how to judge golf course difficulty

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.

Full Answer

What determines the difficulty of a golf course?

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.

How do I grade the difficulty of the course on golf advisor?

When you post a review on Golf Advisor, one of the optional fields is to grade the difficulty of the course from five options. We assigned each selection a numerical value 1-5, with "extremely challenging" assigned a score of 5. About 75 percent of all reviews have a course difficulty rating.

Is golf a difficult game?

As you may have figured out already, golf is a difficult game and contains a very wide range of golfers, each with very different levels of skill. In the mid 80’s the USGA started to catch on to this big divide between scratch or professional golfers and mid to high handicap golfers.

How often do golf courses change difficulty?

Changes in green roll, topography, or other obstacles can dramatically change the difficulty of a hole or course. While the course and slope ratings of a golf course are unlikely to change dramatically, they are usually re-evaluated every 4-5 years. This is mostly due to the fact that courses change slowly over time.

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 golf course rating is difficult?

The Slope Rating can range from 55 (very easy for a bogey golfer) to 155 (very difficult), with 113 being the average slope.

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.

Is a 70 Course Rating hard?

So, while the par for a particular course might be 72, a course rating of 70.1 would indicate that a scratch golfer should be almost two under par on average. This indicates that the course is actually easier than an average course and allows the player to factor this difficulty into their handicap (and their ego).

How do they rank golf courses?

The Course Rating is calculated from the effective playing length and obstacle factors for 9 or 18 designated holes. The Course Rating is expressed in strokes to one decimal point and represents the expected score for a scratch player. The Bogey Rating represents the expected score for a bogey player.

What is the hardest slope rating in golf?

155KIAWAH ISLAND / S.C. / 7,356 YARDS / PAR 72 (Eight of our top 50 were created by the man they call the "Marquis de Sod.") The Ocean has the highest combination of Slope Rating (155) and Course Rating (79.6) in America, according to the U.S. Golf Association.

How do I calculate my 2021 course handicap?

Use the following formula to compute the Handicap Differential: Handicap differential = (The Adjusted Gross Score -The Course Rating) X 113 / The Course slope ratings. The course rating refers to the score of a new golf player on a course under standard playing conditions.

What is the slope rating of Augusta National?

137Augusta National Golf ClubClub informationLength7,510 yards (6,870 m)Course rating78.1 (unofficial)Slope rating137 (unofficial)Course record63 - Nick Price (1986), Greg Norman (1996)17 more rows

What is the average golf handicap?

1. The average handicap index for men is 14.2. 2. The average handicap index for women is 27.5.

Is 120 slope rating hard?

What is a hard slope rating? If we know that the average slope rating of a golf course is 113, we can deduce that any golf course with a slope rating higher than 113 is more difficult than the average course. Don't be intimidated if you see a slope rating that is above 113.

What is a good golf course rating?

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.

What does r4 mean in golf?

Round 4 Scoring Average | PGA TOUR Stats.

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.

How Do Golf Courses Handicap Their Holes?

Golf handicaps help in providing equitable golfing conditions for all players on the course. In the US, the USGA provides a clear-cut handicap system that golf clubs can use when golfers have a legitimate disadvantage.

How Do You Find The Hardest Hole On A Golf Course?

According to their own opinion, golf clubs typically identify handicaps by ranking golf holes in terms of the hardest to the simplest. As mentioned earlier, this system helps to formulate the handicap hole numbers.

How Do You Determine The Difficulty Of A Golf Course?

If you are new to golfing, two terms you will commonly encounter are course rating and course slope. These two golf terms are critical in determining the difficulty of a course.

What is the hardest hole in golf?

The hardest hole on a golf course is often the longest par 4, but that's not always the case. Sometimes, it can be a particularly long par 5. Sometimes it's a longer, but not the longest, par 4. It could be the hole with the most hazards and trouble for players.

How many strokes are there in an 18 hole golf match?

The strokes for an 18-hole match are divided between the nines, with an odd number of strokes giving that player an extra shot on one of the nine-hole sides. For example, if a player gets 13 strokes, they get a stroke on the holes ranked No. 1-13 in handicap, meaning they get seven strokes on the odd-numbered side and six on the even-numbered side. ...

How many holes are odd numbered handicap holes?

But setting up the handicap of holes on a golf course completely depends on identifying the toughest hole. From there, they decide all other eight holes on that side of the course are odd-numbered handicap holes, figuring out the relative difficulty of the other eight holes on that side and doling out the No.

