
The Importance of Course And Slope Rating
- Calculating Handicaps. The slope rating is used when you are calculating your handicap; the course rating is used to develop a handicap index.
- Comparing One Course To Another. The concept of the USGA course rating system is to help ensure that you can play any golf course and have a good idea of ...
- Playing Golf Courses Other Than Your Home Course. ...
Full Answer
What does course rating and course slope really mean?
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 best golf course in California?
The Best Golf Courses in California
- (1) Cypress Point Club (pictured above), Pebble Beach
- (2) Pebble Beach G. Links • ^
- (3) Los Angeles C.C. (North)
- (4) Riviera C.C., Pacific Palisades
- (5) The Olympic Club (Lake), San Francisco
- (6) San Francisco G.C.
- (7) Spyglass Hill G.C., Pebble Beach • ^
- (8) Monterey Peninsula C.C. (Shore), Pebble Beach
- (11) The Valley C. ...
- (10) Monterey Peninsula C.C. ...
What is a 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. Course rating tells scratch golfers how difficult the golf course will be; slope rating tells bogey golfers how difficult it will be.
What is golf rating slope?
The slope rating of a golf course is a measure of its relative difficulty for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer. It is used by handicapping systems to equalize the field by accounting for the likelihood that, when playing on more difficult courses, higher handicap players' scores will rise more quickly than their handicaps would otherwise predict.

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.
How does course rating and slope affect handicap?
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 the slope of a golf course represent?
The slope rating of a golf course is a mathematical measure of the difficulty of the golf course. Slope rating takes into account the USGA par rating of the course as well as the expected score of a higher handicap golfer.
What is the slope at 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 my golf handicap if I shoot 110?
about 35What Is My Handicap If I Shoot 110? If you shoot 110, your handicap is probably going to be about 35. At some point, if your handicap gets high enough, the GHIN handicap system may max out your handicap. This is to keep the game fair for those that are trying to compete.
What is a good handicap golf?
What Is A Good Golf Handicap? A good golf handicap is ten or less. With a handicap index of ten or less, you will generally shoot somewhere around 82. Shooing in the low 80s is better than average but certainly not good enough to be considered a scratch player.
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 the average slope rating in UK?
The neutral value that is used in handicap calculations is fixed at 113. The GB&I average Slope Rating is around 125. A golfer's handicap for a specific course is determined by multiplying their Handicap Index by the Slope Rating of the course/tees and dividing by the Neutral Slope Rating of 113.
What golf course has the highest slope rating?
(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.
What does r4 mean in golf?
Round 4 Scoring Average | PGA TOUR Stats.
What is the difference between slope and Course Rating?
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.
How difficult is it to judge a 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.
What is a difficult 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.
What is the average slope rating in UK?
The neutral value that is used in handicap calculations is fixed at 113. The GB&I average Slope Rating is around 125. A golfer's handicap for a specific course is determined by multiplying their Handicap Index by the Slope Rating of the course/tees and dividing by the Neutral Slope Rating of 113.
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 is the minimum slope rating for a 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).
What is slope rating?
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. To put it another way: USGA Course Rating ...
What is USGA course rating?
USGA Course Rating is an evaluation of the difficulty of a golf course for scratch golfers. (More specifically, the number is an estimate of the average scores of the best 50-percent of rounds played by scratch golfers at the course being rated.) Course rating is very easy to understand because it is expressed in strokes.
What is the average slope rating for 18 holes of golf?
Some do, but the real-world average is higher than 113 .
What is the average stroke rating of a par 72?
Course rating is very easy to understand because it is expressed in strokes. 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;
