selection in an event is given a "handicap" to overcome in order to win. This is popular when strong favorites are playing, instead of placing a match bet at short odds, you can place a bet at longer odds with a 1 or 2 goal start, or -12 point for instance.