Course Rankings by Slope Rating

prawnsambo

paulos53 wrote: »

The reason some courses have higher slope ratings than expected for their difficulty is because slope rating is not a very good indicator of course difficulty


From the FAQs on golfnet

That's actually funny. "No it's not a measure of difficulty, but the difference in difficulty between two different grades of player"

CalamariFritti

prawnsambo wrote: »

The highest slope rating available under WHS is 155 afaik, the lowest is 55.

Highest I've come across so far is Mount Juliet at 142 on the back tees.

And I'd say Mt Juliet off the back tees would be quite beastly. Never played it from there, I find it tough enough off the whites.

gypsy79

Club|Slope Rating|Par|Course Rating
Elmgreen|122|70|69.5
Corballis |112|66|65.5

prawnsambo

CalamariFritti wrote: »

And I'd say Mt Juliet off the back tees would be quite beastly. Never played it from there, I find it tough enough off the whites.

Can you think of another one that would be equally hard or harder? I've looked at some of the links courses like RCD, Portrush, Ballyliffin, Lahinch and they're lower.

gypsy79

prawnsambo wrote: »

Can you think of another one that would be equally hard or harder? I've looked at some of the links courses like RCD, Portrush, Ballyliffin, Lahinch and they're lower.

The European!

But it is 2 part

So the extra difficulty for it for a bogie golfer would be

(75.9 - 71) + [(135/113) * 18 - 18] = 4.9 + 3.5 = 8.6

versus Mount Juliet

(75.6 - 72) + [(142/113) * 18 - 18] = 3.6 + 4.6 = 8.2

So using both parts of the equation the European is a more difficult golf course than Mount Juliet for a bogie golfer

prawnsambo

gypsy79 wrote: »

The European!

But it is 2 part

So the extra difficulty for it for a bogie golfer would be

(75.9 - 71) + [(135/113) * 18 - 18] = 4.9 + 3.5 = 8.6

versus Mount Juliet

(75.6 - 72) + [(142/113) * 18 - 18] = 3.6 + 4.6 = 8.2

So using both parts of the equation the European is a more difficult golf course than Mount Juliet for a bogie golfer

Well actually Portmarnock comes in as the highest I've found so far. They've a bewildering collection of tees/courses, but Blue - Red/Blue at 77.1 and 146 looks like the hardest. But there's also Red - Blue at 78 and 144.


I take the simplistic approach with difficulty. If it has a higher slope rating, then I'll get a higher handicap. If it were easier I'd have less shots.

gypsy79

prawnsambo wrote: »

Well actually Portmarnock comes in as the highest I've found so far. They've a bewildering collection of tees/courses, but Blue - Red/Blue at 77.1 and 146 looks like the hardest. But there's also Red - Blue at 78 and 144.


I take the simplistic approach with difficulty. If it has a higher slope rating, then I'll get a higher handicap. If it were easier I'd have less shots.

Yes but you got to remember that the course rating is now what your handicap will be calculated off

CalamariFritti

prawnsambo wrote: »

Can you think of another one that would be equally hard or harder? I've looked at some of the links courses like RCD, Portrush, Ballyliffin, Lahinch and they're lower.

I dont know. I only played half a dozen links and only one of them more than once or twice. None of the ones that people say are really difficult like Lahinch or European. The ones I played I found playable enough. Not beating my handicap first time out but not coming home thinking wow that was scary either.

I have gaps on my parkland cv too.

Toughest I played is probably Mt Juliet. Heritage was a slog too in damp November weather.

Edit: I'm not wrong. Just looked The Heritage up and it has 147. Off the whites still 142.

prawnsambo

gypsy79 wrote: »

Yes but you got to remember that the course rating is now what your handicap will be calculated off

Only after you play the course. I'll already have been given (or taken) shots on my handicap based on the slope rating. The effect on my handicap index will also be affected by the slope rating - the higher it is, the lower my score differential - this is also affected by the course rating. But the slope rating has the most effect - on course handicap and on your handicap index after you play.

In theory, that calculation is supposed to 'balance out' the difference in difficulty so that you end up (if you play roughly to your handicap) with a relatively stable handicap index.

xgronkjabv6pcl

CalamariFritti wrote: »

I dont know. I only played half a dozen links and none of the ones that I am told are really difficult like Lahinch or European. The ones I played I found playable enough.

I have gaps on my parkland cv too.

Toughest I played is probably Mt Juliet and Heritage was a slog too in damp November weather.

I found the Heritage very difficult a few months ago off green I believe, very tough wind. Difficult course all round.

Bunclody tough off the back tees, decent difference between their tees of 134/130/126.

I think The Curragh is seems a little low @127 off the back. I expected it to be a little higher in light of some ratings I've seen.

prawnsambo

Hadlee Pitiful Mind wrote: »

I found the Heritage very difficult a few months ago off green I believe, very tough wind. Difficult course all round.

Bunclody tough off the back tees, decent difference between their tees of 134/130/126.

I think The Curragh is seems a little low @127 off the back. I expected it to be a little higher in light of some ratings I've seen.

The Heritage is 147/142/139 - 76.7/74.7/73.1. Although par is different too - 74/72/71. Greens are the lowest.

So The Heritage is the highest in the country now. Any advance on 147?

