
How to Calculate Slope Rating
- Step 1. Use the Bogey Rating of the course. Ask at the golf course or contact the regional golf association that did the...
- Step 2. Locate the USGA Course Rating. The rating for each set of tees is usually on your scorecard, or you can ask...
- Step 3. Subtract the Course Rating from the Bogey Rating. For example, if a golf course has a Bogey...
How do you calculate slope in golf?
- Multiply the length of the pipe (x) by the inches needed to slope the line (y)
- This equals height difference (z) between the beginning and end of the pipe (x) ⋅ (y)= (z)
- Example: If your pipe is 10 feet, and it needs to slope ½ an inch per foot, the equation would be 10 ⋅ ½ = 5 inches. …
How is a golf course's slope and rating calculated?
How to Calculate Slope Rating Use the Bogey Rating of the course. Ask at the golf course or contact the regional golf association that did the on-site rating. Locate the USGA Course Rating. The rating for each set of tees is usually on your scorecard, or you can ask staff at the course for this information. Subtract the Course Rating from the Bogey Rating. ... More items...
How to find slope on your Calculator?
How to find slope
- Identify the coordinates (x₁,y₁) and (x₂,y₂). We will use the formula to calculate the slope of the line passing through the points (3,8) and (-2, 10).
- Input the values into the formula. ...
- Subtract the values in parentheses to get 2/ (-5).
- Simplify the fraction to get the slope of -2/5.
- Check your result using the slope calculator.
What exactly does slope rating in golf mean?
What is the course rating
- Suppose, you are playing in an 18 hole course that is marked with a par hole score of 72. In that case, the course rating might be around 71.2
- The course rating can change with the difficulty level of the course.
- Any golf course can have three or more course rating because the course rating is measured from the perspective of different tees. ...

How is golf handicap slope calculated?
Handicap differential = (Adjusted Gross Score-rating of the course) X 113 / Course slope ratings. The course rating is simply the scores of a new golfer on a normal course under a normal playing condition. Slope rating is the rating of 113 for a course based on the standard difficulty.
How is a golf course slope calculated?
Slope Rating is calculated by subtracting the Course Rating from the Bogey Rating and multiplying it by a constant.
How does slope rating Work golf?
Slope rating takes into account the USGA par rating of the course as well as the expected score of a higher handicap golfer. The difference between the two multiplied by 5.381 is the calculation used to determine the mens slope rating for a golf course.
What is slope in golf?
The Slope Rating for a golf course tells you how difficult the golf course is for a bogey player (about a 20 handicap for a male golfer) compared to a scratch player. The higher the Slope Rating, the harder the course is for the bogey golfer, relative to the difficulty of the course for the scratch golfer.
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 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 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 does Slope Rating affect my handicap?
Slope merely tells you how “proportionately” more difficult that particular set of tees plays for the higher handicapped golfers as opposed to lower handicapped golfers. The more difficult the tees play proportionately for the higher handicappers, the greater the Slope rating that will be issued. That's it!
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 slope calculation?
To calculate percent slope, divide the difference between the elevations of two points by the distance between them, then multiply the quotient by 100. The difference in elevation between points is called the rise. The distance between the points is called the run. Thus, percent slope equals (rise / run) x 100.
What is the difference between Course Rating and slope?
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.
What is slope on a rangefinder?
Slope refers to the ability of a laser rangefinder to compensate for changes in gradient and adjust the distance to the flag or object accordingly. When you are hitting uphill, the shot is actually playing longer and a Slope distance will reflect this. Conversely, a shot hit downhill will travel further.
What is the difference between Course Rating and slope?
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.
What is a difficult slope rating in golf?
The lowest Slope rating is 55, and the highest is 155. A golf course of standard playing difficulty has a Slope Rating of 113.
How is a Course Rating determined?
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 Slope Rating?
Slope Rating is described by the USGA as demonstrating the “measurement of the relative playing difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch golfers, compared to scratch golfers”. The higher a course’s Slope Rating, the higher the expected difference of scoring between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer.
