how to calculate golf course slope

^{How to Calculate Course & Slope Rating}

1. Adopt the scratch golf standard. To determine the Course Rating for a particular golf course, the USGA determines what score a typical scratch golfer -- a golfer who ...
2. Apply the Course Rating process. The rating process is done by a team of people who consider many factors in determining what a scratch golfer would typically shoot ...
3. Add or subtract the evaluation number from the par for the course. The Course Rating is a number with a single decimal.
4. Calculate the typical score a bogey golfer would shoot on a golf course in good conditions to determine the Slope Rating.

Full Answer

How do you calculate slope in golf?

• Hole 3, Par 4, it is one of the most famous holes of the Portuguese Golf, with view to the Atlantic Ocean, its picture was used for many years to ...
• Hole 4, Par 3, played over a natural ravine to a quite demanding Green.
• Hole 13, Par 3, you play over a big lake to an elevated green well protected with 4 bunkers.

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Which golf course has the highest slope rating?

• Red Ledges Golf Club (Heber, UT), 151 slope
• Royal Isabela (Isabela, PR), 151 slope
• Sebonack Golf Club (Southampton, NY), 151 slope
• Pronghorn Golf Club (Nicklaus) (Bend, OR), 151 slope
• Old Corkscrew Golf Course (Estero, FL), 151 slope

What does slope rating really mean for a golf course?

The slope rating of a golf course is a measure of its difficulty for bogey golfers. The term comes from the likelihood that when playing on more difficult courses, players’ scores will rise more quickly than their handicaps would predict. The “slope rating” of a course thus predicts that rise.

What is golf slope rating and how is it determined?

How to Calculate Slope Rating

1. Use the Bogey Rating of the course. Ask at the golf course or contact the regional golf association that did the on-site rating.
2. Locate the USGA Course Rating. The rating for each set of tees is usually on your scorecard, or you can ask staff at the course for this information.
3. Subtract the Course Rating from the Bogey Rating. ...

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How is golf slope calculated?

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 is a good slope for a golf course?

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.

How do you calculate golf handicap 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.

How do you determine course rating and slope?

The Course Rating is simply the average score compiled by the par golfers. In this case, it's 72. However, the Course Slope is not simply the average score compiled by the bogey golfers. The value for Course Slope is a measure of the amount of slant (or slope) in the straight line drawn between the two values.

Is a 130 slope rating hard?

If you see a slope rating that falls anywhere in the double digits, you can expect that course to play rather easy, even for a bogey golfer. On the other hand, taking on a course with a slope rating in the 130's or 140's is going to present a serious challenge to a player with a mid or high handicap.

How does slope affect handicap?

Slope merely tells you how “proportionately” more difficult that particular set of tees plays for the higher handicapped golfers as opposed to lower handicapped golfers. The more difficult the tees play proportionately for the higher handicappers, the greater the Slope rating that will be issued. That's it!

How do I calculate my 2021 course handicap?

The Course Handicap formula: Handicap Index x (Slope Rating of Tees Played/113) + (Course Rating - par). For example, your Handicap Index is 16.7 and the tee box slope is 127, the course rating is 70.5 and par is 72.

How do I calculate my 2020 course handicap?

Course Handicap Calculation Pre-2020 the calculation to find the Course Handicap was: Handicap Index X Slope Rating/ 113. The new calculation for Course Handicap will be Handicap Index x (Slope Rating/113) + (Course Rating- Par). The reason for this change is to accommodate players who play off different tees.

Can I calculate my own golf handicap?

Calculating your course handicap does require some mathematical skills. In 2020, the formulas used to calculate golf handicaps were changed. The current formula you should use is: Handicap Index x (Slope Rating/113) + (Course Rating - Par)

How do you determine the difficulty of a golf course?

The Course Slope predicts the difficulty of a course for a “bogey” golfer, someone who shoots 18 over par or 90. Course Slope is a number between 55 and 155, with 113 being the average. The higher the number the more difficult the course. As with course rating each set of tees will have a slope rating.

What tees should I play based on my handicap?

The middle tees are for middle to high handicap men, low-handicap or long-hitting women, and low-handicap or long-hitting senior men. The forward tees are for middle or high handicap women and seniors, and beginners of all stripes.

How do you calculate Course handicap?

A Course Handicap is determined by applying your Handicap Index to a Course Handicap Table or Course Handicap Formula, which is just simple math! Take your Handicap Index, multiply it by the Slope Rating of the tees played, then divide by 113 (this is the average Slope Rating).

Who determines the slope rating of a golf course?

The USGA evaluates many elements of a golf course to determine its Course Rating. Course and slope ratings are calculated by the United States Golf Association. In fact, the USGA trademarks and licenses its USGA Course Rating and USGA Course Slope Rating to the Royal Canadian Golf Association -- countries other than America ...

