Course with no slope or rating?

[Philip9210]

There is a local course that I play that has no slope and no rating, I've been using a 72 and 113 for the slope and rating, but I feel that it plays a lot easier than this. Should I try to figure out what I think it would be or should I just not count it as an "official round" on my handicap tracking software? Just wondering what some of you guys/gals would do. I play there usually once or twice a week so I was just wondering. It's a 9 hole course, so I play 18 and the par is 36(for 9). The course from the Blue tees is about 6400 yds. Thanks!

[sean_miller]

There is a local course that I play that has no slope and no rating, I've been using a 72 and 113 for the slope and rating, but I feel that it plays a lot easier than this. Should I try to figure out what I think it would be or should I just not count it as an "official round" on my handicap tracking software? Just wondering what some of you guys/gals would do. I play there usually once or twice a week so I was just wondering. It's a 9 hole course, so I play 18 and the par is 36(for 9). The course from the Blue tees is about 6400 yds. Thanks!

I think you need a course rating and a slope rating.

Here's an interesting, albeit not on topic, blurb on rating and slope. http://www.rcga.org/_uploads/documen...%20Article.doc

[kfowler]

If you're tracking an official handicap, you shouldn't use it. I ran into this last year at a course locally who let their rating certification expire. The course was kind of a dump and they didn't want to pay the $10,000 required to renew the rating. Any scores would not count towards my official handicap.

[jamo]

As estimates, your slope might be fine, but if a course has no rating I doubt it is good enough to have a 72 rating.

[RemyM]

There is a local course that I play that has no slope and no rating, I've been using a 72 and 113 for the slope and rating, but I feel that it plays a lot easier than this. Should I try to figure out what I think it would be or should I just not count it as an "official round" on my handicap tracking software?

If the course has no rating and slope then scores made there can not be posted for your handicap.

[RemyM]

If you're tracking an official handicap, you shouldn't use it. I ran into this last year at a course locally who let their rating certification expire. The course was kind of a dump and they didn't want to pay the $10,000 required to renew the rating. Any scores would not count towards my official handicap.

I never heard of a fee for getting a course rating.

[RemyM]

As estimates, your slope might be fine, but if a course has no rating I doubt it is good enough to have a 72 rating.

I don't know about that, August National doesn't have a course rating or slope.

[jamo]

Alright, there is one counterexample---> name another. Augusta doesn't have a slope because they are too fickle to do it. I have also heard that they let people come and do estimates, but they have never actually done it officially. Most courses that have no rating are small munis that don't make a lot of money and don't see a value in getting a slope and course rating.

[iacas]

I never heard of a fee for getting a course rating.

It costs $3000+ to have your course rated. The golf organizations (WPGA here where I live) often include a free or reduced rate if the club is a member of the organization, but yes, trained course raters (of which I am one) have to come out and spend a full day or even longer measuring things and jotting down all sorts of information, then the numbers have to be crunched, and then a course rating is given. It's not easy, particularly when you have 4 or 5 sets of tees for men and women.

[leezer99]

Erik - question for you. Our golf course went through having 5 tees redone a few months ago and moved all of the tees up dramatically for three months. During that time the PLGA did not come out and rerate the course so we continued entering scores as if the slop and rating hadn't changed. Because of the huge differences in length (two of our par threes went from 229 yards and 218 yards down to 135 yards and 125 yards respectively) the scores in our GC went down on average two strokes during that time. What would you have recommended for us to do?

[iacas]

Erik - question for you. Our golf course went through having 5 tees redone a few months ago and moved all of the tees up dramatically for three months. During that time the PLGA did not come out and rerate the course so we continued entering scores as if the slop and rating hadn't changed. Because of the huge differences in length (two of our par threes went from 229 yards and 218 yards down to 135 yards and 125 yards respectively) the scores in our GC went down on average two strokes during that time. What would you have recommended for us to do?

One of my courses did that recently too.

We played them for bets normally, but for handicap purposes we entered in whatever score we'd normally put in. If you're 12 handicap, on holes with 1-12 handicap rating you took a bogey. So I'd write down the appropriate scores - bogey or par (or bogeys and doubles if you're > 18).

[RemyM]

It costs $3000+ to have your course rated. The golf organizations (WPGA here where I live) often include a free or reduced rate if the club is a member of the organization.....

Around here the course raters are volunteers and there is no charge by the MGA or CSGA for course ratings if you are a member club.

[soloredd]

One of my courses did that recently too.

Why play the hole at all if that is the case? I guess I'm not understanding your recommendation.

[Philip9210]

yea, the course is a local muni. which basically looks like a worse version of my backyard's grass. I just use it for practice really, but didn't know if I could count my rounds towards a handicap since i can play the muni more often than the nicer courses.

[iacas]

Around here the course raters are volunteers and there is no charge by the MGA or CSGA for course ratings if you are a member club.

That's what I said. Free or reduced rate. You effectively pay for it with your membership dues.

Why play the hole at all if that is the case? I guess I'm not understanding your recommendation.

Because it's between the hole you just finished and the one you need to play next...???

I don't know what you mean. It's not like they're going to re-rate a hole and assign a new temporary value for the course rating and slope while they're working on a few tees. So as a work-around you took your handicap score for the hole for scorekeeping/handicapping purposes, but still played out the hole for your money matches, league, etc. Makes sense to me.

[soloredd]

That's what I said. Free or reduced rate. You effectively pay for it with your membership dues.

So if I am a 20 handicap, I automatically would give myself a bogey or double bogey, even if I parred the hole? I've just never been in that situation so I'm asking. It doesn't make sense to me because handicap indices are not static and are based on 18 holes at a given slope/rating. I just wouldn't post the score at all after the round. I'll be honest, I don't have the best understanding of this topic but I'm willing to learn.

[zeg]

So if I am a 20 handicap, I automatically would give myself a bogey or double bogey, even if I parred the hole? I've just never been in that situation so I'm asking. It doesn't make sense to me because handicap indices are not static and are based on 18 holes at a given slope/rating. I just wouldn't post the score at all after the round. I'll be honest, I don't have the best understanding of this topic but I'm willing to learn.

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handi...l/Rule-04/#4-2 If you don't play a hole or don't play by the RoG on that hole, you still need to report it for handicap purposes. As long as at least 13 holes were completed and played according to the RoG, you report the score with estimated scores for those that were not played.

[soloredd]

http://www.usga.org/Rule-Books/Handi...l/Rule-04/#4-2

Thank you for posting the link. I guess where I was getting confused was Erik's quote

If you're 12 handicap, on holes with 1-12 handicap rating you took a bogey.

I've never been in a situation where that came into play, so I apologize for any confusion. It still seems odd to me that you can just put bogey for those holes. In the handicap manual 5-2g it gives you ways to calculate yourself for tees that are unrated on a rated course. So, again, I say if you did not do this then I wouldn't post the score. I don't see how you can play the hole but use the rule for an unplayed hole (which is what Erik suggested). Again, if I am misunderstanding or completely wacked, I apologize :)