Trevor Ng
Golf players are rated through a variety of ranking systems, such as the Course Rating System and the Official World Golf Ranking. The former evaluates the difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer (0 handicap) and a bogey golfer (handicap of around 20), while the latter ranks professional golfers based on their performance in individual tournaments over a rolling two-year period. The Slope Rating, which is part of the Course Rating System, measures how much harder a course is for non-scratch golfers. The higher the Slope and Course Ratings, the more difficult the golf course will play. These ratings are determined by experts from the local golf association, who consider various factors such as distance to hazards, green size, and bunker severity. The Official World Golf Ranking, on the other hand, calculates rankings by dividing a golfer's points total by the number of events played, with players then ranked according to their average scores, highest first.
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Official World Golf Ranking
The Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) is a system for rating the performance of professional golfers. It was introduced in 1986 and is calculated weekly. The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments over a rolling two-year period.
The first step in the calculation is the ranking of each event. Most events are ranked based on the current world rankings of the participating golfers and the involvement of the leading golfers from the "home tour". A ""world rating value" is calculated, with any golfer in the world's top 200 being given a rating value. The world number one is allocated 45, number two is given 37, and number three 32, down to those ranked between 101 and 200 who are allocated a rating value of 1 each.
A "home tour rating value" is also calculated. The leading 30 golfers from the previous year's "home tour" are given rating values. Most tours use earnings lists for their top 30, but the PGA Tour currently uses the FedEx points list calculated after the playoffs. The total home tour rating value is limited to 75% of the world rating value. The world rating value and home tour rating value are added together to give a "Strength of Field" value, which is then converted into an event ranking.
Once the event ranking has been calculated, the ranking points for the players in that event can be determined. The winner's ranking points are the same as the ranking of the event, so major winners get 100 ranking points. The second-place golfer gets 60% of this amount, 40% for third, 30% for fourth, 24% for fifth, down to 14% for 10th, 7% for 20th, 3.5% for 40th, and 1.5% for 60th. Players who tie for a position share the points for those positions.
The OWGR is used as one of the qualifying criteria for entry into several leading tournaments.
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Course rating
The difficulty of a golf course is quantified using the Course Rating System. The course rating is posted on the scorecard of the course and indicates how difficult the course is for a "par" or "scratch" golfer. For example, a course with a par of 72 may have a course rating of 71.4, indicating that a scratch golfer is expected to shoot around 71.4. The number goes up with the difficulty of the course.
The course rating is determined by experts from the local golf association who inspect every aspect of the course, including the distances to hazards, the size and contours of the greens, the severity of bunkers, and hundreds of other variables. All of this information is then fed into an algorithm, which generates the Course Rating.
The course rating is distinct from the slope rating, which takes into account the relative difficulty for players who are not scratch golfers. The slope rating creates a ratio of how much harder the course is for non-scratch golfers. For instance, a course with a slope rating of 121 would be 7% harder for non-scratch golfers compared to a course with a slope rating of 113, which plays the same for any golfer.
The course rating and slope rating are both important factors in determining a golfer's handicap. The USGA provides a course handicap calculator to assist golfers in determining their handicap for a particular course.
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Slope rating
Golf is a challenging sport, and some rounds are easier than others. The skill and experience of the player are factors, but so is the difficulty of the course. The difficulty of a golf course can be measured using the Course Rating System. The scorecard of the course being played will display both the Course and Slope Ratings, assuming the course has undergone the rating process.
The Course Rating System's Slope Rating measures the difficulty of a golf course. The higher the Slope Rating, the more difficult the golf course will be to play. The Slope Rating, which ranges from 55 to 155, is intended to determine the relative difficulty of a course for a high versus low handicap golfer. A standard Slope Rating in golf is 113, and a rating of over 130 will generally be difficult for the mid-handicap golfer.
The Slope Rating takes into account the course's effective playing length and 10 obstacle factors for each hole, such as topography, lateral obstacles, and bunkers. Each set of tee boxes at a given course will have its own Slope Rating, as the difficulty will vary if playing from the longer back versus the front tees.
Calculating the Slope Rating is straightforward with some basic math. The Course Rating is the expected score for a scratch golfer (0 handicap) over 18 holes, to the nearest decimal point. The Bogey Rating is the expected score for a bogey golfer (handicap index of 18). All of this information is then plugged into an algorithm, which generates the Course Rating and the Bogey Rating, both of which are needed to determine the Slope Rating.
