Should I look at the USGA course rating and Slope rating?  Yes.  This little bit of information could be the difference between a good and fun round and a frustrating miserable afternoon.

What is the course and slope rating?  The short answer is that the U.S.G.A. course and slope rating is the number of strokes it will take a golfer to finish the round.  The course rating is the number for a scratch golfer and the slope is the number for a bogey golfer.  A bogey golfer is considered someone with a handicap between 17.5 to 22.4 and hits his drives 200 yards, and a female golfer with a handicap of 21.5 to 26.4 who hits her drives 150 yards.  There are other factors that go into the rating and slope and we will discuss this in a future post, for now these are just the basics.

So, why is this important to a golfer?  It is important because it tells us what our “expected” score for 9 or 18 holes will be from the different tee’s.  The rating also plays a part in figuring our handicap. For example, if 2 golfers consistently score 92′s at their respective courses, but 1 golfers slope is 91 and the others is 102, the golfer who plays at the course with a slope of 91 will have a higher handicap than the one with the slope of 102.

The course rating and slope will be on the scorecard if the course you are playing at has had the course rated.  You can also access the course rating data base at the U.S.G.A. website.

Based on your handicap, course rating, slope, and course yardage you should tee off from the appropriate tees.  Using the appropriate tees will go a long way in your scoring, and enjoyment of the round.  Do not feel compelled to tee off at the blue tees if your game puts you at the white tees. 

Have fun, get a handicap and use the tools offered to play better and have more fun.