Full Answer
What is slope rating in golf courses?
What is a Slope Rating? While the course rating indicates the difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer, the slope rating, by contrast, indicates how difficult the course should be for a bogey golfer (or someone who averages +18 for 18 holes). Also unlike course rating, slope values can range from 55 to 155 with 113 being the average.
What is the minimum and maximum slope for a golf course?
Minimum and Maximum Slope Ratings 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 are slope and par on a golf course?
There's par for a golf course, and then there are two other numbers on the scorecard: golf course rating and golf course slope (or, simply, rating and slope). You may have never looked too hard at slope and rating and you might be wondering what they are, what they tell you and how they're determined.
How many yards is the back tees at Phalen Park?
This 18 hole golf course is a par 70 at 6,100 yards from the back tees with a rating of 67.5 and a slope of 116. The course stretches along the west side of beautiful Lake Phalen in Phalen Park.
What is the highest slope rated golf course?
(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 is the slope rating at Winged Foot?
140Winged Foot Golf ClubClub informationPar72 (70 for majors)Length7,477 yards (6,837 m)Course rating76.4Slope rating14027 more rows
What is the slope rating at Pine Valley?
155The 18-hole "Pine Valley" course at the Pine Valley Golf Club facility in Pine Valley, New Jersey features 7,197 yards of golf from the longest tees for a par of 70. The course rating is 76.6 and it has a slope rating of 155 on Bent grass. Designed by George Crump/H.S. Colt, the Pine Valley golf course opened in 1918.
Is Winged Foot part of New York Athletic Club?
Winged Foot Golf Club was founded in 1921, by a consortium consisting mainly of members of The New York Athletic Club. The club gets its name and logo from the NYAC's logo, but the two have never had any direct affiliation.
How many members does Winged Foot have?
According to Winged Foot's head pro, Mike Gilmore, the club has 650 regular members and roughly 1,000 across the different categories.
What is the hardest golf course in Oregon?
CrosswaterBecome a Member It's FREE!...The List: Toughest regional golf courses for men.RankNameTee name1CrosswaterGold2Bandon Dunes, Bandon Dunes Golf ResortTournament3Centennial Golf ClubBlack1 more row•Apr 28, 2015
What is the hardest slope in golf?
155The slope rating value always lies between 55 and 155, with 113 being the average or 'standard' value. A slope rating of 155 means this is the most difficult course (for a specific tee) you can imagine. The higher the course and slope rating, the more strokes will be added to your handicap.
What is the hardest golf course in New Jersey?
Gallery: The Five Hardest Golf Courses In The U.S.1 - PINE VALLEY. The par-3 fifth hole at Pine Valley in Clementon, New Jersey. ( ... 2 - BAYONNE GOLF CLUB. (Photo credit: Erik Matuszewski) ... 3 - SOMERSET HILLS. ... 4 - THE RIDGE AT BACK BROOK. ... 5 - GALLOWAY NATIONAL. ... 6 - TRUMP BEDMINSTER (OLD) ... 7 - PLAINFIELD. ... 8 - BALTUSROL (LOWER)More items...•
How difficult is Winged Foot Golf Club?
Measuring 7,477 yards, Winged Foot is a par-70 with just two par-5s. It has a brutal finishing stretch of five straight par-4s, none less than 425 yards. "There are not tricks to it; you've just got to step up and hit good shots,'' said Gary Woodland, who won last year's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
What would an average golfer shoot at Winged Foot?
The current tour average is 67. Only 32 players have shot 62 or lower this year. Tiger Woods has posted a score of 62 or lower only once in the past eight years. The best round at the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot was a 68, and the winning score there that year was 5-over par.
What is par for U.S. Open at Winged Foot?
Par 70The 2020 United States Open Championship was the 120th U.S. Open, held September 17–20 over the West Course at Winged Foot Golf Club in Mamaroneck, New York, a suburb northeast of New York City....2020 U.S. Open (golf)Tournament informationTour(s)PGA Tour European Tour Japan Golf TourStatisticsPar70Length7,477 yards (6,837 m)15 more rows
What is par usually set at at the U.S. Open?
70A U.S. Open course is seldom beaten severely, and there have been many over-par wins (in part because par is usually set at 70, except for the very longest courses).
What is the 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). The higher the slope, the more difficult the course is. 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. 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.)
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 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;
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 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).
How to find slope rating?
You calculate slope rating by finding the bogey rating, which is like the course rating, but measured for a bogey golfer. Then subtract the course rating from that figure. Then multiply that figure by 5.381 for men and 4.24 for women. Then round up to the nearest whole number.
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 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.
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 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.
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.
Where is the slope used?
The slope is primarily used in the United States, but golf associations in other countries are beginning to adopt slope or similar systems.
Who is Brent Kelley?
Brent Kelley is an award-winning sports journalist and golf expert with over 30 years in print and online journalism. 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.
How is a Golf Course Rating Calculated?
The rating of a golf course is calculated by taking into consideration the various aspects, hazards, and layout of the course in question. Once the various factors are calculated, a numerical value is attributed to the course based on the overall difficulty of the golf course.
What is Considered a Good Golf Course Rating?
Describing a golf course rating as ‘good’ is a bit of a misnomer, as the measure is concerned with determining the difficulty of a particular course, not necessarily the quality. As such, you should treat golf course rating as a measure of how easy or difficult the course will be for you to play.
What Exactly is a Golf Course Rating in Golf?
A golf course rating is a score that is established by a USGA official in order to ascertain the difficulty of a particular golf course. In America, golf courses are rated in regard to their difficulty for scratch and bogey golfers, and a slope rating is then expressed.
Is a Higher Course Rating Harder?
Yes, the higher a course is rated, the harder it is. The responsibility for rating a golf course falls with a team from the golf association within a particular area. This is important, as the team follows the stringent monitoring format expressed by the USGA.
What is a Course Rating?
This scorecard shows the course rating (first number) and slope rating (second number) for each set of tees at a course.
Why Have Two Numbers?
As you may have figured out already, golf is a difficult game and contains a very wide range of golfers, each with very different levels of skill. In the mid 80’s the USGA started to catch on to this big divide between scratch or professional golfers and mid to high handicap golfers.
What is the average scratch golf score?
It turns out that that statistically, no matter how easy or hard a course is, scratch golfers will almost always shoot in the high 60’s to low 70’s. While this might not seem like a big deal, having a very narrow spread of scores even on courses that are much easier or harder than average ones creates a rating that underestimates changes in course difficulties for the rest of the golfing population. However, they also realized that this phenomenon was the exact opposite for mid-high handicap golfers. While one course might only play slightly harder in the eyes of a scratch golfer, less proficient golfers might find their scores to be significantly higher on this new, harder course.
How to calculate handicap for a course?
If you’re interested in calculating your handicap for a particular course, multiply your handicap by the course rating divided by 113. This will adjust your handicap to the difficulty of the course.
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 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.
Is 72 a good slope rating for scratch golf?
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. 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.