How is Slope Rating Calculated?
To determine the Slope Rating for a course requires two key numbers – Course Rating and Bogey Rating. The Course Rating is the evaluation of the playing difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player (0 handicap.) The Bogey Rating is the evaluation of the difficulty of a course for a bogey player of 20-24 handicap.
What Does a Slope of 113 Mean?
113 is the average Slope Rating signifying a course of standard relative difficulty. The number 113 is used in calculating a player’s Course Handicap. Each player with a WHS Handicap Index can calculate their Course Handicap for any course by dividing the Slope Rating of that course by 113 and multiplying that number by their Handicap Index.
Golf Course Slope Rating
The first use of slope is essentially a measure of how difficult a course is relative to others. You might be playing on a par 72, but that doesn’t make it as much of a challenge as say, Augusta National and its par 72. A slope number simply allows you to know, at least to some extent, what the difference really is.
How is Golf Course Slope Calculated?
Well this is all well and good, but how is this number calculated? Well technically, the number represents how much more difficult a given set of tees is for a bogey player in relation to scratch handicapper. You might think that this difference is fairly constant, but that isn’t the case at all.
Who Rates the Course?
There is obviously a deal of subjectivity in this rating. After all, golf isn’t an exact science.
Rangefinder Golf Slope Explained
This might seem relatively straightforward, at least in theory, but this is when we hit problem. Slope is also used to mean something completely different. Confusing, right? Slope is part of a variable when calculating distance as I explained in another article.
Calculating Distance with Slope
This is where our second definition of slope comes into play. You may have heard of a slope function on a rangefinder. This gives you an adjusted yardage based on the difference in elevation between where you are and where you want to go by using some fancy tech to essentially give an angle up or down which is used to adjust the distance.
What is slope rating?
The Slope Rating reflects the relative difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch golfers in comparison to scratch golfers. Golfers use the Slope Rating, a trademark of the United States Golf Association, to calculate handicap differentials. The rating falls between 55 and 155; the higher the number, the more challenging the course.
Do golfers have access to slope ratings?
Golfers typically don't have access to the information used to calculate the Slope Rating, but understanding the formula makes the rating less confusing.
What does slope number mean in golf?
Thus, the slope number converts a golfer’s handicap into a course handicap. In this way, it is made sure that a bogey golfer is allowed to play at an equal level to a scratch golfer, and it helps them obtain enough strokes from the same set of tees. This is the mathematical formula of how it is derived:
What is the average slope rating for golf courses?
The United States Golf Association established the average slope rating to 113, but it has later increased to about 120 as there aren’t many 18-hole golf courses with slope ratings set that low. As has been observed, most golf courses worldwide have average slope ratings of about 120.
What is USGA rating?
What is USGA Golf Course Rating and Who Rates It? USGA Golf Course Rating is an assessment of the difficulty of a given golf course for scratch golfers. The course rating estimates the scratch golfers’ average scores who played on the golf course under the rating procedure.
How many strokes does a par 72 golf course have?
It is expressed in strokes, so an easy par-72 golf course could have a 68.9 course rating, while the more difficult one is likely to have a rating of 74.5. In other words, an average golfer should expect to play 68.9 strokes when the course playing difficulty is rated ‘easy,’ while on a challenging course, the same golfer is expected ...
When did the slope rating start?
USGA introduced the slope rating measurement in the 1980s as a system of fairness directed to bogey players. Namely, they observed that a bogey golfer is likely to increase the number of strokes considerably more when playing on a course with a higher level of difficulty than a scratch golfer. This led to creating a slope handicap system ...
Do golf courses affect the slope number?
Yes, they do. However, the course rating impacts the golfer’s index considerably more than the slope number. It often happens that players become too focused on the slope number while ignoring the golf course number.
Why is it important to know the slope of a golf ball?
This is because, while you may calculate the distance between you and the flag in a straight line, you do not hit the ball in a straight line. The ball is hit at an arc and with a trajectory that effects how far it actually goes.
