Let us assume the slope is 125 and the course rating is around 72. If you consistently shoot between 75 and 80, there is a high chance that your handicap could range between 2 and 6. You will need to eliminate any outlier rounds to get an accurate score.
Full Answer
What is the average slope of an 18 hole golf course?
The minimum slope rating is 55 and the maximum is 155 (slope does not relate specifically to strokes played as course rating does). When the slope rating system was first put into effect, the USGA set the slope for an "average" golf course at 113; however, not many 18-hole golf courses have slope ratings that low.
What is a good handicap for a 125 slope golf course?
Let us assume the slope is 125 and the course rating is around 72. If you consistently shoot between 75 and 80, there is a high chance that your handicap could range between 2 and 6. You will need to eliminate any outlier rounds to get an accurate score.
Do all golf courses have a slope rating of 113?
Some do, but the real-world average is higher than 113. (However, a slope of 113 is still used in certain calculations within the handicap system.) Like course rating, slope rating is calculated for each set of tees on a course, and a course may have a separate slope rating on certain tees for women golfers.
What is slope in golf?
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 is a good slope for 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.
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 considered a hard slope for a golf course?
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.
What is the average slope rating for a PGA course?
The majority of courses in coastal states have Slopes of 121 and higher. Many Slopes lower than 118 are mid-American public courses. The lowest is 55 (short par-3 course), and the highest is 155. By Dean Knuth, Golf Digest Professional Advisor.
What does a slope rating of 113 mean?
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.
What does a slope rating of 140 mean?
Slope rating is an indication of how much harder the course gets as one's handicap increases. If an average slope is 115, say, that's a gentle increase. A slope of 140 is an abrupt one, meaning that a 15 handicap will score much higher than the course rating plus 15.
What does a slope of 110 mean?
So if a course has a rating of 72, it will mean that the scratch golfer could shoot 72 on that course. If the same course has a slope rating of 110, the scratch golfer will still shoot 72, yet a bogey golfer will shoot 110 as it is a more difficult course for the second player.
What is an easy slope 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.
What is the slope rating of Augusta National?
137Augusta National Golf ClubClub informationLength7,510 yards (6,870 m)Course rating78.1 (unofficial)Slope rating137 (unofficial)Course record63 - Nick Price (1986), Greg Norman (1996)17 more rows
What is the slope rating of the Old Course St Andrews?
The lowest Slope Rating is 55 and the highest is 155. A golf course of standard playing difficulty has a Slope Rating of 113.
Is Augusta a tough course to walk?
Augusta definitely saved the best (read hardest) for last. The hill up to the 18th green is steep! Noted: Final hole, lets goooo!
What is the slope rating of Carnoustie?
145Carnoustie has a Course Rating of 75.1 and a Slope Rating of 145 from the regular (yellow) tees, making it officially the hardest course in Scotland. (St. Andrews, by comparison, is 72.1/129, Royal Troon is 73.2/134, Muirfield is 73.0/133 and Turnberry is 75.3/133.)
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).
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 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.
How many yards should a golfer play on a tee?
Most golfers decide which tees to play based on the yardage that is outlined on the card—a high handicapper may want to keep the total yardage down around 6,000 yards, a mid-handicapper will be okay at around 6,500, and an accomplished player will be glad to take on a challenge of 7,000 yards or more. No matter what level of player you are, the ...
What does 113 mean in golf?
When it Comes to Golf Slope Higher = Harder. As you might suspect, a higher slope rating is going to equate to a more difficult golf course for the average golfer to play. The “standard” or base slope rating is 113, meaning a course that is rated at 113 will play to a standard difficulty level. From there, the ratings can go up and down all ...
What is a bogey golfer?
The USGA defines a bogey golfer as someone who has a handicap around 20 and can hit a typical tee shot around 200 yards. Slope rating is intended more for the purposes of this kind of player, as it helps to “level the playing field” between a scratch golfer and a bogey golfer.
What is a scorecard in golf?
