how to tell if a golf course is hard

How difficult a golf course is will be reflected in the course rating, not the slope. A hard course has a higher course rating, with very hard courses having a course rating 3+ strokes higher than par.

Full Answer

Is golf hard to play?

Although golf is hard it is not impossible. Every golfer will have hit a great shot at some point and it is the aim to try and repeat that shot and associated feeling that drives many golfers to play for years and years having a lot of fun along the way.

What is the hardest hole on a golf course?

That's the No. 1 handicap hole. 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.

What is the difference between golf course slope and difficulty?

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.

What does a golf course rating below 72 mean?

In conclusion, a golf course rating farther below 72 means an easier golf course. If you see a golf course rating lower than 69 from the white tees, prepare for a fun day of lower scores. Loading...

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.

What is a hard 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.

Is a higher Course Rating harder?

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 know which is the hardest hole on a golf course?

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.

What is the hardest slope in golf?

155 Slope RatingWhen played from the back tees, The International is ranked as the hardest golf layout in the U.S. according to all three ratings. It has an unrivaled 81.7 Course Rating, a 155 Slope Rating and a Bogey Rating of 112.2.

What is the slope of Augusta National?

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

What is my golf handicap if I shoot 85?

13If you shoot between 81 and 85, your handicap will be between 6 and 9. If you shoot between 86 and 91, your handicap will be between 10 and 13. If you shoot between 92 and 97, your handicap is between 14 and 19. If you shoot between 98 and 101, your handicap is between 20 and 24.

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.

What is a scratch golfer?

A scratch player essentially is one who can manage every aspect of their game, consistently, and can plot their way around the golf course hitting the right shots at the right time. A Scratch golfer will very rarely hit two bad shots in a row and has the mindset to recover rapidly from setbacks in a positive way.

Are higher handicap holes harder?

1 handicap hole often is not the most difficult hole on a course. The No. 1 handicap hole is the hole where the higher handicap player is most likely to need a stroke for an equalizer. If a low-handicap golfer is just as likely to make bogey as a high-handicapper, a stroke isn't needed.

What is the easiest hole on a golf course?

The 12th hole is the easiest of the course. It's a par four and is 373 yards. Most get to the green in two, setting up a simple putt for a birdie.

How do you know if you are a good golfer?

Good golfers typically keep moving and are ready to hit when it is their turn. They move quickly between shots and start to prepare as early as possible. They also know when heading to a short game shot, they remember to bring all clubs they might need as well as their putter.

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.

tadpole87

what is a considered a hard golf course rating? The course I normally play is on a rating 72.8/149 and course yardage is 6711. I struggle to break 90 and only manage to do it twice 89 and a 87. I am not a long hitter and average between 230-240 drives. My average scores are in the mid 90s and its been my mission to break 90 consistently.

dagolfer18

I would say any course that, from the tips, has a rating of par or higher and a slope in the high 130s or higher. A few examples from some of my local courses:

dennyjones

A rating/slope of 72.8/149 is very difficult for mid/high handicap players. It's beyond my scope to enjoy a round from those tees. Does the course have shorter tees? My home course from the tips plays 76.0/146 but I play either 72/135 or 69.0/123 or the hybrids between those.

tadpole87

A rating/slope of 72.8/149 is very difficult for mid/high handicap players. It's beyond my scope to enjoy a round from those tees. Does the course have shorter tees? My home course from the tips plays 76.0/146 but I play either 72/135 or 69.0/123 or the hybrids between those.

imsys0042

The last two places that I've been a member at play very similar. Here's the ratings, from the normal men's tees:

tadpole87

The last two places that I've been a member at play very similar. Here's the ratings, from the normal men's tees:

mohearn

what is a considered a hard golf course rating? The course I normally play is on a rating 72.8/149 and course yardage is 6711. I struggle to break 90 and only manage to do it twice 89 and a 87. I am not a long hitter and average between 230-240 drives. My average scores are in the mid 90s and its been my mission to break 90 consistently.

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.

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.".

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).

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 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 ...

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 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.

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.

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., ...

Why is golf so hard to play?

And 3 of the main reasons for this are: Golf presents a series of tough mental challenges to players. The complexity of the golf swing itself, and. The time, and often money, required to make major improvements.

Why do people play golf?

And 3 of the main reasons for this are: 1 Golf presents a series of tough mental challenges to players 2 The complexity of the golf swing itself, and 3 The time, and often money, required to make major improvements.

How long does it take to hit a golf ball?

Golfers also spend a tiny fraction of the amount of time out on the course actually hitting the golf ball – only a few minutes over a 2½ -4 hour round – so to maintain concentration, and repeat an already complex golf swing consistently, is tough to focus on and achieve.

What is the hardest game to play?

Play easier formats of the game – One of the great things about golf is the number of different types, or formats, of the game you can play on the same course. Strokeplay, where golfers are required to hole out to have a valid score, is the hardest game to play.

How big is a golf ball?

Golf requires a ball of only 1.68 inches in diameter to be put into a hole which is itself only 4.25 inches in diameter. Jim Furyk and Nick Faldo have both won one of golf’s major tournaments and they have used very different swings to achieve their success. The basic dimensions of what the sport involves also help to emphasise why it is so tough ...

What is golf swing?

The golf swing itself meanwhile is an un-natural and complex series of muscle movements that need to be combined together and timed well repeatedly. Flexible and strong, upper and lower body, muscles are needed and must be merged with hand-eye co-ordination to keep a consistent swing.

How much does a golf ball weigh?

The golf ball itself is only 1.68 inches or 42.67 millimetres in diameter and can weigh no more 1.62 ounces or 45.93 grams.

5 Signs Your Golf Clubs are Too Long

Additionally, if you experience any of the following while playing, chances are your golf clubs are made too long for you:

6 Signs Your Golf Clubs are Too Short

On the other hand, below are the common red flags that your clubs are too short for you:

4 Steps to Measure Your Golf Clubs

To learn how to tell if your golf clubs are too long or too short, you first need to know how to measure its length. Below are four steps to help you properly measure a golf club. Start with the set of clubs you already own. That way, you won’t have to replace all of them (provided some of them have the right length for you).

Recommended Length Adjustments for Golf Clubs

Aside from the club’s length, your height will also come into play when learning how to tell if your golf clubs are too long or too short. Below is a table of the recommended adjustments for golf clubs based on height:

Other Things to Know About Golf Club Lengths

Lastly, you should know that other factors can affect your golf clubs’ lengths, including:

Golf Club Length Matters

Like it or not, the length of your clubs will affect how you play golf. Too long, and your swings will lose their accuracy. But too short, and the ball might not fly at long distances. By learning how to tell if your golf clubs are too long or too short, you can improve your stay on top of your game at the golf course.