Using equitable stroke control (the maximum score you can take on a hole for posting purposes), a player takes his adjusted gross score and subtracts the course rating. Multiply that number by 113 (slope rating of a course of standard difficulty), and divide by the slope rating of the tees played. (Round to the nearest 10th).
What is the difficulty level of a golf hole?
The procedure applies to both men and women. Each hole is assigned a level of difficulty from one to 18, so the most difficult hole is the No. 1 handicap hole, the second most difficult is No. 2 and so on up to 18.
How are handicap holes determined on a golf course?
How handicap holes determined on a golf course: Hardest holes, odds and evens. 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. The same system applies to a nine-hole match.
How do you find the correct hole on a golf course?
Each hole should have a sign indicating the hole with at least a number. Some nicer courses have the number, the par of the hole, and the distance to the basket. Rougher courses tend to not have anything but a concrete or dirt teepad. Just do the best you can. Once you get onto the course, find the first hole of the course.
What is considered a hard or easy golf hole?
Golf holes are rated on relative length. For example a par 3 that is over 200m in length would be considered hard and usually than a 125m par 3 would be considered easy. Although if the green is small and surrounded by bunkers it may prove harder.
How do you tell which golf hole is hardest?
The stroke index is a method of ranking the holes on each nine of a golf course from hardest to easiest. The front nine holes are assigned odd numbers from 1 to 17, while the back nine holes are assigned even numbers from 2 to 18, with a lower number signifying a more difficult hole.
How do you rate difficulty on a golf course?
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 are golf holes rated?
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 does a slope rating of 130 mean?
From Tom's tees, a slope of 130 gives him a 12 Course Handicap.
Is 122 slope rating hard?
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.
How is 9 hole Course Rating calculated?
The actual calculation is as follows: 9-Hole Score Differential = (Adjusted Gross Score for 9 holes x 113/Slope Rating + second nine par + 0.5 x Course Handicap) – Course Rating.
What is a hard 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.
How do course ratings work?
The Course Rating is designed to assign a numerical value to represent the difficulty of the course for a scratch golfer. This number is calculated by measuring the fairways, inspecting the bunkers, measuring the size and contours of the greens, determining the distance to hazards and out of bounds locations, etc.
How does rating and slope work?
While course ratings are a measure of the difficulty of a course, slope ratings are a measure of how much more difficult a course is for a high handicap golfer versus a lower one. For example, if you have two courses that each have a course rating of 72, they should be the same difficulty for a scratch golfer.
What is the slope at Augusta National?
The 18-hole "Augusta National" course at the Augusta National Golf Club facility in Augusta, Georgia features 7,270 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 72. The course rating is 74.0 and it has a slope rating of 135 on Bermuda grass.
Is a slope rating of 140 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 slope rating should I be playing?
Slope Ratings range from 55 to 155, with the average being 113. When you play a course with a Slope Rating higher than 113, your Course Handicap will be higher than your USGA Handicap Index. When you play a course with a Slope Rating lower than 113, your Course Handicap will be lower than your Handicap Index.
How Do Golf Courses Handicap Their Holes?
Golf handicaps help in providing equitable golfing conditions for all players on the course. In the US, the USGA provides a clear-cut handicap system that golf clubs can use when golfers have a legitimate disadvantage.
How Do You Find The Hardest Hole On A Golf Course?
According to their own opinion, golf clubs typically identify handicaps by ranking golf holes in terms of the hardest to the simplest. As mentioned earlier, this system helps to formulate the handicap hole numbers.
How Do You Determine The Difficulty Of A Golf Course?
If you are new to golfing, two terms you will commonly encounter are course rating and course slope. These two golf terms are critical in determining the difficulty of a course.
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.
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 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.
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. ...
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., ...
What are the obstacles in golf?
Obstacle factors: topography, fairway, green target, recoverability and roughs, water hazards, out of bounds, trees, green surface, and psychology. Each obstacle is assigned a value of 0 to 10, depending on its relation to how a scratch or bogey golfer would play the hole.
