how do you rate a golf course

Golf courses are rated based on the measured length of the course from each set of tees. The measured length of a particular set of tees is taken from the permanent marker to the center of the green. Accurate permanent marker placement is essential to an accurate course rating.

Full Answer

How does the USGA rate golf courses?

To determine the Rating of a course the USGA measures several factors for each hole on the golf courses. The process examines every facet of a hole and its playability. Effective playing factors: roll, elevation, dogleg/forced layup, prevailing wind, and altitude.

How do golf courses get ratings?

A "ratings team," usually from a state golf association, visits the golf course and makes various measurements and notes and observations about how "easy" or "difficult" the course plays from the perspective of scratch golfers. (The ratings team is establishing such things as a course's "effective playing length" and " obstacle stroke value .")

What is the average score for a golf course?

Most course ratings range from the upper 60s to the mid-70s. Course rating systems are in use around the world by many different golf authorities. For example, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the handicapping authority known as CONGU issues "Standard Scratch Scores" as a degree-of-difficulty rating for golf courses.

What does a golf course Rater do?

Course raters scrutinize each and every one of those humps and bumps and hazards, on every hole of every course they evaluate. They divide those obstacles into 10 categories, such as bunkers, trees, topography, out-of-bounds, water, rough, and on, and assign them each a degree of difficulty on a scale of zero to 10, with 10 being the most extreme.

What does the rating of a golf course mean?

The Course Rating is designed to assign a numerical value to represent the difficulty of the course for a scratch golfer. This number is calculated by measuring the fairways, inspecting the bunkers, measuring the size and contours of the greens, determining the distance to hazards and out of bounds locations, etc.

What is a good rating for a golf course?

A par-72 course that is easy might have a course rating of 68.9; one that is difficult might have a course rating of 74.5. That means that a scratch golfer should be expected to average 68.9 strokes in his better rounds at the easier course; and 74.5 at the more difficult one.

How do I find out the slope rating of a golf course?

It is always a number between 55 and 155, with 113 being the "standard" slope. You calculate slope rating by finding the bogey rating, which is like the course rating, but measured for a bogey golfer. Then subtract the course rating from that figure. Then multiply that figure by 5.381 for men and 4.24 for women.

What does a slope rating of 130 mean?

From Tom's tees, a slope of 130 gives him a 12 Course Handicap.

How are golf courses rated for difficulty?

What does slope rating mean on a golf course? The slope rating of a golf course is a mathematical measure of the difficulty of the golf course. Slope rating takes into account the USGA par rating of the course as well as the expected score of a higher handicap golfer.

What is a high slope rating?

The higher the slope number, the harder the course is for the bogey golfer relative to the difficulty of the course for the scratch golfer. Slope numbers can range anywhere between 55 and 155 with the average slope in the United States being 120.

What is my handicap slope?

The course's Slope Rating indicates the difficulty of a golf course for a 'bogey' golfer (20 handicapper for a man, 24 for a woman) relative to a scratch player. So essentially, the difference in difficulty of the course between a scratch and bogey player make up the Slope Rating.

What's the difference between slope and rating in golf?

While course ratings are a measure of the difficulty of a course, slope ratings are a measure of how much more difficult a course is for a high handicap golfer versus a lower one. For example, if you have two courses that each have a course rating of 72, they should be the same difficulty for a scratch golfer.

How do you calculate handicap rating and slope?

Handicap differential = (Adjusted Gross Score-rating of the course) X 113 / Course slope ratings. The course rating is simply the scores of a new golfer on a normal course under a normal playing condition. Slope rating is the rating of 113 for a course based on the standard difficulty.

What rating and slope should I play?

Setting Goals for Your Game If you are playing a course with a slope in the 130's, you might want to aim for something under 95 as opposed to 90. On the other hand, a course with a slope in the low 100's may allow you to aim for an 85 – or even lower.

What is the average golf score for seniors?

The average score for someone over the age of 60 is 92 on a par 72 golf course. These people have a lot of time to play golf but they're getting older and their body doesn't work quite as well as it used to. Obviously, you'll have some golfers shoot much better and some that shoot much worse.

What is the slope rating of Augusta National?

137Augusta National Golf ClubClub informationPar72Length7,510 yards (6,870 m)Course rating78.1 (unofficial)Slope rating137 (unofficial)17 more rows

Golf Course Rating and Ranking

I have a simple way of rating golf courses and it is all based on what I feel after the round is over:

What Makes a Good Golf Course

To be competitive in the modern marketplace, a golf course needs to offer an enjoyable day. That is al but that is a large order if a lot of little things don’t support it. A good course can die by a thousand little cuts for dirty bathrooms, no drink cart service, devoted up tee boxes, no driving range, etc.

