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Understanding the Course Ratings and Handicap System at Champion Hills
Every 10 years golf clubs are required by the USGA to have their course re-rated. The re-rating of Champion Hills was completed recently and I want to take this time to communicate to our members what the new ratings are, what a course rating actually means and what its purpose is when related to competition. We also created 2 additional sets of mixed tees that will provide the members with more options, better fitting your golfing abilities and desires. The new ratings are as follows:
Men’s Ratings Tee Rating Slope Yardage Black/Burgundy 71.3 142 6398
Ladies Ratings Tee Rating Slope Yardage White/Green 72.2 139 5410
What does a course rating really mean? A course rating describes what a scratch golfer will shoot if he/she plays to their handicap and what any other golfer would shoot for a net score when playing to his/her course handicap. Think of the course rating as the “net goal” for your round. Par does not influence your handicap in any way.
How often should I play to my handicap? Answer: about a quarter of the time The USGA says your handicap reflects your “potential as a golfer.” Toward that end, your USGA handicap index is based on your best scores, using the 10 best of your last 20 scores to determine your handicap index. Course and slope ratings are used to convert each score into a number called a differential. A handicap differential has no bias to the set of tees you play. A handicap differential describes how good your round was compared to how a scratch golfer would play. The handicap formula takes the 10 best differentials, averages them and then multiplies by 96 percent. The USGA refers to this as the “bonus for excellence” because the reduction of 96 percent from a 30 course handicap is a lot more than 96 percent of a 3 course handicap. From this you can figure that you should play equal to or better than your handicap 24 percent of the time. You should play worse than your handicap 76 percent of the time. The USGA has more data. About half of your rounds will be 2-4 shots worse than your course handicap indicates. Another 25% of the scores will be in the “really bad” category. So when you say you can’t play to your USGA course handicap, you are right about three times in four. Also, when someone shows up for the Member-Guest and shoots a pair of 62’s, the USGA says this is (statistically) nearly impossible to accomplish.
What is USGA Handicap Rule 3-5 and why do we have to use it? Why adjust for the difference in course ratings in an event played from more than one set of tees at Champion Hills? Start with the course ratings. As mentioned above the course rating tells what a scratch golfer will shoot when he/she plays to that handicap. This means that a scratch male golfer should shoot about 70 when he plays the Champion Hills Burgundy/White Mixed Tees and a 69 when he plays the White Tees. The course ratings are 69.5 from the Burgundy/White and 68.9 from the White, a difference of .6. When a 10 handicap plays to their handicap from the Burgundy/White tees, he should shoot about a net 70. And from the White tees he should shoot a net 69. You can see the problem here. Net 69 beats Net 70 every time. The man who plays exactly to his handicap from the Burgundy/White will lose to the man who plays exactly to his handicap from the White every time. We must adjust handicaps for the difference in course ratings. A player at the White Tees will have his handicap reduced by one stroke when playing in an event against a player from the Burgundy/White Tees. This system is also used when playing a couples event. As you can see above, the ratings for men and women will differ even if a man and women are playing the same set of tees (Green for example).
What scores do I have to post? ALL OF THEM. You must post any score you make…It’s the law according to the USGA. At any course, home or away, stroke play or match play - As long as the USGA Rules of Golf apply. You must post even if you play winter rules or Lift-Clean and Place. You must post even if it is a team event even if you do not finish every hole (I will get to that in a moment). As long as you play at least 7 holes you must post a nine hole score; and if you play at least 13 holes you are obligated to post an 18 hole score. How do I record a score for an unfinished hole or for a hole not played? The USGA requires a golfer to post a “hole score” even when the player does not finish a hole or does not start a hole. The procedures are different because, in the first case a player already played at least one shot on a hole before picking up or not finishing a hole. In the second situation, a player does not step up to the tee. The unfinished hole (USGA Handicap System 4-1) – “If a player starts but does not complete a hole or is conceded a stroke, he will record the score he most likely would have made. The most likely score consists of the number of strokes that the player would need to complete the hole from that position more than half the time. The USGA handicap manual provides examples of ways for a player to determine this “most likely score.” The manual is available at www.usga.org/handicap. Section 5-2b describes posting scores if someone plays 13 to 17 holes: “If at least 13 holes are played, the remaining unplayed holes, for handicap purposes, shall be recorded as par plus any handicap strokes the player is entitled to receive on the unplayed holes.” If you are playing one afternoon when a thunderstorm stops you after 14 ½ holes, you apply both of the above rules. Because you have played part of the 15th hole, you use Section 4-1 and determine what score you most likely would have made (more than half the time) had you completed that hole. For holes 16 through 18, you apply Section 5-2, taking par plus any handicap strokes you would have received on those holes. If you are playing in a team format you apply the first scenario in the event that you pick up “because you cannot contribute on a particular hole.”
There may be times when the Golf/Handicap Committee chooses to not post scores. The committee has that right when considering certain formats/conditions.
