Course Ratings

[Grumpter]

I was wondering if they rate courses hole by hole or just by 9/18 holes? In the modern age (computers) it would be nice to be able to choose any tee on any hole and still be able to post scores.

Not that I expect that to ever be an option but it would be nice on occasion. The course I am heading to today starts with a bear of a par 5 that I enjoy much more form the White tees rather than the blues. Otherwise playing the other 17 holes from the blues is no big deal. Another course has 3 par 3's over 200 yards from the blues which is a bit much for my taste.

[saevel25]

I was wondering if they rate courses hole by hole or just by 9/18 holes? In the modern age (computers) it would be nice to be able to choose any tee on any hole and still be able to post scores.

I believe you can't mix and match tees. A course could mix and match. TPC Sawgrass has a blended set of tees. Which they tell you on which holes to use the blue tees or the white tees. I believe the course has to get the USGA to set a rating and slope for this anyways.

[DaveP043]

I've read through some of the rating system steps (my eyes glazed over partway through, so I didn't read it all), and I'm certain that each hole is rated individually, and the ratings are then compiled.  However, I've never seen the individual hole ratings published.  As @s aevel25 says, I've seen "blended" ratings, where they'll identify which tees to play on which holes.

[Chron]

I have seen some courses in my area with blended tees, but most don't offer it. I typically will look at a courses Par 3's before deciding which tee's to play. If there are any over 200 yards, I will play whites regardless of what tees my playing partners are using. Play to your ability, if there are holes you can't handle from a certain tee box, play the next tee up. There's no shame in that!

[iacas]

Holes are rated individually, but yeah… good luck getting that information out of the golf association that did the rating.

[Grumpter]

Holes are rated individually, but yeah… good luck getting that information out of the golf association that did the rating.

Yeah, I kind of figured as much. I have played one course with the 'blended' tees some others have mentioned. It's a shame in todays environment you can't have the option to post a hole by hole score where you can change tee's from hole to hole.

[iacas]

Yeah, I kind of figured as much. I have played one course with the 'blended' tees some others have mentioned. It's a shame in todays environment you can't have the option to post a hole by hole score where you can change tee's from hole to hole.

That would be tedious.

You can also basically say you've played from "unrated" tees and just figure the yardage and go from there. So it's possible to do as you want, you just can't post hole-by-hole scores (you never do that for handicaps anyway).

[Moppy]

What does it mean when there is a separate number for "Handicap" on each hole on the scorecard?

[iacas]

What does it mean when there is a separate number for "Handicap" on each hole on the scorecard?

Provide an example? It can mean men/women play it differently or from different sets of tees they're different.

One course I know has a big pond that makes the hole a 550-yard par five from the blue tees and is a 350-yard par four from the white tees with a handicap change that trickles through and alters several other holes too.

[Moppy]

[Grumpter]

Moppy - those are how hard the hole is. The hole marked as 1 handicap would be the hardest and 18 would be the easiest. However, when all odd numbers are on one nine and even numbers on the other then the numbers are almost certainly not completely accurate. In other words the 9th hole with the 3 in the handicap column may be harder than the 12th hole which is marked as 2 in the handicap column.

[iacas]

Those are different for men and women as I said above. @Grumpter , they aren't how difficult the hole is, but rather the holes on which a higher handicapper needs strokes from a lower handicapper. It is a subtle but important distinction. They tend to spread them out so that whether you start on 1 or 10 and regardless of how many holes the playoff goes it is relatively fair. If handicap holes 14 through 18 were the first five holes of the golf course a 13 stroke difference wouldn't be awarded any strokes for awhile.

[Jon Hoover]

Moppy - those are how hard the hole is. The hole marked as 1 handicap would be the hardest and 18 would be the easiest. However, when all odd numbers are on one nine and even numbers on the other then the numbers are almost certainly not completely accurate. In other words the 9th hole with the 3 in the handicap column may be harder than the 12th hole which is marked as 2 in the handicap column.

Yep and its basically used when you playing with a handicap say you get 8 strokes so on the holes with handicap 1-8 you get an additional stroke off each so if you Gross bogey on #1 since its the 7th hardest hole and you get 1 stroke you net is a par because you - the stroke.