Golf Course Scorecard

I started using a scorecard to help me remember details about the course once I got home. The scorecard continues to evolve the more courses I review. Some silly things are on there like rake quality but that can be a subtle indicator of course quality. I include golf cart GPS because that is a gold standard for me.

Golf Course Photos

When I review a golf course, I take photos to feed this website. A lot of photos. Each hole is photographed from:

What Makes a Good Course for You?

When you are asked about a golf course from a friend, what do you say? What are the factors that make up your decision to recommend or not a golf course?

How does the USGA determine the rating of a golf course?

To determine the Rating of a course the USGA measures several factors for each hole on the golf courses. The process examines every facet of a hole and its playability.

What Golf Course Rating Mean to You and Me?

So what? So buttons. The lower the golf course rating compared to 72 to “easier” the golf course is.

What is the difference between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer?

Here is the difference between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer according to the USGA: Scratch Golfer : A male scratch golfer is a player who can play to a Course Handicap of zero on any and all rated golf courses. A male scratch golfer, for rating purposes, can hit tee shots an average of 250 yards and can reach a 470-yard hole in two shots.

How many yards can a scratch golfer hit?

A male scratch golfer, for rating purposes, can hit tee shots an average of 250 yards and can reach a 470-yard hole in two shots. A female scratch golfer is a player who can play to a Course Handicap of zero on any and all rated golf courses. A female scratch golfer, for rating purposes, can hit tee shots an average of 210 yards ...

What is scratch golf?

The evaluation of the playing difficulty of a course for scratch golfers under normal course and weather conditions. It is expressed as the number of strokes taken to one decimal place (72.5), and is based on yardage and other obstacles to the extent that they affect the scoring difficulty of the scratch golfer.

What are the obstacles in golf?

Obstacle factors: topography, fairway, green target, recoverability and roughs, water hazards, out of bounds, trees, green surface, and psychology. Each obstacle is assigned a value of 0 to 10, depending on its relation to how a scratch or bogey golfer would play the hole.

How often does the USGA evaluate golf courses?

I know this makes my head spin but I am sure the USGA has a wicked big spreadsheet to crunch the numbers. The USGA evaluates each golf course every ten years in addition new golf courses complete the evaluation every five years.

How often do golf courses need to be rerated?

Plus, courses change, which is why they must be re-rated at least every 10 years.

What is the average slope rating?

The average slope rating is 120, according to Dean Knuth, also known as “the pope of slope,” the man who invented the system in 1982. In conclusion, course ratings and slope ratings are useful and objective measures of golf course difficulty.

How many yards can a female scratch golfer hit?

A female scratch golfer can hit 210-yard tee shots on average and reach a 400-yard hole, at sea level, in two shots. Meanwhile, the USGA says bogey golfers have a course handicap of 20 for men and 24 for women on golf courses of standard difficulty. Average yards off the tee are 200 for men and 150 for women.

What is a bogey rating?

This begs another definition. Namely, the bogey rating. In a nutshell, it’s the playing difficulty of a golf course for a bogey golfer.

What is scratch golf?

And what is a scratch golfer? According to the USGA, a scratch golfer is a man or woman who can play to a course handicap of zero on all rated golf courses. In others words, he or she can shoot a score that nearly matches the course rating from his or her designated tees.

What is a course rating team?

Authorized by golf associations and using USGA standards, course rating teams closely study a golf course and collect a lot of data, including on each hole.

What makes golf different from other sports?

One thing that makes golf different than other sports is the “playing field.”. Whether long or short, hilly or flat, no two golf courses are alike. And while they’re all challenging in their own way, some golf courses are harder than others. In fact, some courses are like childhood bullies who will steal your lunch money ...

How Is Course Rating Calculated?

Golf courses that participate in the USGA Handicap System are rated for each set of tees at their course (front tees, middle tees and back tees, for example). At least a few of a course's tees should be rated separately for men and for women, because men and women will post different scores playing from the same set of tees. For example, the forward tees might be rated 67.5 for men and 71.5 for women.

When will golf course ratings be standardized?

Establishing a common, globally used system for course ratings is something golf's governing bodies and handicapping authorities have frequently discussed, and beginning in 2020 a new system will be introduced that standardizes course rating around the golfing world.

