Whats the process for determining a courses Slope Rating?
I assume it’s based on perfect weather and course conditions — yet I’m expected to play the course in a storm, wind or bad conditions. — David Smith, Scottsdale A: There are some things in life that are so complex that, rather than try to figure them out, it’s better just to take a large swig of blind faith. The Golf Guru feels that way about flying. If you really thought about it — hurtling through the sky in a hollow metal tube — you’d never get on the damn plane. Similarly, you don’t need to know why or how the Slope system works, just that it does, more or less. But in brief, here’s what happens. Your state golf association sends a team of four raters to each course. They follow a USGA guide to assess how difficult the course is for scratch golfers, looking at each hole, its hazards and length. This is the Course Rating. At the same time, they rate the course for the average player, too, the “bogey golfer,” taking into account how those same obstacles play for the likes of you
