An unnamed acquaintance once told me, “Never make a putt if you don’t have to.” This was his not-so-veiled way of explaining how he managed his Handicap Index®. “Management strategies” like this one are frowned on by most golfers and certainly not endorsed by those of us working at the USGA. Golfers of any skill level can compete against each other fairly when they have a Handicap Index and are playing on a rated course. This is part of why golf is such a great game. Because the handicap system is such an important part of setting a level playing field – especially in competitive events – it’s good for superintendents to have a basic understanding of how course design, maintenance and setup can affect Course Rating™ and a golfer’s Handicap Index.
Course ratings are performed by your local Allied Golf Association (AGA). AGA course raters are dedicated to travelling around their respective regions to evaluate and reevaluate golf courses based on a long list of criteria that include design and maintenance factors. The Course Rating is determined by assessing the effective playing length of the golf course and the obstacles and challenges that face scratch players in and around the landing zones and greens on the course. The Course Rating represents the score a scratch player, essentially a Handicap Index of 0.0, should achieve when playing well on a golf course under normal course and weather conditions. For example, a Course Rating of 71.8 would equate to a scratch player’s expected score of 72 for a good round.
A course’s Slope Rating™ represents the relative difficulty for players who are not scratch players compared to those who are. Increased playing length and difficulty of obstacles impact higher-handicap players more than lower-handicap players. Therefore, a higher Slope Rating means the course is relatively more difficult for higher-handicap players than for lower-handicap players. For reference, Slope Rating can range from 55 to 155 and a course of standard difficulty has a Slope Rating of 113.
The key terms for superintendents to focus on in the definitions of Course Rating and Slope Rating are length, obstacles and challenges. Let’s look at how each of these items can affect the Ratings and ultimately a player’s Handicap Index.
Length
Once Course Ratings are determined by your local AGA, it is important to consistently set up the golf course within 100 yards of the overall rated length each day. I’m not suggesting that this is something to obsess over, but it should be part of your daily course setup considerations. If some holes have tees moved forward on a particular day, moving the tees back on other holes can keep the course close to its rated yardage. The challenge for superintendents is finding a balance between dispersing traffic around the course and staying relatively close to rated length. Keep in mind that the effective length of a golf course has the most impact on Course Rating. If you’re going to change the length of the course or add features that may change the effective length or how the hole is played, it is important to contact the AGA to determine if a re-rating is necessary.
Obstacles
The location of trees, bunkers, water features, forced carries and other obstacles in or near landing areas for scratch and bogey players impact the Course Rating and/or Slope Rating. If you’re planning on adding, removing or pruning trees that are significantly in play, consulting with the AGA may be a good idea to evaluate the potential implications. The same goes for work on bunkers, water features or other obstacles on the course.