A co-worker of mine asked if I wanted to go with her to play in the Dupont Amateur Handicap tournament in Myrtle Beach....I thought it might be fun and agreed.
I had an "honest" established handicap of 27 at my home course and asked the pro to help me fill out my papers; keeping in mind...I knew nothing about slope ratings. He put in my handicap and the slope rating...whatever that was. Let me also add that the club pro who helped only worked at my club that one season and was fired eventually for many errors..not just mine.
I proceeded to send in my entry and when my packet came back I thought my hdcp was high so I called the tournament number and questioned it. I was assured that it was because of slope rating. I said ok.
Going to work the next day my friend had received her packet too and her assigned hdcp was lower than mine. We had turned in the same hdcp. So I made call number 2 to the committee. They questioned if we played the same course..to which I responded we didn't. They again re-assured me it was correct.
I read a little on slope...and still my hdcp assignment just didn't add up for me. Was I really that dumb? Anyway...call number 3. Whoever I spoke too was quite abrupt with me. I might add it was a male! And, I could just imagine his thoughts at the time "Stupid women golfers!"
I went on down to play.....and proceeded to win. On the final hole of the championship I got a tap on the shoulder and was asked to step into a meeting with the committee! Gee...guess what? Someone realized something was wrong! I was DISQUALIFIED!!!
I explained all of it to them..and when they sifted through the facts...found that I did not sandbag. That I too was a victim. They subsequently invited me play again the following year AND paid for my fees! Now then...that in itself says a lot. They admitted their error and that I had questioned these figures several times.
And so...that is how I learned about slope rating.
Searching for some good information to put up here about slope rating I found this article...which I modified slightly from MS PIGGY'S
The United States Golf Association (USGA), after much study, determined that the handicap method needed to be revised to inlcude the difficulty of the course as well as considering a bogey golfer.
In January, 1987, the Slope Method of rating a course went into effect. This revised the handicap method as now each player has a handicap index, a number such as 13.4. When playing at another course the player, using the course handicap table, determines his handicap at the couse using his handicap index. For example, a player with a 13.4 index may have a handicap of 15 at one course (difficult) and 12 at another (easy).
Note: Each tee box at a course is rated separately.
The major portion of a course's slope is made up of effective playing length and the scratch rating. Effective playing length is determined by the measured yardage plus or minus corrections due to four conditions of play :
1.Roll (on the fairways)
2.Elevation (changes)
3.Dogleg/Lay-Up
4.Prevaling Wind (only considered at seaside courses)
In addition, the USGA takes into consideration ten obstacles :
1.Topography
2.Fairway
3.Green Target
4.Recovery & Rough
5.Bunkers
6.OB/Extreme Rough
7.Water Hazards
8.Trees
9.Green Surface
10.Psychological
Each of these 14 items is discussed in the Definitions below. For more details on slope, contact your local golf professional, state USGA association, or the USGA
Each state has an organization affiliated with the USGA. Slope committees that "slope" courses within a specific area.
Slope Committees are made up of a chairman and three or more members. A committee is responsible for a particular area of the state. The USGA requires that all course within a state to be re-sloped at least once every 10 years. The SCGA likes to re-slope a course at least once every five years. Every new course is initially sloped once every three years and after nine year once every five year. Members of the slope committee receive training in how to slope a course by the state slope chairman . This is generally a one day course with on-couse as well as in the class room work. Membership in the committees is strictly voluntary and it is not necessary that a member be a good player - in fact they need not be a golfer!. But knowledge of the game certainly helps in the evaluation of a course to determine the slope.
The area slope committe chairman assigns a team consisting of at least three trained and experienced raters to slope a course. The team determines:
the approach shot lengths on each hole,
the width and depth of each putting green,
the widths of the landing zones on each hole,
the distances required to carry obstacles off the tee box
or from various landing zones,
the type of grasses on the course, and
the effective lenght corrections (roll, elevation changes,
etc.).
The team then evaluates each hole (for each tee box) from the tee box to the landing zone(s) to the green. The ten obstacles are evaluated (a score of from 0 to 10) at each location and recorded on a slope form supplied by the USGA. The committee members evaluated each obstacle independently and then form a consensus for each obstacle. When the evaluation of the course is complete the forms are sent to the state slope chairman who determines the course rating and slope using a computer program supplied by the USGA.
Scratch Golfer One who's better half of his scores will equal the average of the better half of the stroke play scores in the United States Amateur Championship.
Scratch Rating A Scratch Golfer's better half scoring average on the course.
Bogey Golfer A player with a USGA Handicap Index of 17.5 to 22.4. He cannot normally reach the green in 2 shots on a hole exceeding 370 yards in length.
Roll Determined by the fairway conditions, hard, firm, average, soft or very soft, and the nature of the landing zone, downhill, uphill or level.
Elevation Estimated difference between the tee box and the green in feet.
Dogleg/Lay-Up Adjustment is required if a player is forced to lay-up or the hole is a dogleg. A player is forced to lay-up if he cannot hit a full shot due to an obstacle(s) in the landing zone.
Prevailing Wind Considered only for seaside courses, couses in the plains states not protected by trees, and other courses where the wind is prevelant and generally blows in the same direction.
Topography The slope and mounds in the fairway and the elevation change in the shot to the green.
Fairway Based on the hole measured length and the landing zone width.
Green Target Based on a "circle concept" and the length of the shot to the green.
Recovery & Rough Based on the Green Target rating and the average rough height in the warm season.
Bunkers Considers the green target rating and the fraction of the green closely bordered by bunkers. Also considers the bunker's depth.
OB/Extreme Rough Considers the shot lenght and the distance to the OB from the center of the landing zone.
Water Hazard Considers the shot length and the distance to the lateral water hazard from the center of the landing zone. Also considers the carry over a water hazard.
Trees Considers the scratch golfer's probability of recovery. For example, the probability is 50% if he can 50% of the time he can hit to the target (landing zone/green) or if a 180 yard shot is required he will most of the time hit 90 yards (pitch out).
Green Surface Based on the stimpmeter reading and the contouring of the green.
Psychological Always considered on the first and last holes. Otherwise it is only evaluated if 3 or more of the other obstacles are rated 5 or more and the total rating is over 20 points.
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