Basic Question on slope/rating

[jetsknicks1]

I'm sure this has been asked & answered, so forgive me. What exactly is slope & rating? I'm assuming that a rating of say, 70 means that a scratch golfer should shoot 70, right? I have no idea what slope is all about. I've been playing for a while but have just recently begun to keep a handicap. Thanks for the help.

[zeg]

You're right about rating. The slope is a measure of how much a worse-than-scratch golfer will be penalized relative to the scratch score. The base for the rating is 113, so a 113-rated course means you get one stroke per handicap index point when computing your net score. In my experience, a 113-sloped course will be relatively short and wide open with opportunities to recover from almost any mistake.

[Fourputt]

Slope is a number that relates to the difficulty of a course for a bogey golfer. It isn't as easily quantifiable as the course rating. It is used in the formula for calculating your course handicap from your handicap index. The median slope is 113, meaning that if you play a course with that slope, your course handicap will simply be the same as your index, rounded to the nearest whole number. If the slope is higher than 113, your course handicap will be higher in relationship to your index. If the slope is lower then you will get fewer strokes.

The formula is: Index times course slope divided by 113. If you have a 20.4 index and play a course with a 127 slope then: 20.4 x 127 ÷ 113 = 22.9 rounded to a course handicap of 23

[jetsknicks1]

Thanks for the info guys, especially the slope formula. I was curious because I played in a skins game yesterday and the guys running it started talkin about the course's slope in relation to my handicap and I had no idea what they were talking about.

[Rugger]

(((Your Score - Rating) x 113) /Slope) = Your differential. After you have a lot of rounds there is some more math you do with your differential to find handicap.

[double_j]

I always wondered who calculates the slope rating? Is there a standard board/committee that travels to each course and sets a number based on their review of the layout? It just seems that slope ratings are quite varied from course to course and don't seem extremely consistent (e.g., one course with a slope of 132 won't seem as hard as another with the same rating). I realize that course difficultly is oftentimes more related to personal preference than to actual design but still, I've always wondered how the 'standard' is set.

Also, what would you believe to be the main drivers of a slope rating? Forced carries? Sheer length? Hazards in play?

[fredloves2golf]

I always wondered who calculates the slope rating? Is there a standard board/committee that travels to each course and sets a number based on their review of the layout? It just seems that slope ratings are quite varied from course to course and don't seem extremely consistent (e.g., one course with a slope of 132 won't seem as hard as another with the same rating). I realize that course difficultly is oftentimes more related to personal preference than to actual design but still, I've always wondered how the 'standard' is set.

Your state's golf association, in partnership with the USGA, follows another formula/guide for setting course rating and slope. My home course was recently re-rated. Things like hole length, fairway width at the landing area(s), proximity of bunkers to green, other hazards, forced carries and pyschological factors all account in their formula. I believe I've found the guide online once, but I can't locate it immediately now.