Course rating and slope

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The course and slope rating is the classification of the difficulty of a golf course. In contrast to the "Standard Scratch Score (SSS)", which is still used in England, which only takes into account the length of a course, the course rating also includes the following difficult factors: topography, roll of the ball (hardness of the ground), fairway width, green size, green play, bunker , Water, off or extreme rough, trees and green surface.

The USGA describes the course rating value (CR value) as the average number of strokes that a scratch player ( handicap approximately 0) needs in normal course conditions and weather conditions on the course. This value can deviate by several strokes from the Par value, which for 18 holes is usually between 68 and 72. Tournament courses usually have a course rating of 71 or 72.

In order to compare players who acquired their handicap on a relatively easy course with players who acquired theirs on a relatively difficult course, the so-called slope value exists for golf courses . It expresses the difficulty of a golf course for the bogey golfer ( handicap −22.4 to −17.5) in relation to the difficulty for the scratch golfer. It therefore does not reflect the number of strokes and no degree of difficulty, but only the relationship to the scratch golfer. This value can range from 55 to 155. The aim of these ratings is to ensure a fair and comparable game on every court between players of different skill levels.

A slope value of 113 is assumed for an average golf course. This becomes clear in the formula for determining the handicap (different for each place) from the (always the same) own handicap (commonly referred to as handicap ):

GAME SPECIFICATION = MASTER SPECIFICATION × (SLOPE VALUE / 113) - CR VALUE + PAR

This means that if a golfer with a handicap of −18.0 plays on a golf course with a par of 72, a slope of 125, for example, and a CR value of 73.4, he starts with a handicap of -18 * ( 125/113) - 73.4 + 72 = −21.3 (rounded to −21).

So this place would be harder than average.

The worst DGV handicap is -36, but there are also the so-called club requirements, which in Germany go down to -54. When calculating a handicap, the club handicap does not apply; in these cases a handicap of −36 is always used in the formula. The resulting calculated difference between the handicap and the assumed handicap of −36 is then offset against the actual club handicap. Example: with a club handicap of −54 and a difference of +4, the player would start with a handicap of −58.

The handling of club guidelines can differ from country to country; in Denmark, for example, the limit is −72. In Austria, at −45 there is once again the intermediate step of a so-called tournament maturity. Still other countries have no club guidelines at all.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Course Rating . Website of the German Golf Association . Retrieved May 13, 2012.
  2. ↑ EGA HANDICAP SYSTEM, DGV SPECIFICATION SYSTEM 2007-2010 , chap. 18.2, p.34 (PDF; 749 kB). Website of the German Golf Association . Retrieved June 23, 2010.
  3. ↑ EGA HANDICAP SYSTEM, DGV SPECIFICATION SYSTEM 2007-2010 , chap. 18.3, page 35 (PDF; 749 kB). Website of the German Golf Association . Retrieved June 23, 2010.