How many yards does a scratch golfer hit?

A typical scratch golfer, as defined by the USGA, hits 250-yard drives and can reach a 470-yard hole in two strokes. A typical female scratch golfer hits drives 210 yards and can reach a 400-yard hole in two strokes.

What is a course rating?

A Course Rating measures the difficulty of a golf course and is a crucial component in determining a player's handicap. The Slope Rating measures the difficulty of a golf course for a bogey golfer. The Course Rating and the Slope Rating typically are printed on the scorecard for a golf course.

What is Slope Rating?

Slope Rating is described by the USGA as demonstrating the “measurement of the relative playing difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch golfers, compared to scratch golfers”. The higher a course’s Slope Rating, the higher the expected difference of scoring between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer.

How is Slope Rating Calculated?

To determine the Slope Rating for a course requires two key numbers – Course Rating and Bogey Rating. The Course Rating is the evaluation of the playing difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player (0 handicap.) The Bogey Rating is the evaluation of the difficulty of a course for a bogey player of 20-24 handicap.

What Does a Slope of 113 Mean?

113 is the average Slope Rating signifying a course of standard relative difficulty. The number 113 is used in calculating a player’s Course Handicap. Each player with a WHS Handicap Index can calculate their Course Handicap for any course by dividing the Slope Rating of that course by 113 and multiplying that number by their Handicap Index.

Course Rating

Course rating is one of the foundations of the golfing handicap system. Without course rating, players wouldn't be able to post scores or maintain a handicap index.

Many Many Features

The features of a golf course that the course rating team have to measure include:

Thousands of Figures

There are generally a set of 26 evaluations applied to each set of tees on each individual hole.

Taking Stimps

In order to work out the speed of a putting green, a simple tool called a Stimpmeter is used.

Now for Some Algebra

If you cast your mind back to your High School algebra classes (sorry...but this bit is important!) you will remember that the slope of a line is a function of its length and its height.

What is the average slope rating for golf courses?

The United States Golf Association established the average slope rating to 113, but it has later increased to about 120 as there aren’t many 18-hole golf courses with slope ratings set that low. As has been observed, most golf courses worldwide have average slope ratings of about 120.

What does slope number mean in golf?

Thus, the slope number converts a golfer’s handicap into a course handicap. In this way, it is made sure that a bogey golfer is allowed to play at an equal level to a scratch golfer, and it helps them obtain enough strokes from the same set of tees. This is the mathematical formula of how it is derived:

What is USGA rating?

What is USGA Golf Course Rating and Who Rates It? USGA Golf Course Rating is an assessment of the difficulty of a given golf course for scratch golfers. The course rating estimates the scratch golfers’ average scores who played on the golf course under the rating procedure.

How many strokes does a par 72 golf course have?

It is expressed in strokes, so an easy par-72 golf course could have a 68.9 course rating, while the more difficult one is likely to have a rating of 74.5. In other words, an average golfer should expect to play 68.9 strokes when the course playing difficulty is rated ‘easy,’ while on a challenging course, the same golfer is expected ...

When did the slope rating start?

USGA introduced the slope rating measurement in the 1980s as a system of fairness directed to bogey players. Namely, they observed that a bogey golfer is likely to increase the number of strokes considerably more when playing on a course with a higher level of difficulty than a scratch golfer. This led to creating a slope handicap system ...

Do golf courses affect the slope number?

Yes, they do. However, the course rating impacts the golfer’s index considerably more than the slope number. It often happens that players become too focused on the slope number while ignoring the golf course number.

What is slope rating?

The Slope Rating reflects the relative difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch golfers in comparison to scratch golfers. Golfers use the Slope Rating, a trademark of the United States Golf Association, to calculate handicap differentials. The rating falls between 55 and 155; the higher the number, the more challenging the course.

Do golfers have access to slope ratings?

Golfers typically don't have access to the information used to calculate the Slope Rating, but understanding the formula makes the rating less confusing.

What is adjusted gross score?

The adjusted gross score is a player’s gross score adjusted under USGA Handicap System procedures for unfinished holes, conceded strokes, holes not played or not played under the Rules of Golf, or Equitable Stroke Control.

What is a course rating?

Course Rating#N#USGA Course Rating is an evaluation of the difficulty of a golf course for scratch golfers. The number is an estimate of the average scores of the best 50-percent of rounds played by scratch golfers at that course.

Can you pick up strokes on Augusta 12th hole?

The truth is, that happens to everyone, especially if they play the 12th hole at Augusta! According to the World Handicap System, the number of strokes you can pick up on any given hole is limited . Since Pros don’t play off a handicap, they have no maximum number of strokes on any given hole.