What is Slope Rating?

Slope Rating is the number that indicates the relative playing difficulty of a course for Bogey Golfers, compared to Scratch Golfers. It is the difficulty comparison between a Bogey Golfer and a Scratch Golfer from the same set of tees.

BOGEY RATING – COURSE RATING x FACTOR = SLOPE RATING

(In simple terms it is the combination of the Course Rating and the Bogey Rating, which allows is to calculate the Slope Rating of a set of tees).

The use of Slope allows a player’s Handicap Index to be portable from course to course and country to country. It also enables acceptable scores from any rated golf course in the world to be submitted for a player’s handicap purposes.

The Slope Rating is a key component in calculating the number of strokes each player receives to play a particular golf course. Each set of tees will have a Slope Rating value between 55 and 155.

The higher the Slope Rating, the more additional strokes a Bogey Golfer will need to be able to play it. The lower the Slope Rating, the fewer strokes a Bogey Golfer will require.

Note: The Slope Ratings are gender-specific and the tee which a golfer plays from must have a Slope Rating for each gender.

IMPORTANT

113 is the Slope rating value where all players play from their Handicap Index (i.e. the course is as equally hard for both Scratch and Bogey players).

Handicap Index

What is a Handicap Index?

Golfers will consider the Handicap Index to be the most important element of the WHS.

The Handicap Index will:

•  Measure the ability of the player
• Be portable from course to course
• Allow players to compete fairly and therefore promote inclusivity within the game.
  

A Handicap Index is calculated from the best eight scores from the last 20 rounds.

As a new score is submitted, a player’s Handicap Index will automatically update to the most recent 20 scores. A player’s Handicap Index will update promptly overnight after the submission of an acceptable score and be ready before the next time they play.

How to obtain a Handicap Index?

When the new system comes into play most golfers can have a Handicap Index generated, based on their existing records.

For new golfers to gain their Handicap Index they will have to submit a minimum of 54 holes (using any combination of 9 and 18 holes). Their Handicap Index will be the lowest of their three rounds minus two strokes and continue to be built until the 20 scores are achieved.

IMPORTANT

The maximum Handicap Index for any player is 54.

-Noel Mack, Handicap Committee.