Course rating calculator
This course rating calculator estimates the course rating, bogey rating and slope rating of a golf course from its length. Official ratings come from a trained team walking every hole, but their starting point is plain arithmetic on the yardage, and that is what this tool gives you.
Course rating = (effective length ÷ 220) + 40.9 + obstacle strokes
The men's scratch formula. For women: ÷ 180, + 40.1.Course rating calculator: enter the course length
Enter the length of the course from one set of tees. You get the yardage-based course rating, bogey rating and slope rating. Add obstacle strokes for a closer figure.
What is a course rating in golf?
A course rating is the score a scratch golfer is expected to shoot from a set of tees in normal conditions. It is given to one decimal place, such as 71.4, and it is the figure your scores are measured against for handicap purposes. Every set of tees has its own course rating for men and for women.
How to use the course rating calculator
- Choose whether the rating is for men or women.
- Enter the total length of the course from one set of tees, in yards or metres.
- Add obstacle strokes if you know them, or leave both at 0.
- Read the estimated course rating, bogey rating and slope rating.
Course rating formula
| Yardage rating | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|
| Course rating (scratch golfer) | length ÷ 220 + 40.9 | length ÷ 180 + 40.1 |
| Bogey rating (bogey golfer) | length ÷ 160 + 50.7 | length ÷ 120 + 51.3 |
Raters then add or subtract obstacle strokes for ten factors on every hole: topography, fairway width, green target, rough and recoverability, bunkers, crossing obstacles, lateral obstacles, trees, green surface and psychology.
Course rating calculation example
A course measures 6,419 yards from the men's tees. The course rating from yardage is 6,419 ÷ 220 + 40.9 = 70.1. The bogey rating is 6,419 ÷ 160 + 50.7 = 90.8. The slope rating is the gap between the two before rounding, 20.74, multiplied by 5.381. That is 111.6, which rounds to 112, a shade under the standard of 113.
Effective playing length and course rating
Raters do not use the card yardage as it stands. They adjust it for roll, elevation change, doglegs and forced lay-ups, prevailing wind and altitude. A course that plays firm and downhill is rated as shorter than it measures.
Course rating calculator FAQs
How is a golf course rating calculated?
By dividing the effective playing length by 220 for men or 180 for women, adding a constant, and then adjusting for obstacles. The course rating calculator above does the yardage part and lets you add the obstacle strokes.
Is course rating the same as par?
No. Par is a target set hole by hole. Course rating is a measured difficulty, to one decimal place, and is often a stroke or two either side of par.
Who decides the official course rating?
Your national or regional golf association, using trained rating teams. Courses are re-rated at least every ten years, or sooner after major changes.
How accurate is a course rating from yardage alone?
Usually within a stroke or two. Open, forgiving courses come in below the yardage figure, and tight courses with water and heavy rough come in above it.