slope rating - explain please !

[Links R Best]

Can somebody explain the slope rating that you talk about with regard to your courses in the US ?
I appreciate the higher the figure the harder the course,but what is taken into account and by whom.
Thanks for your help

[sandwedge]

Here is a good explanation of slope rating.

http://golf.about.com/cs/rulesofgolf..._determine.htm

http://golf.about.com/cs/rulesofgolf..._sloperate.htm

[Fourputt]

Originally Posted by Links R Best

Can somebody explain the slope rating that you talk about with regard to your courses in the US ?
I appreciate the higher the figure the harder the course,but what is taken into account and by whom.
Thanks for your help

You asked for it, but you may not like the answer. For most lay people, it is just very complicated and confusing. Here it is straight from the USGA Handicap Manual.

a. Components
An authorized golf association, through the following components, determines the USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating:

1. Effective playing length is obtained from official measurements of the course and an evaluation of the factors that cause the course to play significantly longer or shorter than its measured length. (Section 13-1d.) Yardage must be measured accurately. An error of only 22 yards in overall length will change the USGA Course Rating by 0.1 of a stroke for men. An error of only 18 yards will change the USGA Course Rating by 0.1 of a stroke for women.
2. Yardage ratings for both the scratch golfer and bogey golfer are determined by applying the effective playing length to the appropriate yardage rating formulas. (Sections 13-1d and 13-3d.)
3. USGA Course Rating is the scratch yardage rating of a course modified by the obstacle factors as they affect the scratch golfer. (See Definitions.)
4. Bogey Rating is the bogey yardage rating of a course modified by the obstacle factors as they affect the bogey golfer. (See Definitions.)
5. Slope Rating is the difference between the Bogey Rating and the USGA Course Rating multiplied by 5.381 for men and 4.24 for women. (See Definitions and 13-3f.)

b. Effective Playing Length
On each hole, the rating team evaluates four factors that affect the playing length: roll, elevation, dogleg, forced lay-up and prevailing wind. The effect of these factors, plus the altitude above sea level of the course as a whole, is converted to yardage that is added to or subtracted from the measured length to yield effective playing length. Effective playing length is then applied to the yardage rating formulas to produce scratch and bogey yardage ratings.

1. Roll
   Unirrigated, thin fairways and downhill landing areas result in the ball rolling farther than the normal 20 yards. Irrigated, lush fairways and uphill landing areas result in the ball rolling less than 20 yards.
2. Elevation
   Holes that are uphill from tee to green play longer than those that are downhill from tee to green.
3. Dogleg/Forced Lay-up
   Holes in which the fairway bends short of the normal landing area that force the player to hit less than a full tee shot. The same is true on holes where an obstacle, such as a water hazard, is situated in the landing area.
4. Prevailing Wind
   The force and direction of the prevailing wind can affect the playing difficulty of the golf course.
5. Altitude Above Sea Level
   The yardage rating of a course at an altitude at or above 2,000 feet is adjusted downward. The ball will carry a greater distance at high altitudes.

c. Obstacle Factors
The rating team evaluates ten obstacle factors on a scale of 0 through 10, after considering separately their effect on the play of the scratch golfer and bogey golfer on each hole. When the evaluation process has been completed, the numbers for each factor are totaled and multiplied by a relative weight factor. The total weighted obstacle values are applied to scratch and bogey formulas, and then are converted to strokes. These strokes, which may be positive or negative, are added to the yardage ratings to produce the USGA Course Rating and Bogey Rating. The obstacles are evaluated as follows:

1. Topography: the difficulty of stance in the fairway landing areas and any elevation change from the landing areas to the green;
2. Fairway: the effective width of the landing area, which can be reduced by a dogleg, trees, or fairway tilt;
3. Green Target: the size, firmness, shape, and slope of a green in relation to the length of the approach shot;
4. Recoverability and Rough: the existence of rough and other penalizing factors in the proximity of the landing area and around the green;
5. Bunkers: the existence of bunkers in the proximity of the landing areas and around the green;
6. Out of Bounds/Extreme Rough: the existence of out of bounds in the proximity of the landing areas and around the green, or the existence of extreme unmown rough that is similar in effect to out of bounds;
7. Water Hazards: the existence of water hazards, particularly in the proximity of the landing areas and around the green;
8. Trees: the strategic location, size, height, and density of trees-along with the probability of recovering from the trees;
9. Green Surface: the contour and normal speed of the putting surface;
10. Psychological: the mental effect on play created by the presence of a combination of difficult obstacles.

d. Yardage Rating Formulas
Yardage ratings are obtained by using the following formulas:

1. Scratch Yardage Rating for Men
   Scratch Yardage Rating: (Scratch Effective Playing Length of Course / 220) + 40.9 Example: If the effective playing length of the course is 6,419 yards, the scratch yardage rating for men is calculated as follows:
   
   
   Playing Length / 220: 6419 / 220 = 29.18
   
   Result + 40.9: 29.18 + 40.9 = 70.08
   
   Scratch Yardage Rating (rounded): 70.1
2. Bogey Yardage Rating for Men
   Bogey Yardage Rating: (Bogey Effective Playing Length of Course / 160) + 50.7
3. Scratch Yardage Rating for Women
   Scratch Yardage Rating: (Scratch Effective Playing Length of Course / 180) + 40.1
4. Bogey Yardage Rating for Women
   Bogey Yardage Rating: (Bogey Effective Playing Length of Course / 120) + 51.3

e. Course Rating Formulas

1. USGA Course Rating for Men and Women
   USGA Course Rating: Scratch Yardage Rating + Scratch Obstacle Stroke Value
2. Bogey Rating for Men and Women
   Bogey Rating: Bogey Yardage Rating + Bogey Obstacle Stroke Value

f. Slope Rating Formulas
A Slope Rating is obtained by using the following formulas:

1. Men
   Slope Rating: 5.381 x (Bogey Rating - USGA Course Rating)
2. Women
   Slope Rating: 4.24 x (Bogey Rating - USGA Course Rating)

The Slope Rating for a course of standard difficulty is 113. A course is given this Slope Rating when the difference between the Bogey Rating and USGA Course Rating is 21 strokes for men, or 26.65 strokes for women (21 multiplied by 5.381, equals 113; 26.65 multiplied by 4.24, equals 113).

[Links R Best]

Thanks for your reply,I didn't realize it was such a complex arrangement.
I can now see why course slope ratings strike up so much discussion

[Fourputt]

BTW, for more information and to delve even more deeply in the mysteries of the USGA, you can spend weeks at http://www.usga.org .

[Tenn-Driver]

I believe, even Einstein would have problems figuring the slope ... LOL

[lwc]

Here is a link to Pope of Slope: http://www.popeofslope.com/

More info than anyone could possibly use re: Slope