What is a USGA rating?

USGA Course Rating is a numerical value given to each set of tee boxes at a golf course to approximate the number of strokes it should take a scratch golfer to complete the course. Course rating is a very important part of the USGA Handicap System and is used in calculating a golfer's handicap index.

What is a rating team in golf?

A "ratings team," usually from a state golf association, visits the golf course and makes various measurements and notes and observations about how "easy" or "difficult" the course plays from the perspective of scratch golfers. (The ratings team is establishing such things as a course's "effective playing length" and " obstacle stroke value .")

How often should USGA courses be updated?

USGA Course Ratings should be updated (through a re-rating) every 10 years (or in five years for a newly built course), and when a course undergoes renovations that result in significant changes.

What is a course rating of 74.8?

Most course ratings range from the upper 60s to the mid-70s.

Where to check club ratings?

check in the clubhouse/pro shop, where the ratings may be posted, or to ask one of the professionals on staff;

Shankster

Layout, amount of trees, conditions, and the general atmosphere of the place.

Kenny B

I've played in many parts of the country, and I generally like most courses as long as the conditions are good; they don't have to be great, but they should be good based on what I pay. I generally research courses as best I can before I pick them. Most any course is challenging the way I play, so not being overly difficult is a plus for me.

PlaidJacket

Hmmm? I guess I rate courses after playing them more than once. Usually. I've played a ton of courses around the country - private - resort- and muni. There are exceptions however. Wherever I play these days I'm not looking for a beat-down. Challenging yes. Tricky no.

revkev

Nice thread - I used to think about this more frequently than I do now because I rarely play a new course and when I do it’s one that has a good reputation going in. Good conditions especially greens, pace of play, a variety of tee options and nothing too tricked up. That sounds about right Sent from my iPhone using MyGolfSpy

DaveP043

I think I'm like the others in most ways. Conditioning is a significant factor. Greens don't have to be really fast, but must roll true, fairways should be mowed appropriately, bunkers raked, the grass healthy (I know that depends largely on weather). I'm playing for fun, so I want a decent challenge, but I don't care to get beat up.

PlaidJacket

Last, and probably just as important, is the staff, they should be professional but welcoming. On one hand, golfers like me are paying their salaries.

DaveP043

Layout, good conditions..... fairways and greens. Must be fair... I hate what I call "gimick" courses..... total blind tee shots, severe dog legs, greens with trouble on three sides and multiple breaks,etc...

How to find slope rating?

You calculate slope rating by finding the bogey rating, which is like the course rating, but measured for a bogey golfer. Then subtract the course rating from that figure. Then multiply that figure by 5.381 for men and 4.24 for women. Then round up to the nearest whole number.

What does a course rating tell you?

A golf course rating tells you what a scratch golfer would be expected to shoot from the tees they're playing on a particular course under normal conditions. The rating is different for men and women.

What is slope in golf?

The golf course slope is a measure of a course's difficulty, but it is not considered the better of the two measurements. Golf course slope is actually derived from the golf course rating. Slope is a measure of a golf course's difficulty in a relative comparison of a scratch golfer to a bogey golfer (someone who shoots around 90 for 18 holes).

How many yards can a scratch golfer hit?

A male scratch golfer, for rating purposes, can hit tee shots an average of 250 yards and can reach a 470-yard hole in two shots.". A scratch woman can "can hit tee shots an average of 210 yards and can reach a 400-yard hole in two shots at sea level.".

How to determine how long a golf course plays?

The difficulty of a course depends partly on its length. But yardage alone is not the only measure of how long a course plays. Raters also take into account the firmness of the turf, the strength of the prevailing wind, doglegs, forced carries and elevation. All of those factors are then weighed together to determine whether the course plays longer or shorter than its actual yardage.

How far do scratch golfers hit the ball?

One of those is how far they hit the ball. For rating purposes, the USGA system assumes that scratch golfers fly their drives an average of 225 yards, with 25 yards of roll. They carry their second shots an average of 200 yards, with 20 yards of roll. A bogey golfer, on the other hand, averages ...

How many yards does a scratch golfer have?

Based on those numbers, a scratch golfer is considered capable of reaching a 470-yard hole in two shots.

What is the measure of a tough course?

A U.S. Open course is tough by any measure. The measure the United States Golf Association uses is the course and slope rating system, which assigns two different numbers meaning two different things. While the course rating tells you how difficult a track is for a scratch player, the slope tells you the relative difficulty of that same course for a bogey golfer.