Can anyone explain to me the slope rating of holes and/ or a course?

Question

i always see this on scorecards, but do not know what it refers to

Answer 1

It is a reflection of the difficulty of the course. Over 113 is hard, under is easy. It is used to level the playing field by creating handicap indexes:

(Score - Course Rating) x 113 / Slope

Higher slope means your multiplying your (Score- course rating)  by a lower number making your index lower. An 80 on a 107 slope and an 80 on a 155 slope are a lot different

Answer 2

In short.  Rating is what a 0 Handicapper can expect to shoot on the course.  Slope is what the 30 hanidcapper can expect to shoot.

Contrary to what the fellow above me has said...Slope has nothing to do with the hilliness of the terrain.

Answer 3

I'm tempted, but, they will close my account again.

Answer 4

Slope is a reference to how hilly the terrain is. The higher the slope, the more hills and valleys that will be on a course, therefore being more difficult and increasing the course rating as well. The higher the slope #, the more difficult.

Answer 5

mbl is correct  a course with a rating of 72 and a slope of 113 plays to par for 0 handicaps and to bogey for 18 handicaps.  If the slope was 132 it would be tougher for a bogey golfer to hit their handicap but not so for the par golfer.

Answer 6

mbl is correct.  The purpose of slope ratings is to equalize handicaps between golfers.  If you are a 10 handicap at your course and I am a 10 at my course, and my course is much more difficult to play, then if we have a match somewhere I will probably beat you handily even though we supposedly have the same skill level.  So the slope index was created.  The courses are rated according to a multitude of factors besides just length, position of fariway bunkers, severity of greens and even psychological intimidation.  So now when we turn in our scores we get a handicap "index" and then we go to the slope chart to see our handicap for any given course.  So if I am an 8.5 index at my course and the chart says I am a 10 handicap at my course.  When I go play somewhere which is a much easier course my 8.5 might only be a nine handicap and at an extremely difficult course I may be an 11.

Answer 7

This could be a very long answer. I'll keep it short.  A golf course is rated for the scratch player. This is called the "course rating".  It is also rated for the bogey golfer. You wont see this rating on the scorecard. The slope rating is a measurement of the gap between the two- scratch rating and bogey rating.  55 is the lowest possible rating and 155 is the highest.  A golf course of standard playing difficulty will have a slope rating of 113.