What is Slope Rating and Course Rating: Golf Rating Explained
By Bradley Turner Keiser University College of Golf Director of Online Golf Instruction – MBA, PGA
This past week I watched tennis great Serena Williams beat the number two ranked player in the world in this year’s US Open. The women played brilliant tennis throughout, and Serena showed why she might be the greatest female tennis player of all time. As an occasional tennis player, I thought I would have no chance to play against the best tennis players in the world. Even if Serena gave me a one-set lead and a 5-0 lead in the second set, she would still win. The same applies in most other sports; the average sports enthusiast cannot compete against world-class athletes without getting crushed like a bug on a car windshield. However, there is a way in golf that will provide an equitable and competitive match against any player in the world.
USGA Handicap System
Since golf is a game where players control their ball without influence from a competitor, it is one of the few games where you can have a competitive match against Rory McIlroy or Nelly Korda. The USGA Handicap System is a wonderful aspect of the game of golf, so any player at any skill level can have an equitable match. Rory is probably a +6-handicap golfer. What does that mean? If Rory came out to play your home golf course and shoots a 64, his handicap requires that Rory adds six more strokes to his score, equaling a net score of 70. If you were playing with him and your handicap is a ten, and you shoot a score of 79, you subtract ten from your score, equaling a net score of 69. Rory is buying lunch for you!
Most golfers have not established an official handicap. It is estimated that only 10% of golfers use the handicap system when they play the game. According to the USGA, the average handicap of a male golfer in the United States is about 14.2, while the average for a woman is 27.2. There are very few scratches or plus handicap golfers, with less than 2% of men and 1% of women achieving this skill level. Most men (49%) have a handicap range of 10 – 19. Women majority (37%) will have a handicap ranging from 20 – 29. The USGA handicap system may appear complicated, but it is relatively simple to understand and use in golf matches. Clarity on a few terms can help alleviate many golfers’ concerns about establishing a golf handicap.
Course Rating Explained
The course rating estimates the score a highly skilled amateur would likely shoot on the golf course. A highly skilled amateur from the USGA’s perspective is that of an amateur playing in national championships. That means a good amateur! Assuming your golf course rating is 71.0 from the back tees, a top-ranked amateur golfer would likely average about 71 over ten rounds of play. The USGA has enormous data on player performance over the past century, and I am confident their course rating procedures are reliable and produce accurate golf course ratings. Course ratings over 75.0 are challenging golf courses, while courses under 69.0 are much easier.
Course Rating: A Benchmark for Scratch Golfers
Course Rating serves as the fundamental benchmark for evaluating the difficulty of a golf course for a scratch golfer. It’s not simply a reflection of the course’s par but rather a more sophisticated assessment of the challenges a highly skilled player would encounter. This rating essentially predicts the average score a zero-handicap golfer would achieve under typical playing conditions, assuming they are playing to their full potential. It allows for a more standardized comparison of course difficulty across different layouts.
Calculation: A Detailed Evaluation of Playing Difficulty
Calculating a course rating is a meticulous process conducted by authorized golf associations. It goes beyond simply measuring the yardage and involves a comprehensive evaluation of the effective playing length and the obstacles that a scratch golfer would face. Effective playing length considers factors such as elevation changes, forced layups due to hazards, prevailing winds, and even the impact of doglegs. Each hole is individually assessed based on these factors from the perspective of a scratch golfer, considering their typical shot distances and accuracy. These individual hole ratings are then aggregated to determine the overall Course Rating for the entire 18-hole layout.
Example: Interpreting a Course Rating of 72.5
Consider a golf course with a par of 72 and a Course Rating of 72.5. This rating suggests that a scratch golfer, playing well and according to their ability, is expected to score around 72 or 73 on this course. The fact that the Course Rating is slightly higher than the par indicates that the course presents challenges that would make it marginally more difficult than a perfectly “average” par 72 course for a scratch player. If a course had a Course Rating lower than its par, it would imply that the course is relatively easier for a scratch golfer compared to a standard par layout, potentially due to wider fairways, fewer penal hazards, or shorter overall distances. The Course Rating provides a much more insightful measure of a course’s inherent difficulty than par alone.
Slope Rating Explained
The slope rating was created to reflect the golf course’s difficulty from a bogey golfer’s perspective and skill. Golf courses that may be relatively easy for a skilled amateur can be challenging for a less experienced golfer. For example, if a tee shot requires a forced carry of 150 yards over a penalty area, a skilled amateur would not even notice this challenge. On the other hand, a bogey golfer is in jeopardy of losing a ball with a poor strike. Bunkers can be a big problem for the average golfer, but a bunker shot is not much of a concern for accomplished golfers.
The USGA established a slope rating of 113 as the average difficulty level for a bogey golfer. The highest slope rating is capped at 155, and the lowest rating is 55. The course and slope rating values are used in the USGA handicap index formula.
