What does the golf slope rating mean

With the introduction of the WHS (World Handicap System) in 2021, golfers have had to learn some new terminology…

While the terms golf slope and rating have been virtually for several years, it is only since 2020 that UK golfers have been required to understand their true meaning.

The official USGA definition of the are two variegated measures of the difficulty of a golf undertow is as follows…

The Slope – Definition

“Playing length and obstacles impact higher-handicap players increasingly than lower-handicap players, and Slope Rating measures the relative difficulty of a golf undertow for players who are not scratch players compared to those who are scratch players”

Course Rating – Definition

“A Undertow Rating represents the score a scratch player, with a Handicap Index® of 0.0, should unzip on a golf undertow under normal undertow and weather conditions. For example, a Undertow Rating of 71.8 would equate to a scratch player’s expected score of 72 on a good round.”

Or to put it flipside way, the Undertow rating is a measure of how difficult a undertow is for a scratch golfer (a golfer with a handicap of zero), while Slope rating is a measure of how difficult a undertow is for a spectre golfer (a golfer with a handicap of 20 to 24).

The Undertow rating is calculated by taking the stereotype score of a group of scratch golfers playing the undertow under normal conditions.

The Slope rating is calculated by taking the difference between the undertow rating and the stereotype score of a group of spectre golfers playing the undertow under normal conditions, and then dividing that difference by 113.

How is the Golf Slope and Undertow Rating is used in the WHS calculation?

A undertow with a slope rating of 113 is the stereotype difficulty for a spectre golfer. A undertow with a slope rating of 100 is easier than average, while a undertow with a slope rating of 125 is increasingly difficult than average.

The golfer’s handicap is adjusted for the difficulty of the undertow they are playing, and the slope rating is used to determine how much the handicap should be adjusted.

But the real goody of this whop in the way handicaps are calculated is that it allows you to compete versus players of variegated playing abilities.

It can help golfers segregate courses that are challenging but fair, and it can moreover help golfers track their progress and resurgence over time.

When was the Slope Rating first introduced?

The history of slope dates to the early 1990s, when the United States Golf Undertone (USGA) began developing a new system for handicapping golfers.

The old system, which had been in place since the early 1900s, was based on a golfer’s scratch score, or the number of strokes they would be expected to make on a par-72 course.

However, the USGA terminated the incumbent system was not pearly to golfers of variegated skill levels.

A scratch golfer would have a significant wholesomeness over a spectre golfer, plane if they were both playing the same course.

To write this issue, the USGA ripened the slope rating system.

The Slope rating is a measure of how difficult a undertow is for a spectre golfer.

It is calculated by taking the difference between the undertow rating and the stereotype score of a group of spectre golfers playing the undertow under normal conditions, and then dividing that difference by 113.

Key dates in the history of slope in golf:

1979: The USGA establishes the Handicap Research Team to develop a new handicapping system.
1983: Colorado tests the slope system with positive results.
1984: Five other states join Colorado in testing the slope system.
1987: The slope system is implemented nationally.
1990: Every golf undertone in the United States that rates golf courses uses the USGA Undertow Rating System.
2020: The World Handicap System, jointly ripened by the USGA and the R&A, is introduced globally including the golf slope and rating measurements

Example of how these metrics are used when gingerly a golf handicap?

Player A has a current Handicap Index of 18.1
He books a tee time at a undertow with the Slope of 125
In order to summate his ‘Course Handicap‘ for the day, Player A uses the pursuit arithmetic. e.g., Handicap Index x (SLOPE/113) = Undertow Handicap
In this case, 18.1 x 125/113 = 20.0

So now you know!

By Ian Mullins