25 Highest Slopes
Top 100 Courses in the World, 2020-21: GOLF’s raters name the best of the best
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The Albatros Course has a hefty slope rating of 155, which is the highest slope rating a course can receive. If you do not want the challenge, then head over to the Aigle course, which is a bit more friendly and forgiving.
When 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.
1. Bethpage Black (New York, United States) There are five courses at Bethpage—each named for a different color—but only the Black merits a sign that warns “The Black Course is a tough course which we recommend only for highly skilled golfers.”
Augusta National Golf ClubClub informationPar72Length7,510 yards (6,870 m)Course rating78.1 (unofficial)Slope rating137 (unofficial)17 more rows
Oakmont is one of the oldest golf clubs in the country since its inception in 1903. The club is located in Allegheny River Valley and has no water and few trees. With over two hundred bunkers, it is known as one of the most difficult in the United States. Memberships are by invitation only and start at $75,000.
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.
1. The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island, South Carolina, United States. The Ocean Course is one of the world's most famous courses.
Oakmont is known by many as the toughest golf course in America, bringing a mix of deep rough, penal bunkering everywhere, and one of the scariest sets of greens in the world, combining extreme slope and hellacious speed to bring golfers to their knees.
Oakmont Country Club: Nos. Most know Oakmont for its church pew bunkers, or No. 1's reputation as the hardest opening hole in the game.
According to Golf Week, there are a few ways to play at the course. And getting invited by a member is one of them. However, despite being a 5-time champion at the Masters, Tiger Woods doesn't have a membership at the Augusta. The other option for Charlie to play at the Augusta would be to become a volunteer.
145Pebble Beach Golf LinksClub informationPar72 (71 - U.S. Open)Length7,075 yards (6,469 m)Course rating75.5 (U.S. Open)Slope rating14516 more rows
There are roughly 300 members of Augusta National, and being invited by one of them is the quickest way to get a round in at the famous course. Members are allowed to bring a guest on the course for a relatively small fee of $40.
Carmel, Ind. Yardage: 7,073 | Slope/rating: 137/74.8 Architect: Robert Trent Jones Jr. What they're saying: “Nice layout with fantastic fairways and a fair amount of heather. The greens could be faster, but I imagine they are already too difficult for the majority of players.” - SpartanGolfer11
Branson, Mo. Yardage: 7,324 | Slope/Rating: 135/75.1 Architect: Chuck Smith & Bobby Clampett What they're saying: “If you aren't a long hitter it can be brutal. Large greens that are hard to putt. Lots of elevation change. ” - Bogeyman47
Clio, Calif. Yardage: 7,015 | Slope/Rating: 139/72.0 Architect: Robin Nelson What they're saying: “Higher handicaps probably have a better shot at winning the lottery than hitting some of the greens, many of which are elevated, heavily undulating and surrounded by bunkers.” - Golf Advisor Senior Writer Jason Deegan
Austin, Texas Yardage: 6,611 | Slope/Rating: 128/72.0 Architects: Tom Kite & Roy Bechtol What they're saying: "Beautiful course but extremely challenging. A lot of target golf meaning you really had to pick your spots due to all of the water trouble and tight fairways." - Jgutz
Asheboro, N.C. Yardage: 6,543 | Slope/Rating: 144/72.1 Architect: Mike Strantz What they're saying: "This course is challenging to say the least. You have to be really on top of your game to even have a chance." - Jgutz
Mesquite, Nev. Yardage: 6,939 | Slope/Rating: 154/75.4 Architect: Dennis and John Rider What they're saying: "It was like playing a video game, and I just wanted to see how ridiculous of a shot I could hit sometimes." - ToothySaw2, Texas Local Golf Advisor
Gordonsville, Va. Yardage: 7,389 | Slope/Rating: 151/76.6 Architect: Ed Carton What they're saying: "Layout lets you hit but the greens are challenging. It can also get long so play the right set of tees." - jiggygolf
A golf course rating is a number that tells you what a scratch golfer should be shooting at that golf course. Scratch golfers are known for their ability to shoot par on a golf course. However, not all golf courses are made to be the same difficult.
The slope rating is a number that indicates how challenging a golf course is for a bogey golfer. Of course, nothing in golf is quite that simple, so the slope rating is not as easy to figure out as the course rating. When we looked at the course rating, you saw that the number kind of coincided with what par is on the course.
Now that you have a better understanding of what course and slope ratings are, it’s a good idea to try and understand the importance of these numbers. The slope rating and course rating can be used for several different reasons that help make the game of golf fair and fun for everyone involved.
Now that you have a bit more understanding of the slope rating and course rating, here are a few of the questions that are often asked about this process. Don’t feel bad if you don’t fully understand the USGA handicap system. There is quite a bit involved in this, and sometimes it takes a while to get used to the concepts.
Hopefully, you now understand the concept of course and slope rating. This is not something that you will need to fully understand to play well the next time you hit the course. However, it is good to have an overall awareness of how these systems work.
A links beast as well as a beauty, ‘Carnasty’ – as it is affectionately known – is widely regarded as the most difficult course on the Open Championship rota and is fraught with danger virtually around every twist and turn with the 18th providing one of the iconic closing holes in golf.
The Donald Steel-designed Arden course has a wonderful pedigree after hosting the British Masters three times. It’s parkland golf at its best and most demanding, finishing with a breathtaking par-3 over a valley.
Aldeburgh, Suffolk. Regularly features in most Top 100 Courses listings and is chiefly a two-ball course which promotes foursomes (alternate shot play). Plotted on classic heathland with gorse-lined fairways, it’s close to the coast and its fast-draining sandy soil means it’s in great year-round condition.