FAO those who are Stateside

[Andy_79]

How do your Slope Ratings work >? We in the British Isles have Standard Scratches, which when set regardless of the weather are adjusted by the length of course you are set to play. I.e. the blue tees on our course makes the course measure approx 6,800 yards, and the Standard Sctrach (or S.S.) for the blue, or Championship Tees, is a one-over 73; therefore if you play to your handicap you will lose 0.1 of a shot if you are in category 1> 0-5 handicap; 0.2 of a shot if you are between 6 & 12 h/cap, etc.
On the other hand, the weather could be quite sublime & it could be a points or stableford round, so the C.S.S. (Competition Standard Scratch) could maybe drop a stroke if the results warrented easier playing conditions. If the weather was particuarly poor, and it can very often be this way, then the SS for any given competition day can increase by 2 or even 3 strokes when it is very poor weather..

[Andy_79]

*bump*

[Jay McNasty]

From USGA Course Rating Primer:

Slope Rating: The USGA’s mark that indicates the measurement of the relative playing difficulty of a course for players who are not scratch golfers, compared to scratch golfers. It is computed from the difference between the Bogey Rating and the Course Rating for the same set of tees on the same course and is expressed as a whole number from 55 to 155.