Do golf courses have separate handicap holes?

Course typically offer separate handicap hole rankings for men and women, though that's not required by the USGA. The USGA recommends courses allocate the odd numbers on the front and the even numbers on the back, unless the back nine is decidedly more difficult than the front. They also recommend not allocating the lower handicap numbers -- i.e., ...

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.

How many shots is a 370 yard hole?

For a bogey golfer, a 370-yard hole is reachable in two shots. 2. Distance: the long and short of it. The difficulty of a course depends partly on its length. But yardage alone is not the only measure of how long a course plays.

Is an open course tough?

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 ...

What does slope rating mean in golf?

Simply put, Course Rating tells the best golfers how hard a golf course actually plays; Slope Rating indicates how much harder the course plays for ‘regular’ (meaning not among the best) golfers.

What is the minimum slope rating for 18 holes?

The minimum Slope Rating is 55 and the maximum is 155 (slope does not relate specifically to strokes played as Course Rating does). When the Slope Rating system was first put into effect, the USGA set the slope for an ‘average’ golf course at 113; however, not many 18-hole golf courses have Slope Ratings that low.

What is slope rating?

So, Slope Rating is a term trademarked by the USGA that indicates the measurement of the relative playing difficulty of a course for Bogey Golfers, compared to Scratch Golfers.

What is a 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 at sea level. A female Scratch Golfer is a player who can play to a course handicap ...

Why is the handicap index lower for A and B?

Because he plays on a course with a higher Slope Rating, Player A’s handicap index will be lower than Player B’s (when it is calculated using the slope ratings), despite the fact that they both average scores of 85. So when A and B get together to play, B will get those extra strokes he needs.

50. Prairie View Golf Club

Carmel, Ind. Yardage: 7,073 | Slope/rating: 137/74.8 Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr. What they're saying: "Prairie holes and several that went into the woods and were lined with trees." - Jesse5296632

49. North at The Club At Bond Head

Bond Head, Ontario, Canada Yardage: 6,981 | Slope/Rating: 144/74.5 Architect: Michael Hurdzan, Dana Fry What they're saying: "A dramatic course, elevation changes everywhere. Would recommend to anyone, but may need to play it twice to truly 'get it'." - amarasovic

48. Nicklaus Course at Pronghorn Golf Club

Bend, Ore. Yardage: 7,379 | Slope/rating: 151/75.2 Architect: Jack Nicklaus What they're saying: "I thought Jack Nicklaus was a nice guy." - Hacksalot

47. Mountain Course at Bear Mountain Resort

Victoria, British Columbia, Canada Yardage: 6,891 | Slope/Rating: 142/73.2 Architect: Jack Nicklaus What they're saying: "a roller coaster ride through the most mountainous golf course site on the island."> - MikeBaileyGA

45. The Golf Club at Dove Mountain

Marana, Ariz. Yardage: 7852 | Slope/Rating: 145/77.2 Architect: Jack Nicklaus What they're saying: "Many holes can have a long carry to green, so pick your tees accordingly." - Kronmiller

44. Harbor Shores

Benton Harbor, Mich. Yardage: 6,852 | Slope/Rating: 143/74.4 Architect: Jack Nicklaus What they're saying: "Just bring your best flat stick game cause Jack knows how to design a green complex." - Gonzokush

43. Chambers Bay

University Place, Wash. Yardage: 7,585 | Slope/Rating: 146/78.1 Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr. What they're saying: "Play from the correct tees, load up on some extra pearls, and embrace this beautiful brute." - DamonHackGC

What is the minimum slope rating for a golf course?

The minimum slope rating is 55 and the maximum is 155 (slope does not relate specifically to strokes played as course rating does).

What is the average slope rating for 18 holes of golf?

Some do, but the real-world average is higher than 113 .

What is slope rating?

Slope rating (a term trademarked by the United States Golf Association) is a measurement of the difficulty of a golf course for bogey golfers relative to the course rating. Course rating tells scratch golfers how difficult the golf course will be; slope rating tells bogey golfers how difficult it will be. To put it another way: USGA Course Rating ...

What is USGA course rating?

USGA Course Rating is an evaluation of the difficulty of a golf course for scratch golfers. (More specifically, the number is an estimate of the average scores of the best 50-percent of rounds played by scratch golfers at the course being rated.) Course rating is very easy to understand because it is expressed in strokes.

What is the average stroke rating of a par 72?

Course rating is very easy to understand because it is expressed in strokes. 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;