What is Equitable Stroke Control? Equitable Stroke Control (ESC) is the USGA’s way of dealing with hole anomalies. It is the “downward adjustment of individual hole scores for handicap purposes.” The intent is to make each score you post more representative of your potential or ability. And because your handicap reflects your potential as a golfer (rather than some kind of average), any extra-large hole score needs to be reduced. Let’s say you are playing a round and making five on every hole. Then you take 10 on one hole before resuming your parade of scorecard fives. That “10” is not indicative of your talent, the USGA says, and should be reduced for handicap purposes. The amount you reduce the big-bad hole score depends on your course handicap. Let’s say you have a handicap index of 18.2 and you are playing a course with a slope rating of 120. Your course handicap for the day is 19. According to the chart below, the most you can post for any hole is a seven. So you change the 10 to 7 and subtract three strokes from your score for handicap purposes only. If you are playing in an event your score for the competition will obviously be your actual score. If your course handicap for the round was 24, then you would change the 10 to 8 and subtract two from your total before posting. You will make this reduction for any hole on which you take more than the maximum allowed you. Remember that this reduction is based on your course handicap. So if you have a course handicap of 19 for yesterday’s round and course handicap of 20 for today’s round, your hole maximum will change from seven to eight. If you have a single digit course handicap, your maximum is not described by a number but by double bogey on any hole. A few notes about using ESC. If you are playing in an event in which your course handicap is reduced (such as a partner event), you apply ESC using your original or full course handicap. Same thing is true if you play in an event which your course handicap is limited to a maximum number, such as 18. Use your full handicap in applying ESC. And if you have a nine-hole course handicap, you use the table below but cut the course handicap totals in half.
Course Handicap Maximum Number on Any Hole 9 Or less Double Bogey 10 through 19 7 20 thourgh 29 8 30 through 39 9 40 or more 10
This has been a lot of information to absorb and I have heard more than once why so many rules!?! It is simply to provide equitable and fun competition. If you do not abide by the guidelines set forth by the USGA you will not have an accurate handicap. This penalizes both yourself and your future playing partners. I hope this has helped you gain a better understanding of the handicap system and I encourage you to email or call me if you have any questions.
Jon Rector
Actual Tees
Mixed Tees (When Playing the Black/Burgundy play from Black Tees except where noted by Burgundy color)
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Local Rules of Play
All USGA Rules apply with exception to the following local rules:
All fences, inside edge of roads and driveways, and white stakes are out of bounds.
Preferred Lies are in effect November-April in which case a ball lying in the fairway may be lifted, cleaned, and placed within 6 inches of its original position no closer to the hole. Preferred lies are also in effect during the months of May-October either when carts are restricted to all paths or when the golf shop deems appropriate. Otherwise, during the months of May-October the ball shall be played as it lies.
All mulch walk paths and cart paths are played as obstructions. You may drop at the nearest point of relief and no closer to the hole. A ball lying in any other mulched area including flower beds must be played as it lies.
Any ball that lies in the seam or interface between where the mulch meets the grass may, without penalty, lift, clean, and place your ball in the mulch within six inches of the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole. The placement must be in the mulch.
There are 2 drop areas on #7 and #10 along with 1 drop area on #9.
Blue stakes identify environmentally sensitive areas. You must drop with no penalty at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole.
If a sprinkler head is within two club-lengths of the green and the player’s ball lies within two club-lengths of the sprinkler head, the player make take relief if the obstruction interferes with the intended line of play. The ball shall be lifted and dropped at the nearest point where it avoids interference.
Measurement devices can be used so long as they do not measure slope or wind.
Line of sight relief may be taken from the stone bridges on holes #15 and #16. If the bridge lies directly between your ball and your intended target you may drop without penalty at the nearest point of relief no closer to the hole and not in the hazard. Free relief is provided only for a ball not in the hazard.
Updated January 1, 2009
Please click the link below to view 23 animations of the most common rules of golf put together by the USGA. These are great videos that further explain the sometimes complicated rules.
http://www.usga.org/Album.aspx?id=24018#show=9204a91ba686448d9002530dd562a7d8
Good Afternoon Champion Hills,
For the past two years I have been exploring the option of utilizing online tee times. With my primary focus always being on member service, I have been reluctant to proceed with the idea so as not to take away from the personal touch that our staff can offer.
That was until I met with the management team from Foretees. After learning that over 400 private clubs in the
Members may now view the tee sheets and make tee times for the next 7 days, sign up for club events as well as daily groups, search your partners tee times, view your playing history, and communicate with other members very simply.
The Golf Staff will have the same capabilities as the members plus many additional functions that will again provide an unprecedented level of service here at Champion Hills.
In speaking with golf professionals at private, member owned clubs with similar demographics to Champion Hills, they are finding that 80% or more of their members are making tee times online as opposed to in person or over the phone. I want to stress however, that this is an added option for you and not the only option for making tee times. You can always call us just as you have in the past or feel free to make a tee time in person. The same policies will be in place (8:30 AM, 7 days in advance). Group times will also be blocked out in advance as we have been doing on paper. If you wish to sign up for a group you may do so online or by the same method you have been utilizing in the past.
I want to encourage everyone to give this service a try and if you have any problems please do not hesitate to call us and we can walk you through the simple process. Please find below an attachment that will provide step by step instructions for all of the services you have access to with Foretees.
Sincerely,
Jon Rector
Head Golf Professional
