Course Ratings happen quietly in the background, but its impact is felt by every golfer, every day. They provide the foundation for fair handicapping, equitable tournament play, and consistent competition across all skill levels.
While your Provincial Golf Association is responsible for conducting and issuing Course and Slope Ratings, it’s valuable to understand how the process works and why it matters.
Understanding Course Rating and Slope Rating
Course Rating and Slope Rating might not be something golfers think about every day, but they shape the fairness and accuracy of play at your club.
- Course Rating measures the difficulty of the course for a scratch golfer (a player with a handicap of 0) under normal playing conditions.
- Bogey Rating measures the difficulty of the course for a bogey golfer (a player with a Handicap Index of approximately 20.0 -24.0). The Bogey Rating is not commonly promoted but is essential when calculating the Slope Rating.
- Slope Rating compares the relative difficulty for a bogey golfer versus a scratch golfer. It is effectively the slope of the line (rise/run) between the Course & Bogey Ratings when plotted on a graph.
Together, these ratings are core components of the World Handicap System, ensuring golfers of different skill levels can compete equitably.
How and When Course Ratings Are Conducted
Course Ratings are administered by trained volunteers from your Provincial Golf Association using standardized procedures from the World Handicap System.
- Ratings are valid for up to 10 years, but most courses are re-rated on an 8–9 year schedule.
- A re-rating is triggered sooner if major changes occur—such as altering yardages, redesigning holes, adding or removing hazards, or making substantial modifications to greens, bunkers, or tee boxes.
During a rating visit (or part of a pre-rating visit), teams:
- Measure and verify yardages for each tee
- Rate each tee for both genders (for both the scratch and bogey golfer)
- Consider factors that impact the effective playing length of the hole, including elevation, roll and doglegs/forced layups.
- Analyze landing zones based on shot distance and accuracy patterns and assess how obstacles affect difficulty.
- Assess obstacles, including bunkers, water hazards, rough, trees, penalty areas, and green speed.
Preparing for a Course Rating Visit & What to Expect Afterwards
Club staff play a key role in supporting a successful rating process. Ahead of the visit:
- Your Provincial Association or a Course Rating Team Leader will reach out to verify information about the course, which could include:
- Any changes made to the course since the last rating,
- Course maintenance practices (mower heights, watering schedules, etc.).
- A date will be scheduled for the Course Rating Team to visit the course (this may also include a pre-visit where initial measurements are collected).
Once the rating is completed:
- The Course & Slope Rating will be calculated for each set of tees (for each gender).
- These ratings are reviewed by the Course Rating Team and Provincial Golf Associations before being released to the club.
- The Golf Canada Score Centre is updated with the new ratings
- As part of the Course Rating process, you will also have access to recommended Stroke Index Allocations, which are based on Course Rating data.
Why Accurate Ratings Matter to Your Club
Course maintenance practices can impact the accuracy of the Course & Slope Ratings, so it is important for course set up and conditions to reflect the normal conditions as much as possible. Any significant differences should be communicated to the Provincial Golf Associations to determine if an adjustment is required.
Accurate Course and Slope Ratings are more than just numbers—they’re the foundation for fairness, trust, and compliance:
- They ensure handicaps reflect true playing ability, and that a Handicap Index is portable for competition outside of your club.
- Helps Maintain fairness and credibility in tournaments
- Your club stays in good standing with your Provincial Golf Association and the World Handicap System.
If you have questions or concerns regarding your Course & Slope Ratings —or think a re-rating might be necessary—contact your Provincial Association for guidance, clarification and next steps.
