The reality of course
rating is that it takes a lot of changes in a golf course to make a
significant impact on the overall course and slope rating. It takes more
than a newly planted tree, a small hazard created, or some added rough
to change the overall outcome of how your course is rated. Below
are some examples of how course ratings change based on simple things
that effect our courses daily. The thing to remember is that when
a course rating team comes out to rate the course, they are evaluating
normal playing conditions year round in order to form the most accurate
course and slope rating. The idea is to not concentrate on the small things
that effect course ratings like below, but how your course appears over
time.
* Numbers in
parentheses indicate corresponding amounts for women
1. CHANGE IN EFFECTIVE PLAYING LENGTH
- A change of 22 (18) yards in the playing length of the golf course
will result in a change of 0.1 strokes in the USGA Course Rating. A
change of 93 (85) yards will change the Slope Rating 1 point.
A) Tee placement - The most obvious way to increase or
decrease the effective playing length of the golf course is to move all
the tee markers behind or ahead of the permanent yardage markers on each
hole. EXAMPLE: Placing the tee markers 10 yards ahead of the permanent
markers on each of the 18 holes decreases the overall length of the
course 180 yards, which results in the Course Rating being 0.8(1.0)
strokes too high and the Slope Rating being 2 points too high.
B) Roll - Softening fairways increases the effective
playing length while hardening them decreases the effective playing
length. If over-night watering results in the condition of the fairways
changing from average to soft, the USGA Course Rating will be increased
0.2(0.3) strokes. To a greater extent, if the increased watering results
in the condition of the fairways changing from firm to average, the USGA
Course Rating will increase 0.5(0.6) strokes and the Slope Rating will
increase 1 point.
2. CHANGES IN OBSTACLES - In general, changes in
obstacles have less effect on USGA Course and Slope Ratings than changing
the effective playing length of the golf course. Increasing or
decreasing an obstacle rating by only 1 point will result in the USGA
Course Rating being adjusted only 11 one-thousandths of a stroke. In
order for the USGA Course Rating to change 0.1 strokes you must have a
change of 9 points in the obstacle ratings.
A) Rough and Recoverability - Changing the rough height
by 1 inch on all 18 holes adjusts the USGA Course Rating 0.7 strokes and
the Slope Rating 5 points.
B) Green Target - Changing the holding properties of
the greens by over or under watering the course will adjust the USGA
Course Rating 0.2 strokes and the Slope Rating 1 point.
C) Green Surface - Changing the Stimpmeter speed on all
18 greens by 1 to 1½ feet will raise/lower the USGA Course Rating 0.2
strokes and the USGA Slope Rating 1 point.
