Golf-FAQ.com

how do disc golf divisions and ratings work?

by Dr. Brant Borer Jr. Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
image

According to the Professional Disc Golf Association (emphasis added): “Players compete in one of more than 30 possible PDGA divisions available to members based on their gender, age and skill level (rating) in both amateur and professional categories.

Professionals compete for money, Amateurs and Juniors for trophies and prizes. Professional Divisions are based on gender and year of birth, while Amateur Divisions are based on gender, year of birth, and in some cases, skill level.

Full Answer

What is a disc golf player rating?

A disc golf player rating is a weighted average score, based on your last 12 months’ worth of competition scores, or longer if the player doesn’t have 8 competitive scores in that time. The rating is then calculated based off a hypothetical scratch player who would score 1000 on the same course.

What is Paul Paul’s disc golf rating?

Paul has been playing disc golf for the best part of two decades and has over $500,000 in career prize money to his name and a player rating of 1058! I hope you’ve found this article useful and it’s taught you how disc golf rating work and given you a benchmark to compare yourself against.

What is a medium difficulty disc golf course?

This includes a range of scores on a typical 18 hole course at a PDGA Tour event. Such a course would require a variety of discs and shots, and may be described as being of medium difficulty or harder, and as having a pro par of 54, with holes ranging from 200-500 feet, significant elevation changes, obstacles and rough.

What does advanced mean in disc golf?

Advanced - the top amateur division, available to all amateur players. Required division for male amateur players under 40 years of age with ratings >= 935. Tournament experienced players who have played disc golf for several years, and developed consistency.

See more

image

How are disc golf ratings calculated?

Your rating for each round is based on how well you shoot relative to a hypothetical scratch player defined as someone with a rating of 1000. The automated calculation uses scores from at least 5 players with ratings over 699 whose rating is based on at least 8 rounds of information.

What is a good rating in disc golf?

A disc with a +1 rating is most resistant to turning over, while a -5 rating will turn the most. Discs rated -3 to -5 make good roller discs. Discs with less turn are more accurate in the wind.

How do I choose a division disc golf?

Most tournaments use PDGA divisions. For help choosing a division, visit https://www.pdga.com/divisions. For non-traditional or tournament-specific division, you can contact tournament staff.

Is 900 a good disc golf rating?

Players who average the course layout SSA will have a rating of 1000. As of 2021, top pro players who average scores lower than SSA have ratings over 1000 ranging up to 1050. PDGA amateur men average around 860 and women around 725.

What is a 900 rating disc golf?

Every throw equals about 10 rating points on a typical 18-hole course from the long tees. If your scores average 10 throws over SSA, your rating will be 100 points lower than 1000 which would be 900.

How do you get a 1000 disc golf rating?

Players who average the SSA on courses played will have a rating of 1000 and are considered “scratch players”. A player who averages scores lower than SSAs on course they've played will have a rating over 1000.

What are the divisions in golf?

Golfers with a handicap of 5 or lower are said to be Division 1 players. Higher handicap players are categorised as Division 2, 3, or 4. For every stroke the Division 1 golfer's net score is below the CSS, their handicap is reduced by 0.1.

What is MPO division in disc golf?

MPO is an abbreviation for “male pro open,” a PDGA tournament division for professional male disc golfers.

What is MPO and FPO in disc golf?

Contrary to popular belief, “MPO” in Disc Golf actually stands for Mixed Professional Open, instead of Male Professional Open, & “FPO” stands for Female Professional Open.

How do I increase my PDGA rating?

Playing better in general is the easiest way to increase one's rating. There really is no way to "game" the system with any consistency. Playing with more higher rated players is a myth.

What rating is McBeth?

On October 8, 2019 McBeth held a PDGA rating of 1060 which, at the time, was the highest rating ever achieved by a professional disc golfer. This was exceeded on March 13, 2020, when he was rated 1061.

What is SSA in disc golf?

Your PDGA Player Rating is a number that shows how close your average round scores are compared to the course rating, called the Scratch Scoring Averages (SSA), of the courses you've played in competition. Players who average the SSA on courses played will have a rating of 1000 and are considered “scratch players”.

Player Ratings

A player’s PDGA rating is based on rounds in the 12 months prior to the date of their most recently rated round. The most recent 25% (1/4) of rounds will count double once there are at least 9 round ratings. This makes a player’s recent performance a bit more important.

Round Ratings

Your rating for each round is based on how well you shoot relative to a hypothetical scratch player defined as someone with a rating of 1000. The automated calculation uses scores from at least 5 players with ratings over 699 whose rating is based on at least 8 rounds of information. These players are called propagators .

How many 1000 rated disc golf players are there?

So what is a good player rating if a ‘good’ scratch player will score 1000?

How to calculate your disc golf rating

Now you know how the ratings are calculated – how do you calculate your own rating?

Who is the best disc golfer?

With only 0.3% of players sitting with ratings over that magical 1000 score mark – who is the best disc golf player?

What is a PDGA Rating?

A PDGA rating measures the kind of player you are and what PDGA competitions you can enter and participate in. The PDGA has 30 divisions in which individuals can compete.

Who Can Get a PDGA Rating?

To get a PDGA rating, you need to be a member of the PDGA. There are advantages to being a PDGA member. Here are some of the benefits of registering and becoming a member:

A Closer Look at the PDGA Divisions

Professionals in the Male and Female divisions can compete in the following divisions based on their age:

How Does the PDGA Ratings System Work?

The PDGA has a Scratch Scoring Average (SSA) for each competition course. This would be the average score of a round of disc golf on an 18-hole course. Your rating is the average of your round scores on a course compared to the SSA.

Does Your Rating Affect the Events You Can Participate In?

Yes, most certainly, your ratings will specify or dictate which PDGA events and divisions you can participate in. The whole point of the ratings was to create a system where the competition is fair.

Some Parting Thoughts

Disc golf is really catching on. More people are playing the game now. To keep the playing field even, it is essential to have a player rating system in place. The Professional Disc Golf Association has a player rating in place for its members who participate in PDGA events and tournaments.

What is a propagator in golf?

Propagators are players with a rating above 699 and based on at least 8 rated rounds. Their scores each round are used to determine the course rating (SSA) and subsequent unofficial ratings for each player that round.

What does 999 mean in golf?

If you do not complete a round due to sickness, injury or other emergency, you will receive a score of 999 indicating you Did Not Finish (DNF) that round. You will not get a rating for that round but will receive ratings for any other rounds you completed before and sometimes after that round (if TD allows).

Can you play in a lower division on the PDGA?

All amateurs with the exception of aged based divisions, like Juniors or Masters and older, compete in divisions based on rating levels. You may not play in a lower division if your rating is above a certain number. The ratings breaks for each division is shown on page 5 of the PDGA Tour Standards .

image
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9