Slope Rating: Gauging Difficulty
While Course Rating focuses on the scratch player’s experience, Slope Rating addresses the challenges faced by golfers with higher handicaps, typically around a 20 handicap for men. It quantifies how much more difficult a course plays for these less skilled golfers compared to their scratch counterparts. This difference in difficulty arises from the fact that higher handicap players are more susceptible to course obstacles and variations in playing length.
Slope Rating Calculation
The calculation of Slope Rating is determined first by the Bogey Rating. This Bogey Rating considers the same course characteristics as the Course Rating (effective playing length and obstacles) but evaluates their impact from the perspective of a golfer who hits shorter distances and has less accuracy. The Slope Rating is then calculated by finding the difference between the Bogey Rating and the Course Rating and multiplying this difference by a constant factor (5.381 for men and 4.31 for women). This constant standardizes the scale of the Slope Rating. The formula essentially scales the disparity in scoring difficulty between bogey and scratch golfers to arrive at the final Slope Rating value.
Range and Interpretation
Slope Ratings exist on a defined scale, ranging from 55 to 155. A Slope Rating of 113 is considered the standard or average slope. Courses with a Slope Rating below 113 are deemed relatively easier for bogey golfers compared to scratch golfers. This might be due to wider fairways, less penal rough, or hazards that are more easily avoided by shorter hitters. Conversely, courses with a Slope Rating above 113 are considered relatively more challenging for bogey golfers.
Differences and Significance Between Course and Slope Rating
Scratch vs. Relative Difficulty
The fundamental distinction between Course Rating and Slope Rating lies in their primary focus. Course Rating serves as a direct assessment of a golf course’s inherent difficulty for the elite player – the scratch golfer. It doesn’t predict a specific score for a bogey golfer but instead quantifies the difference in difficulty experienced by a bogey golfer compared to that same scratch golfer on the same course. It highlights how much more challenging (or less challenging) a course becomes as a player’s handicap increases.
Impact on Handicap
The Slope Rating, in conjunction with the Course Rating, is indispensable for calculating a golfer’s Course Handicap. The Course Handicap is the number of strokes a golfer receives on a specific course and from a specific set of tees to achieve net par. Without the Slope Rating, a golfer’s Handicap Index (a portable measure of their playing ability) wouldn’t accurately translate to the difficulty of the particular course they are playing. A course with a higher Slope Rating will result in a higher Course Handicap for the same Handicap Index, acknowledging that the course presents more significant challenges for higher handicap players.
Course Selection and Strategy
When choosing a course, a higher handicap golfer might consider the Slope Rating in addition to the Course Rating. A course with a high Course Rating and a high Slope Rating could prove particularly challenging. Conversely, a course with a moderate Course Rating but a low Slope Rating might be relatively more manageable for a higher handicap player. Knowing the Slope Rating can highlight holes where higher handicap players typically struggle more, prompting a more conservative approach. Understanding the Course Rating can also provide a benchmark for what constitutes a good score for a skilled player.
USGA Handicap Index Formula
The USGA has fine-tuned the handicap formula with the most recent changes in 2020. It is possible to calculate a handicap with as little as three rounds. However, once you have played 20 rounds of golf, your handicap index will be calculated using the most recent 20 rounds of golf that you have played.
The USGA Formula is the adjusted gross score – the course rating x 113/the course slope rating.
The first step in the formula is to determine the differential scores of each of your rounds played. What is a differential score? You calculate the differential by subtracting the course rating from your adjusted gross score. Assume your adjusted gross score is 85 and the course rating is 71.5. The differential would be 13.5. The following calculation will input the slope rating values into the handicap formula.
If the course’s slope rating is 125 (more complex than an average course), you multiply 13.5 x (113/125) = 12.2 differential.
If the slope rating is 113 (average difficulty), the same procedure applies 13.5 x (113/113) = 13.5 differential.
If the slope rating is 100 (easier than average), the result is 13.5 x (113/100) = 15.2 differential.
The differential outcomes should make sense since shooting an 85 on a more difficult slope-rated golf course of 125 is a better performance than an 85 on an easy slope-rated golf course of 100. The average of your eight best differential scores from your most recent 20 rounds played establishes your USGA handicap index.
Establish a Handicap
Most golf facilities provide a handicapping service to their patrons. If you do not have a home golf course, you can still establish a handicap through local or state golf associations. In Florida, you can establish an official handicap through the Florida State Golf Association for a nominal fee of $30 annually. There are plenty of golf apps available that provide this service as well. It is very simple for golfers to use; input your adjusted gross score, the course rating, and the slope rating, and the app will do the rest!
If you’d like to study with Bradley Turner and other PGA Master Professionals, contact the College of Golf today.
Thanks! A very helpful, understandable explanation.
Course ratings are very accurate! Slopes are not. I play in Ohio and Florida, a course in Florida with the same slope as in Ohio is much harder, hazards sometimes on both sides of fairway!!! Not even close !!
This is an excellent breakdown of Course and Slope Ratings! The clarity and detail provided help demystify these important concepts in golf. Thank you for your thorough and informative work!
The breakdown of the Course Slope algorithm formula becomes a skill checklist for any golfer who needs to understand the highest and lowest difficulty characteristics of a hole.