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Garland Bayley

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What are the criteria?
« on: March 11, 2017, 01:55:12 AM »
It seems most of the golfers I talk to think that getting a higher slope rating for the course is improving the course.

I try to tell them that slope rating has absolutely nothing to do with the quality of a course, but they don't seem to be accepting that idea.

Many of you rate golf courses. What are your criteria for discerning worst, from worse, from bad, from good, from better, from best?
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"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Tim Leahy

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Re: What are the criteria?
« Reply #1 on: March 11, 2017, 04:32:16 AM »
I have always thought slope measured the toughness of a golf course. A course with five yard wide fairways and knee high rough would have a high slope like Koolai in Hawaii or the Ranch in San Jose have very high slopes but are not great courses.
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I love golf, the fightin irish, and beautiful women depending on the season and availability.

Jaeger Kovich

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Re: What are the criteria?
« Reply #2 on: March 11, 2017, 06:16:24 AM »
Most raters will scoff at the worst, that's how you can tell ::) !
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Jim Hoak

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Re: What are the criteria?
« Reply #3 on: March 11, 2017, 12:22:23 PM »
My understanding is not that the slope measures course toughness, but rather measures the degree of increased toughness for a bogey shooter versus a par shooter.  It is the course rating that measures raw toughness.  To that extent, a high slope is somewhat a negative thing, assuming golf is supposed to be a game for fun for most amateur golfers.
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David_Madison

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Re: What are the criteria?
« Reply #4 on: March 11, 2017, 04:19:10 PM »
Slope is as Jim Hoak indicates. It measures how much difference there is in the difficulty of a course for scratch golfers vs. an 18 handicapper. It is not a measure of difficulty per se.


Most good players would say that Pinehurst #2 is a much tougher course than Tobacco Road, but TR's slope is 150 and #2 I believe is in the 120's. Pinehurst #2 has a relatively low slope rating since bogey golfers can still get it around making their bogies, while low handicap golfers have to play very well to make their pars. On the other hand, Tobacco Road has an exceptionally high slope rating since scratch golfers can get it around there fairly easily as they aren't intimidated by the blind shots, visual trickery, and so on, and can make lots of birdies with the short par-5's and par-4's. But, the typical 18-handicap has a tougher time keeping the ball in play and then recovering from misses.
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