The game of golf involves much more than attempting to hit a ball into a hole with as few tries as possible. The course design, the obstacles on each hole, and even weather conditions influence gameplay. Because every course is different, players may find some facilities to be more challenging than others. The US Golf Association (USGA) uses two calculations, slope and rating, to evaluate different courses on their difficulty to help golfers determine their handicaps. Understanding what these terms mean can help you evaluate your performance in any given game — and even help determine the victor in a match.

Scratch, Bogey, and Handicap 

To understand a golf course's rating and slope, you need to first understand the terms bogey, scratch, and handicap. 

Most players have a handicap rating. This is a predetermined number of strokes that you can subtract from your score at the end of an 18-hole game. It puts golfers of different abilities on a level playing field and accounts for the difficulty of the course. Men can have a handicap of 0 to 28; a female golfer can have a handicap of 0 to 36. The lower your handicap, the better golfer you are.

A scratch golfer is someone who consistently plays golf well, earning a handicap of zero—or even a positive handicap, meaning they have strokes added to their score. A bogey golfer is someone who consistently exceeds the par of each hole by one shot. These two types of golfers determine a course's slope and rating.

Slope and Rating Defined

A golf course's rating is the level of difficulty for a scratch golfer. It's expressed in strokes, and determined by averaging the scores of the top 50% of scratch golfers. For example, a par 72 course (which is designed to be played in 72 strokes) may have a lower or higher rating based on a scratch golfer's performance. 

A course's slope indicates its difficulty for a bogey golfer compared to a scratch golfer. Bogey ratings range from 55 to 155, with the average around 113. These ratings are determined by how the length and hazards of the course affect the bogey golfer. 

To calculate a golf course slope, the course rating is subtracted from the bogey rating, and multiplied by 5.381. In general, the higher the number, the more difficult the course for the average golfer.  The slope can then be used to calculate an individual golfer's handicap. The golfer's handicap index (a calculation based on their average scores) is multiplied by the slope rating, then divided by 113 plus the course rating minus par. 

If you want to work on your golf game on a beautiful course, visit The Village Course at Waikoloa on Hawaii's Big Island. This Robert Trent Jones Jr. -designed course offers views of the Kohala Coast and surrounding volcanoes. If you are new to the game, request a free fitting session and schedule a private lesson. Reserve a tee time by calling 808-883-9621 or visit them online.