What does it mean when you walk uphill or downhill?
Anytime you walk uphill or downhill you are walking up or down a slope. Think of triangle on its side and you’ll see a slope. On the course, we deal with this all the time because a shot that goes from one point to another that is at the same height is the exception rather than the rule.
Can a rangefinder be used in a golf tournament?
According to Appendix IV of Rule 14-3 no measuring device that calculates for slope may be used during tournament play. This does not mean, however, that your rangefinder cannot be used at all. The USGA does allow for a Local Rule to permit a “stipulated round” in which measuring devices like rangefinders can be used.
Does not taking slope into account hurt your score?
But we can certainly say that failing to account for slope will certainly hurt your score. This is because you will likely be under or overhitting the ball. As you get better with adjusting and factoring in slope, you should see some improvement in your overall score.
Can GPS calculate slope?
While GPS might be able to give some indication of your relative elevation, it won’t be able to calculate slope for your specific situation. This doesn’t make it useless, but means that a course with a lot of height changes will reduce its effectiveness quite a bit.
Can a GPS track slope?
So, a GPS device will not be able to calculate for slope, but only estimate your distance to different predetermined locations on the course.
Is it harder to play golf without knowing the slope?
What is clear is that playing without knowing the slope is a whole lot harder. This also depends on how much the course you play changes in elevation. A relatively flat course will not factor in much slope at all. On very hilly courses, failing to factor for slope could cost you dozens of strokes.
Who determines the slope rating of a golf course?
The USGA evaluates many elements of a golf course to determine its Course Rating. Course and slope ratings are calculated by the United States Golf Association. In fact, the USGA trademarks and licenses its USGA Course Rating and USGA Course Slope Rating to the Royal Canadian Golf Association -- countries other than America ...
How many yards does a scratch golfer hit?
A typical scratch golfer, as defined by the USGA, hits 250-yard drives and can reach a 470-yard hole in two strokes. A typical female scratch golfer hits drives 210 yards and can reach a 400-yard hole in two strokes.
What is a course rating?
A Course Rating measures the difficulty of a golf course and is a crucial component in determining a player's handicap. The Slope Rating measures the difficulty of a golf course for a bogey golfer. The Course Rating and the Slope Rating typically are printed on the scorecard for a golf course.
What is a rating of slope?
A rating of slope in contrast, is a number (typically between 55 and 155) describing the relative difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer. A handicap of course indicates the number of strokes that a golfer receives at a particular golf course. It can be thought of as an adjustment to a golfer's handicap ...
What is a golf handicap adjustment?
It is the number of strokes that should be deducted from a golfer's gross score to determine net score.
What is a scratch golfer?
"Scratch golfers" and "bogey golfers" are terms that are often used in relation to golf handicaps. A scratch golfer is a golfer whose handicap is zero, while a bogey golfer is one whose handicap is ...
How does weather affect golf scores?
Since golf is a game that is played outdoors, weather or other conditions can significantly affect a player's scores. As such, in an effort to more accurately represent a player's scores, an adjustment, referred to as the Playing Conditions Calculation (PCC), based on playing conditions for the course is included. This involves factoring in a number, ranging from -1 (when conditions make the course easier) to 3 (when conditions make the course more difficult), into the score differential calculation, depending on the conditions of the course for the given day.
What is the rating of a golf course?
In the United States, officially rated golf courses are described by course and rating of slope. Rating of course is a number (typically between 67 and 77) that is used to measure the average "good" score that a scratch golfer may attain on the course.
What is a golf handicap?
A golf handicap is intended as a measure of a golfer's potential playing ability. The higher the handicap of a golfer, the poorer the golfer's ability relative to that of a person with a lower handicap.
Is handicap used in professional golf?
Although handicap systems are prevalent in amateur golf, they are not used in professional golf. A golf handicap is often determined at the course where a golfer typically plays, and though certain details of a handicap system may vary, handicaps are generally based on a recent history of a golfer's rounds.