A golf scorecard is full of numbers. When you grab a scorecard to put into your pocket prior to walking to the first tee, you probably only pay attention to a few of those numbers – such as the par for the course and the total yardage. Most golfers decide which tees to play based on the yardage that is outlined on the card—a high handicapper may ...
What does yardage tell you about golf?
No matter what level of player you are, the yardage for the course can tell you a lot about which tees are best for your game. However, there are other numbers on the scorecard that warrant your attention. Specifically, there are two other numbers that should be noted – the course rating, and the slope rating.
What is a course rating?
A course rating is a number that is aimed at a scratch golfer, while the slope rating is meant as a way to measure difficulty for a player who is not a scratch golfer as compared to players who are. This concept should become clearer as we move through this detailed explanation of what golf slope rating is and how it relates to your own golf game.
What is the difference between an easier course and a harder course?
Easier courses will have a course rating slightly under par, while harder courses will come in above. For example, an easier course may have a course rating of 70.5, while a difficult course could be rated at 75 or even higher.
What is the average golf score?
Only 2% of adult golfers in the United States have an average score above 80. This is the reason that it is also known as the ‘Holy Grail of Scoring.’
What does 100 mean in golf?
Shooting 100 in a golf game means that it’s the adjusted golf score made by a golfer. In order to calculate the golf handicap for shooting 100, let us take the value of course slope as 113 and the course rating as 72. As mentioned above, you must first calculate the Handicap Differential.
What is a golf handicap?
Golf Handicap is the average number of strokes a golf player would take to finish the course or game by hitting the golf ball into the hole. Your golf handicap can be denoted in the form of ‘Par n,’ meaning that it would take you ‘n’ number of strokes to finish a single game.
How to control the length of a golf stroke?
One of the primary ways of controlling the length of the strokes or the distance covered by the golf ball is to have a proper posture along with the correct grip. It’s suggested to have a forward stance along with the golf ball, with your shoulders tilted away from the ball.
What is adjusted gross score?
Adjusted Gross Score refers to the score you receive by subtracting the equitable stroke control from your actual score. The score is changed under the Golf Handicap System provided by the USGA.
How to reduce golf handicap?
If you have been playing golf for a long time, you can use blade irons. They are heavy to use. However, they are the best if you want to shape and control the golf ball.
Do professional golfers take risks?
All professional golfers take risks. However, the majority of the risks taken by them are calculative. As soon as they hit the golf ball with their club, they realize when and where the golf ball would land. This is what makes them professionals and have a low golf handicap.
What is slope rating in golf?
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.
What is the minimum slope rating for 18 holes?
The minimum slope rating is 55 and the maximum is 155 (slope does not relate specifically to strokes played as course rating does). When the slope rating system was first put into effect, the USGA set the slope for an "average" golf course at 113; however, not many 18-hole golf courses have slope ratings that low.
What does USGA course rating mean?
To put it another way: USGA Course Rating tells the best golfers how hard a golf course actually plays; USGA Slope Rating indicates how much harder the course plays for "regular" (meaning not among the best) golfers.
What is the role of slope in golf?
The most important role of a slope is leveling the playing field for players of different skill levels. For example, let's say Player A and Player B average 85 strokes each for 18 holes. But Player A's average is established on a very difficult course (say, a slope rating of 150), while Player B's average is established on a much easier course (say, a slope rating of 105). If handicaps were simply estimates of golfers' average scores, then these two players would have the same handicap index. But Player A is clearly the better golfer, and in a match between the two Player B would clearly need some strokes.
Why is the handicap index lower for A and B?
Because he plays on a course with a higher slope rating, Player A's handicap index will be lower than Player B's (when it is calculated using the slope ratings), despite the fact that they both average scores of 85. So when A and B get together to play, B will get those extra strokes he needs.
What is the slope of a golf course?
The Course Slope predicts the difficulty of a course for a “bogey” golfer, someone who shoots 18 over par or 90. Course Slope is a number between 55 and 155, with 113 being the average. The higher the number the more difficult the course. As with course rating each set of tees will have a slope rating. For example, the blue tees might be 123, the white tees 119, and the red tees 114.
What is the slope of the second course in golf?
