Golf Slope Rating Calculator (Chart): Identifying Course Difficulty!

The golf slope rating calculator is not one that you often hear about. In most cases, the golf slope rating is already indicated on the scorecard and it is often used to determine other handicaps like the playing handicap and the course handicap.

However, the slope rating calculator is what players use to calculate differentials. The purpose of the slope rating is to indicate the relative difficulty of the course for higher handicap players when compared to scratch players.

The higher the number on the chart, the more difficult the course will be. It is often one of the driving factors to determine how many shots a player is given or needs to give.

Since this is an unfamiliar calculator, we believe, you should have a basic understanding of how it works. While it might not change your game, the calculator will affect the targets you could aim for.

Most beginners can make use of this calculator to ensure they get on par with scratch players on the playing handicap for a specific course.

Golf Slope Rating Calculator

The golf slope rating calculator takes into account a few variables on the golf course. These variables will indicate some difficult aspects of the course.

Reducing these difficult aspects will give the player a different par score they could aim for. The slope rating is also used to determine things like the playing handicap.

It can still be very complicated to fully understand how the calculator works and which numbers are important. However, the formulation from our online calculator will allow you to simply enter the bogey score and the course rating.

By using these two pieces of information, we could readily determine the slope rating.

How Is the Slope Rating Calculated?

The formula might be a bit complicated, but we have done some research to help you understand how to work out the slope rating. The formulation will slightly differ depending on whether you are male or female.

Slope Rating Calculated

Here is how to calculate the slope rating of any particular course.

Bogey Rating

The first thing you will need is the bogey rating. The bogey rating will be available from the course officials and can use a different formulation. You should consider asking the officials at the golf course what the bogey rating is when you are playing.

Course Rating

Next, you will want to inspect the scorecard to find the USGA course rating. This is the official rating designated for the golf course by the USGA. The course rating refers to what a scratch player would be playing the course at in perfect weather conditions.

Subtract the Course Rating from the Bogey Rating

The next important step would be to subtract the course rating from the bogey rating. You might have a bogey rating of about 90 and a course rating of 70. Once you remove one from the other, the score you are left with is 22.

Multiply According to Gender

The next step involves a bit more complicated math and would want to multiply the number based on your gender. For men, it should be multiplied by 5.381 and for women, the multiplication needs to be done by 4.24.

Getting the Slope Rating

Finally, you should have a number and this number will be the slope rating. The slope rating should be somewhere between 55 and 155, with the middle ground being 113. The higher the slope rating you get in your calculation, the more difficult a course should be.

What Affects the Slope Rating?

Various factors often affect the slope rating and you will need to understand what these factors are. These factors also influence the course rating.

We have identified the main obstacles impacting a slope rating to make it harder. However, some players can still overcome these obstacles:

  • Bunkers: One of the first things you will need to account for is the bunkers. Bunkers are the pits of sand strewn across a golf ball and they are often found near the green. The more bunkers you have to deal with, the harder a course will be rated.
  • Trees: Trees can be a frustrating obstacle, especially when they are located all over the golf course. The trees might block certain pathways and when you hit them, they could spit your golf ball in any direction.
  • Water Hazards: Almost every golf course will feature a few water hazards and these hazards will be tedious and frustrating to run into. Water hazards can force you to lose your golf ball or take a different approach.
  • General Abnormalities: You might also need to deal with general abnormalities when playing and these can include things like the shape of the course or certain hills. It might even be affected by having to play uphill.

Once you understand what affects the difficulty of a golf course, you can start to work around it. Thanks to some clever research and a bit of player study, we have found the secret to success that Ben Hogan used in having the perfect swing.

If you want to improve your game and overcome all obstacles, the Ben Hogan Secret will surely help you improve your game.

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Many scratch golfers can use this technique to improve handicap allowance. If you have a low handicap index you can become even better and the golf handicap calculator will assist in removing you from being a bogey golfer.

What Is a Difficult Slope Rating in Golf?

As mentioned, the slope rating is determined by a variety of factors and totals up to a number between 55 and 155. The middle point for the average golf course is often seen as having a slope rating of 113.

Difficult Slope Rating in Golf

If the slope rating exceeds 113, it is characterized as being difficult. However, the higher it goes, the more difficult it can become.

When comparing amateur courses to tour courses, you will notice that tour courses tend to be more difficult with a harder rating to deal with You will need to better understand the obstacles and you also need to understand the golf course.

Professionals often thrive on playing on these more difficult courses and the best will always succeed.

Golf Slope Rating Chart

While it can take some time to get used to performing the calculation in your head, you can use a slope chart to simplify matters. The slope chart uses preset slope ratings gained from different handicaps on a golf course.

These ratings will allow you to refer to the chart each time you need to calculate your slope rating.

You might often find that certain golf courses might have a golf slope rating chart. You will have to ask some of the officials if they can give you the slope rating chart.

However, the simple online slope rating calculator is the easiest way. You only need to enter the bogey rating and course rating for a specific course and you should be fine.

Preview PDF: Golf Slope Rating Chart

The slope rating calculator seems more complicated than it is. Once you understand the basics and formulation, you should be able to calculate slope rating with ease.

Even though you understand the slope rating formulation, many of you might still be having a few questions. Here are some common questions we could find:

Is a 130 Slope Rating Hard?

The slope rating is often somewhere between 55 and 155. The higher it gets, the more complex the slope will be.

If you have a slope rating of 130, it will be on the harder side of the spectrum, and you would need to compensate for this.

Lower golf handicaps will fair much better on an 18-hole course with a high course rating.

Is a Higher Slope Rating Harder?

As mentioned, the higher the course slope rating, the trickier the course becomes. If your calculations have revealed a slope rating higher than 113, you will be playing on one of the harder golf courses.

According to the USGA, the professional tour golf courses all have slope ratings that exceed 113, which makes them some of the hardest to play.

What Does a Slope Rating of 113 Mean?

With 113 being the perfect middle point between 55 and 155, it is considered the neutral slope rating. A slope rating of 113 means that the golf course is not difficult depending on your skill.

However, if the slope rating gets higher or lower, you will notice an increase or decrease in the overall difficulty of the course.

Wrap Up

If you are a handicap player and you want to determine the slope rating, the above-mentioned guide should make it easier for you to understand how it works.

The higher the slope rating, the more challenging it will be to play on a particular golf course. Once you can circumnavigate the more challenging courses, you should be able to have fun on the easier courses.

Let us know in the comment section what the highest slope rating is you have ever played.

2 thoughts on “Golf Slope Rating Calculator (Chart): Identifying Course Difficulty!”

  1. Okay, so let’s say a player who averages a score of 90 on a course with a slope rating of 113, what should he expect to play on a different course with a slope rating of, say 120? Is there a formula to use that can predict an expectation (assuming, of course, he’s playing his usual game of highs and lows)?

    Reply
    • Hi Russell,

      To calculate an expected score, take the new course slope rating (120), divide it by the original course slope rating (113) and multiply it by the original course average score (90).
      Eg: 90 * (120/113) = 95.5
      So expected score on a course with a slope rating of 120, would be around 95 to 96. Assuming usual game as you say.

      Reply

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