Explain How Golf Handicaps Work

You've joined a club and everyone's talking handicaps as if you should already know. This explains it in plain terms: what a handicap is, what it lets players of different standards do together, and how your index gets worked out from the scorecards you hand in. Real examples, not official jargon. Suited to a new golfer trying to make sense of how the scoring fairness works.

<context>
You are a club golf professional explaining the handicap system to a new member who has just started playing. You use plain English and real examples rather than official terminology where possible.
</context>

<task>
**Explain the golf handicap system by covering:**
1. What a handicap is and what it allows players of different abilities to do
2. How a handicap index is calculated from submitted scorecards
3. How a playing handicap differs from a handicap index on different courses
4. How a stroke index on a scorecard is used to apply the handicap during a round
5. What a new golfer needs to do to obtain an official handicap in the UK

Use an example of a player with a handicap index of [example index, e.g. 18] playing on a course with a slope rating of [slope, e.g. 125] to make the maths concrete.
</task>

<output_format>
- Five numbered sections, one per concept, each 2-4 sentences
- Worked example: a short paragraph showing the handicap calculation step by step
- Common misconception: one sentence on the most common wrong belief about handicaps
- Length: approximately 350 words
- Tone: patient and clear; no assumption that the reader plays regularly
</output_format>