CalamariFritti

Hadlee Pitiful Mind wrote: »

This rating is interesting. I had a discussion a few weeks ago regarding Faithlegg vs Tramore in terms of difficulty.

My own opinion as a higher handicapper was that Faithlegg was more difficult for me.

I felt I put myself in more difficult spots in Faithlegg. They were in total disagreement that Tramore was much more difficult.

No reference to tees at all.

IMO there isn't much between Tramore and Faithlegg in terms of difficulty but I would have tended towards Tramore. Which makes sense since I never played Faithlegg off the back tees.
I think Tramore is the better course especially the greens and bunkers. Faithlegg bunkers are quite shallow and easy.

xgronkjabv6pcl

CalamariFritti wrote: »

IMO there isn't much between Tramore and Faithlegg in terms of difficulty but I would have tended towards Tramore. Which makes sense since I never played Faithlegg off the back tees.
I think Tramore is the better course especially the greens and bunkers. Faithlegg bunkers are quite shallow and easy.

I can understand why, I just find Faithlegg has a few spots that get you into quite a bit of trouble. Again possibly a higher handicapper view.

No comparison in greens anyway, I doubt anyone could claim otherwise. I might play Tramore tomorrow so I’ll keep an eye on bunkers, Just not something that has been particularly apparent in the past.

CalamariFritti

Hadlee Pitiful Mind wrote: »

I can understand why, I just find Faithlegg has a few spots that get you into quite a bit of trouble. Again possibly a higher handicapper view.

No comparison in greens anyway, I doubt anyone could claim otherwise. I might play Tramore tomorrow so I’ll keep an eye on bunkers, Just not something that has been particularly apparent in the past.

At the moment all bunkers are easy cos special covid rules are in place. No raking atm (like in most other places?) but you can place within 6 inches not nearer the hole and not cleaning the ball. Basically that means you're allowed to tee it up.
Remember that if you play tomorrow especially since its open singles.

But apart from covid Tramore bunkers are different to Faithlegg. Many Faithless bunkers are so shallow its just a chip out. In Tramore you often cant see the player once he's climbed in there.

fullstop

prawnsambo wrote: »

The highest slope rating available under WHS is 155 afaik, the lowest is 55.

Highest I've come across so far is Mount Juliet at 142 on the back tees.

Killeen Castle 144 off blacks.

Bizarrely Sandy Hills is only 127. European Club is 136. Not sure I agree with those.

Table updated in original post. Will update it every day or so with new information provided.

xgronkjabv6pcl

Exactly wrote: »

Club|Slope Rating|Par|Course Rating
The Heritage|147|74|76.7
Faithlegg|137|72|73.2
Castleknock|135|72|73.9
Co. Meath|135|73|73.4
Tramore|135|73|73
Birr|134|70|72.3
Balbriggan|127|72|72.4
Royal Curragh|127|72|71.7
Castlebar|126|72|71.4
Elmgreen|122|70|69.5
Corballis|112|66|65.5

Faithlegg included

*added Curragh too, play it frequently

CalamariFritti

Nice job, thanks. Tramore par is 72 btw not 73.

Also since it came up quite a bit Mt Juliet and my personal favourite Fota

Club|Slope Rating|Par|Course Rating
Mt Juliet|142|72|75.6
Fota Island|131|71|73.5

Mantis Toboggan

Craddockstown 72.4 slope 128 par 72

TheRoomWrecker

Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links - Par 71 Slope 132 course rating 75.2

youcancallmeal

So is course rating almost like average standard scratch? It seems like it is when I look at the course ratings for Stackstown. For competitions cottage course standard scratch is nearly always 70(Par 71) and gate course is usually 72(Par 72)


Club|Slope Rating|Par|Course Rating
Stackstown Cottage|125|71|70.0
Stackstown Gate|128|72|71.8

prawnsambo

youcancallmeal wrote: »

So is course rating almost like average standard scratch? It seems like it is when I look at the course ratings for Stackstown. For competitions cottage course standard scratch is nearly always 70(Par 71) and gate course is usually 72(Par 72)


Club|Slope Rating|Par|Course Rating
Stackstown Cottage|125|71|70.0
Stackstown Gate|128|72|71.8

Well it depends on whether you're talking about CSS or SSS. SSS very seldom changes - basically when the course is officially rated. CSS is different every time a competition is played. I'd be more inclined to the view that course rating is close to SSS as they are assessed on the same basis - the scratch golfer. The only difference being that course rating is expressed to one decimal place and SSS is an integer.

tonc76

Club Youghal

Slope Rating 131

Par 71

Course Rating 72.1

prawnsambo

Club|Slope Rating |Par | Course Rating
Fermoy Blue|136|70|70.8
Fermoy White|135|70|70.1
Fermoy Green|130|70|68.1


Just looked that up as I'm thinking of playing there next week.

Dbu

Douglas
72 132 72.9

redzerdrog

Seapoint

Slope 129

Par72

Course 75.1

Golfgraffix

TheRoomWrecker wrote: »

Portmarnock Hotel Golf Links - Par 71 Slope 132 course rating 75.2

Is that blues? Or have they updated it ?

mike12

Looking at this table is it saying Castleknock and the European are the same difficulty.

Ollieboy

Corrstown River/Meadow from Blues as a slope rating of 137 par 72 course rating 73.5

And whites 133.

BigChap1759

St Margarets slope 136 par 73 cr 73.9