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 female scratch golfer is a player who can play to a Course Handicap of zero on any and all rated golf courses. A female scratch golfer, for rating purposes, can hit tee shots an average of 210 yards ...
What is the difference between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer?
Here is the difference between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer according to the USGA: 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.
What is a golf course rating?
Golf Course Rating Definition: The evaluation of the playing difficulty of a course for scratch golfers under normal course and weather conditions. It is expressed as the number of strokes taken to one decimal place (72.5), and is based on yardage and other obstacles to the extent that they affect the scoring difficulty of the scratch golfer.
How does the USGA determine the rating of a golf course?
To determine the Rating of a course the USGA measures several factors for each hole on the golf courses. The process examines every facet of a hole and its playability.
What does 72 mean in golf?
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.
How many holes are there in golf?
All regular golf courses have 18 holes. Generally there are 10 four par holes, 4 five par holes and 4 three par holes. This makes a total of 72 shots for a par round ( (10x4)+ (5x4)+ (3x4))=72. However some courses due to paucity of space have less longer holes and more 3 par holes.
How many handicaps are there on a nine hole golf course?
Obviously a nine-hole course only has handicaps of 1 through 9, while an 18 hole course has 1 through 18, with the odd number handicaps being assigned (there are exceptions) to the front (first played) nine and the even number handicaps being assigned to holes on the back (second played) nine.
What is the handicap of a bogey golfer?
It is a whole number between 55 and 155 that indicates how difficult a course will be for a bogey golfer (basically a handicap of 20) compared to a scratch golfer. The higher the number the more challenging a course will be for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer.
What is match play handicap?
Match handicaps are where handicap strokes are given based on where the player with the higher handicap will tend to need a stroke to result in a halve/tie with the player with the lower handicap. Almost everyone plays with Match Play Handicaps. Match Play Handicaps tend to be what is printed on the score cards.
What are the two types of handicaps?
First off, there are 2 types of handicaps for a course. There are: Stroke Handicaps. Stroke handicaps are where handicap strokes are given based on the general “hardness” of the holes. On my course, holes 12, 15, & 17 are the hardest holes on the cou.
What is a stroke handicap?
Stroke Handicaps. Stroke handicaps are where handicap strokes are given based on the general “hardness” of the holes. On my course, holes 12, 15, & 17 are the hardest holes on the course. In a stroke play scenario, these holes are played as the three hardest on the course. Almost no one plays with Stroke Handicaps.
What is a course rating?
The USGA defines a Course Rating as "the evaluation of the playing difficulty of a course for scratch golfers under normal course and weather conditions.". Since not many golfers are scratch (essentially a handicap of 0), there is a second rating for the course, called the Slope Rating.
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 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.
What is the most difficult hole in golf?
Each hole is assigned a level of difficulty from one to 18, so the most difficult hole is the No. 1 handicap hole, the second most difficult is No. 2 and so on up to 18. When playing a match, the golfer with the higher handicap receives handicap strokes equal to the difference between his handicap and that of his opponent.
What is the USGA's use of handicap?
Equitable Handicap Use. The USGA recommends that the handicap committee review the course to determine where handicap strokes should be allocated for men and women. The USGA encourages the committee to use common sense in an effort to equalize the allocation of strokes to make them most available where a higher handicap player would need ...
How many members are needed to determine handicaps?
Determining Handicaps. Players should have legitimate handicaps from recognized clubs or clubs formed for social functions with at least nine members. The handicap committee of the club must certify the handicaps. Once the handicaps are determined, the difference in handicaps will permit the competitors to determine where strokes shall be awarded.
Can you have multiple strokes on a handicap hole?
It is possible for a player to be awarded multiple strokes on a handicap hole. For example, if a player with a handicap of six is paired with a player with a handicap of 25, the difference is 19 strokes.