The second course is also rated at 72 but has a slope of 135. The increased Course Slope could be a result of the length of the course. A longer course can wreak havoc on a bogey golfer. He is hitting long irons or woods into most greens, which will usually result in a missed green.
What is the score of a bogey golfer on a second course?
So while the par golfer will still shoot 72 on the second course, the bogey golfer will have a score above 90.
What is a course rating?
Course Rating. Course Rating indicates the difficulty of a course for a “par” or scratch golfer. For example, if a course has a par of 72, the Course Rating might be 71.4. This is the score the scratch golfer is expected to shoot on the course. The number goes up with the difficulty of the course.
Do you have to record your score when you turn in a score?
Every time you turn in a score you are required to record the Course Rating and Slope for the course and set of tees you played. Many golfers are familiar with the terms Course Rating and Slope, but don’t really know what they mean.
Is 72 a long course?
The course rated at 72 with a slope of 113 is probably not a long course. Or maybe it has wide fairways and with few hazards. So the par golfer still shoots par on this course and the bogey golfer shoots 90. The second course is also rated at 72 but has a slope of 135.
Myth No. 1 – Slope is the primary indicator of difficulty or, to put it another way, the higher the Slope, the more difficult the course
Wrong! As the above example confirms, it is the Course Rating and not the Slope, which is the more dominant factor in defining course difficulty.
Myth No. 2 – Slope ratings can he compared between courses
Wrong! I wish I had a dollar for every letter, E-mail or phone call I have received criticizing existing ratings on the basis of the Slope only. In short there is nothing more dangerous than trying to draw any sort of meaningful conclusions by comparing Slope Ratings from one course to another.
So what is Slope?
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.
What does slope mean in golf?
In short, the slope of the course is a number that tells bogey golfers how much more difficult a set of tees should be for them than for a scratch golfer. For example, a course with many hazards may be much more difficult for a bogey golfer to avoid than a scatch golfer.
How many rounds does a golfer need to play to get a handicap?
The USGA requires five rounds before calculating a golfer's handicap. MyGolfinstructor.com only requires a single round to help you get started as soon as possible. Your first round will show a course handicap of zero and your actual handicap index will become more accurate as you play more rounds.
How to calculate handicap on a tee?
You are playing a set of tees with a slope of 126. To determine your course handicap, simply multiply your handicap by the slope and divide by 113. Here is the equation. Your course handicap: 9.2 x 126 / 113 = 10.2. Your friend's course handicap: 13.5 x 126 / 113 = 15.
What is handicap in golf?
A golf handicap is a numerical measurement of your game over a recent period of time. It is much more than an average of strokes over/under par, but also considers the difficulty of the course, and furthermore, the difficulty of the tees your choose to play. Having a handicap allows you to measure yourself against other players.
Why is course rating important in golf?
The course rating is a key factor in determining your handicap index because it helps to level the playing field for golfers that typically play on more or less difficult courses than others.
What happens if you score 9 holes in golf?
Your most recent 9 hole score, if not paired, will not be used to calculate your handicap index. Practice and Team Tournament scores are not calculated.
What is net score in golf?
Net score is the number that you would use to compare to your partner's net score.
What are the slope and course rating in golf?
While frequently unused by new or casual golfers, slope and course rating are two of golf’s most important, and most commonly confused numbers. These two numbers might be a seemingly random arrangement of numbers on your scorecard, but in reality , they are two of the great equalizers in the game of golf.
How often are golf course slope ratings re-evaluated?
While the course and slope ratings of a golf course are unlikely to change dramatically, they are usually re-evaluated every 4-5 years.
What is the slope rating of a bogey golfer on a course?
However, if bogey-golfers on course A averages a score of 90 while bogey-golfers on course B average a score of 95 the slope rating for course B would be higher than for course A; indicating a higher level of difficulty for higher handicap players.
What is a course rating?
The simple answer is, a course rating is a number that indicates what a scratch golfer (a golfer that averages par for a round) should shoot on this particular course. So, while the par for a particular course might be 72, a course rating of 70.1 would indicate that a scratch golfer should be almost two under par on average.
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 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.
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.
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 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.
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.