Course-, slope-rating methods revealed
HAL LENOBEL
Contributing Columnist
golf@lbknews.com
One might wonder exactly how a course is rated to determine the USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating. Courses are rated by teams who typically work as volunteers for the authorized golf association in each state or region. These teams have been trained to evaluate courses based on the USGA Course Rating System.
A course rating is primarily determined using objective measurements. The vast majority of time a rater spends on the golf course is spent collecting measurements to various obstacles in the normal landing zones as well as around the greens. Each of these measurements is referenced to a chart of defined standards to determine a table value for the obstacle. In addition, there are adjustments that can be applied to the table value if conditions are present that make the obstacle more or less significant than the table value.
The USGA Course Rating System looks at two things for each hole, effective playing length and obstacles. The effective playing length of each hole is determined based on the measured length and adjusted for five possible factors, which are:
1. Roll – how much more or less roll player receives compared to the standard
2. Elevation – the change in elevation from tee to green
3. Dogleg/Forced Lay Up – is the player able to cut a dogleg or does a dogleg/other obstacle cause the player to hit less than a full shot
4. Prevailing Wind – the average wind speed and direction of any prevailing wind
5. Altitude – on courses 2,000 feet or more above sea level, the ball will travel farther based on the altitude
The effective playing length factors can either make a hole effectively shorter or longer than the measured length. For example if a hole is 30 feet down from the tee to the green, it will play effectively shorter than the same hole if it were flat or uphill from tee to green.
There are also 10 obstacle ratings that are evaluated by the rating team on each hole, although not all 10 may exist on a particular hole. These obstacle factors are:
1. Topography – how topography affects stance or lie and whether the shot to the green is uphill or downhill
2. Fairway – the width of the fairway in each landing zone and other factors that make the fairway easier or harder to hit
3. Green Target – how difficult is it to hit the green with the approach shot
4. Recoverability and Rough – recovery problems if the player misses the fairway or green
5. Bunkers – chances of getting into a bunker and the difficulty of recovering from the bunkers
6. Out of Bounds/Extreme Rough – the proximity of out of bounds or extreme rough from the center of the fairway landing zone or green and whether the out of bounds or extreme rough must be crossed
7. Water Hazards – the proximity of a water hazard from the center of the fairway landing zone or green and whether the water hazard must be crossed
8. Trees – proximity of trees and difficulty recovering from them
9. Green Surface – the speed and contour or slope of the putting green
10. Psychological – the cumulative effect of the other nine obstacles on a player
Once the rating team has determined the rating values for the effective playing length factors and the obstacles, these values are then plugged into a formula that converts them into a USGA Course Rating and Slope Rating. The authorized golf association reviews these values against other facilities in its region and then issues the ratings. Without authorized golf associations, implementation of the USGA Course Rating could never take place. Locally, the Florida State Golf Association does the rating for this area.
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A few interesting facts:
The greatest match play golfer in history was probably Walter Hagen, who won the PGA Championship a record five times under that format and had an unbelievable string of 22 consecutive victories in matches from 1924 to 1927.
David Duval became the first player in PGA Tour history to win his first three career victories in consecutive starts when he caught fire at the end of 1997 and blazed through the Kingmill, Disney and the Tour Championship tournaments. Prior to pulling off his trifecta of titles, Duval had shown no sign of such ability, entering 86 events and winning none.
In 1997, versatile Marty Joyce became the first man to qualify for the finals of the RE/MAX North American Long Driving Championship in both the right-handed and left-handed categories. The 46-year-old teaching professional at Fresh Meadows Golf Course in Hillside, Ill., qualified in the senior division with drives of 358 yards right-handed and 285 yards left-handed.
Hal Lenobel was a member of the United States Golf Association Rules and Tournament Committee for 25 years. He officiated at more than 150 tournaments during his tenure.