The Slope Rating creates a ratio of how much harder the course is for non-scratch golfers. A slope of 113 means the course plays the same for any golfer. For example, if a course has a 121 slope rating, it creates a ratio of 121/113. That means it's 7% harder for non-scratch golfers. So, if a player has a 20 handicap index and plays a course rated as a 72, their handicap for that course would be increased by 7% to a 21.
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Bogey rating
Golf players are rated based on a Course Rating System. The course rating is the average score a scratch golfer (handicap of 0) is expected to achieve on a particular course. The slope rating, on the other hand, indicates the level of difficulty a bogey golfer would face compared to a scratch golfer.
The Bogey Rating is a numerical value assigned to a golf course, indicating the level of difficulty for a bogey golfer. It is calculated using the Course Rating and the Slope Rating. The Bogey Yardage Rating and the Bogey Obstacle Rating are summed up to obtain the Bogey Rating. The Bogey Yardage Rating is calculated by dividing the course yardage by 160 and then adding 50.7. The Bogey Obstacle Rating is based on 11 factors, weighted differently for each hole, and the sum of these factors for all 18 holes is multiplied by 0.26, and then 11.5 is subtracted.
The Bogey Rating is then used to calculate the Slope Rating, which represents the increased difficulty a bogey golfer would face compared to a scratch golfer. The difference between the Bogey Rating and the Course Rating is multiplied by 5.381 (for male golfers) to obtain the Slope Rating. This final number is the target score for a Bogey Golfer.
While the Bogey Rating and the Slope Rating are interesting to know, they are not particularly useful for casual golfers. However, some golfers find value in knowing the Bogey Rating as it gives them an idea of what score to expect, based on the USGA's expectations for a bogey golfer.
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Home tour rating
The performance level of professional golfers is rated through the Official World Golf Ranking, which was started in 1986. The rankings are based on a player's position in individual tournaments over a "rolling" two-year period, with new rankings calculated each week.
The first stage in the calculation is the ranking of each event. The ranking of an event depends on the current world rankings of the participating golfers and the participation of the leading golfers from the "home tour". A "world rating value" is calculated, with any golfer currently ranked in the world's top 200 being given a rating value. The world number one is allocated 45, the number two is allocated 37, and so on, down to those ranked between 101 and 200, who are allocated a rating value of 1 each.
A "home tour rating value" is also calculated. The leading 30 golfers from the previous year's "home tour" are given rating values. Most tours use earnings lists for their top 30, but the PGA Tour currently uses the FedEx points list calculated after the playoffs. The home tour number one is allocated 8, down to 16 to 30, who are allocated a rating value of 1 each. The total home tour rating value is limited to 75% of the world rating value.
The world rating value and home tour rating value are added together to give a "Strength of Field" value. This is then converted into an event ranking. For example, a strength of field value of 100 converts to an event ranking of 24.
Once the event ranking has been calculated, the ranking points of the players for that event can be calculated. The winner's ranking points are the same as the ranking of the event, so that major winners get 100 ranking points. The second-place golfer gets 60% of this amount, 40% for third, 30% for fourth, 24% for fifth, down to 14% for 10th, 7% for 20th, 3.5% for 40th, down to 1.5% for 60th. Players tied for a position share the points for those positions.
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Frequently asked questions
Golf players are rated based on their performance in individual tournaments. The Official World Golf Ranking is a system that rates the performance level of professional golfers. Players are ranked according to their average performance, with the highest-ranked first. The rankings are calculated each week over a rolling two-year period, with a maximum of 52 tournaments.
The ranking of each event is calculated first, taking into account the world rankings of the participating golfers and the leading golfers from the "home tour". A "world rating value" and a "home tour rating value" are calculated and added together to give a "Strength of Field" value, which is then converted into an event ranking.
The difficulty of a golf course is measured by its Slope Rating and Course Rating. The higher the ratings, the more difficult the course. The Course Rating is the expected score of a scratch golfer (0 handicap) on the course. The Slope Rating then measures how much harder the course is for non-scratch golfers, taking into account the impact of course length and hazards on players with higher handicaps.
