Golf Course Ratings - what is 'slope'?

Question

Looking at course ratings/descriptions...
I understand that the yardage is the number of yards from the tee box to the center of the green. (championship, member, forward tees)

I understand that the par number is the total par for the 9 or 18 hole round.

What I don't get is 'slope'. I saw courses with similar total PAR ratings, with different 'slope' scores. The lower slope seemed to have shorter yardages -- but that wasn't always the case.

Answer 1

Course rating is what a scratch golfer should expect to score. Slope ranges from 55 to 155, with 113 as average, evaluating the difficulty of the course for a bogey golfer. On a par 72 course with slope 113, an 18 handicapper would expect to average score 90. Factors include layout, hazards, length, course conditions, green size and slope, etc. If the slope was 130 on the same course, the score will probably be higher. There is no scale to rate additional strokes to higher slope.

Answer 2

Course rating is for scratch golfers and is usually right around the same number as par for the course. Above par course rating means the course is harder than average and below par rating means the course is easier than average.

Slope applies to bogey or worse golfers. Same principal though. Higher the slope = harder course. Lower the slope = easier course. I saw somewhere the average slope = 113, maximum = 155.

I've played courses with 135-140 slope ratings and you can easily tell that those courses are harder than average.

Answer 3

slope somehow factors in the difficulty of the course. They used to have simply a course rating (near par) but slope factors in many variables. Someone here will give you a good answer.

Answer 4

Its the rating of slope changes.

Answer 5

go to about .com and search for golf