Golf Glossary
Course Rating
In short
The Course Rating is the evaluation of a golf course for a scratch golfer, a player with a handicap of 0. It states how many strokes this player is expected to need for a round under normal conditions, to one decimal place. Every tee on a course has its own Course Rating, and the value feeds into the handicap calculation.
What is the Course Rating in golf?
Every golf course is different. Holes vary in length, and there is more or less water, bunkers and narrow fairways. To keep handicaps comparable everywhere, every course is rated. The Course Rating is the first of the two numbers that result.
It answers a simple question: how many strokes does a very good player, a so-called scratch golfer, need on this course? A Course Rating of 71.2 means that under normal course and weather conditions a scratch golfer can expect to take around 71 strokes. The value is given in tenths of a stroke.
The scratch golfer is a calculation reference. A handicap of 0 stands for a very good amateur who plays to about the Course Rating of a course. For beginners the Course Rating is therefore a yardstick, not a target. Your own score will almost always be well above it.
How is the Course Rating determined?
Trained raters measure and assess the course on site. The worldwide Course Rating System, which the DGV applies in Germany, works with two building blocks.
The first is effective playing length. The length of every hole is measured and then adjusted, for example for roll, elevation changes, doglegs and places where a player has to lay up. A 400-metre hole with a strong downhill slope plays shorter than a flat hole of the same length.
The second building block is ten obstacle factors that are assessed for every hole. They include topography, the fairway, the green target, recoverability and rough, bunkers, crossing obstacles, lateral obstacles, trees, the green surface and the psychological effect of the hole.
The Course Rating follows from playing length and obstacles. It is determined separately for every tee, usually also separately for men and women. If the course changes significantly, for example through new tees, it has to be rated again. Apart from that, according to the DGV, ratings are reviewed at regular intervals of roughly 8 to 10 years.
Course Rating and par: why the numbers differ
The par of a course is the sum of the par values of all holes, usually 72 on 18 holes. The Course Rating can differ from it. It can be lower, for example 70.3, or higher, for example 73.1.
A Course Rating below par means the course is slightly easier for a scratch golfer than par suggests. A value above par means it is harder. Par only tells you how the holes are classified. The Course Rating describes how hard they really are to play.
The difference matters in the handicap calculation. In the playing handicap you receive on a course, the gap between Course Rating and par is included. If the Course Rating is 0.8 below par, for instance, 0.8 strokes are taken off your playing handicap before rounding. The course is easier for a scratch golfer, so you receive slightly fewer strokes.
Course Rating, Slope Rating and Bogey Rating compared
The Course Rating is always quoted together with the Slope Rating. Both describe the difficulty of a course, but for different players.
- Course Rating: expected score for a scratch golfer (handicap 0).
- Bogey Rating: expected score for a bogey golfer, a player with a handicap of about 20 for men and about 24 for women.
- Slope Rating: a measure of how much harder the course is for the bogey golfer than for the scratch golfer.
The Slope Rating ranges from 55 to 155. A course of average difficulty has a Slope Rating of 113. A higher value means that players with a higher handicap lose more strokes on this course compared with scratch golfers.
An example: two courses have the same Course Rating of 72.0. Course A has a slope of 110, course B a slope of 135. For a scratch golfer both are equally hard. A player with a handicap of 30 receives clearly more strokes on course B, because water, bunkers and small greens affect him more.
Formulas: how the handicap system uses the Course Rating
The Course Rating appears in two formulas. You do not apply either yourself, as the software calculates automatically, but knowing the principle helps.
First, the Score Differential that results from your round: Score Differential = (113 / Slope Rating) × (adjusted gross score − Course Rating − PCC)
Example: you post an adjusted gross score of 96 on a course with a Course Rating of 71.2 and a slope of 128, with a PCC of 0. The PCC is the daily adjustment for unusual conditions, in Germany according to the DGV only for players up to a Handicap Index of 26.4. Result: (113 / 128) × (96 − 71.2) = 0.883 × 24.8 = 21.9.
Second, the Course Handicap for a course: Course Handicap = Handicap Index × (Slope Rating / 113) + (Course Rating − Par)
Example: Handicap Index 21.5, Course Rating 71.2, slope 128, par 72. Result: 21.5 × 128 / 113 = 24.35, plus 71.2 − 72 = −0.8, gives 23.55, rounded to 24 strokes.
The higher the Course Rating, the lower the Score Differential of your round. On a hard course the same score is therefore rated better than on an easy one.
Course Rating on 9-hole courses: a worked example
Nine-hole courses have a Course Rating too. It is a separate value for nine holes, not a halved 18-hole value. For the playing handicap over nine holes, the Handicap Index is halved.
Formula: Course Handicap (9 holes) = (Handicap Index / 2) × (Slope Rating / 113) + (Course Rating − Par)
As an example take the 9-hole course that the Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg operates as its Black Course. According to the published Course Rating table, men have a Course Rating of 31.0 with a slope of 100 and women a Course Rating of 31.9 with a slope of 116, at par 33. The values currently valid on site always take precedence.
For men with a Handicap Index of 30.0 this gives: 30.0 / 2 = 15.0. Then 15.0 × 100 / 113 = 13.27. Add 31.0 − 33 = −2.0. Result 11.27, rounded to 11 strokes. For women with a Handicap Index of 30.0: 15.0 × 116 / 113 = 15.40. Add 31.9 − 33 = −1.1. Result 14.30, rounded to 14 strokes.
This shows how Course Rating, Slope Rating and par work together.
Where do I find the Course Rating? Tips and common mistakes
The Course Rating is usually printed on the scorecard, shown at the tee or posted in a table in the clubhouse. Many facilities also show the playing handicap for every handicap there, so you do not need to calculate anything. The table is also published on many club websites.
Common mistakes with the Course Rating:
- Confusing the Course Rating with par. The two numbers can differ on the course.
- Using the rating of a different tee. Each tee colour has its own values.
- Mixing up the values for men and women.
- Taking the Course Rating as a measure of the difficulty for you. It applies to the scratch golfer. The difficulty for you is shown by the Slope Rating.
An easy course gives no advantage for your handicap. Course Rating and Slope Rating take the difficulty into account, so the same performance produces roughly the same Score Differential on any course. All that matters is that the round is played as a qualifying round. Only then does the score count for your Handicap Index.
Try it at Golf Lounge
You can play the 9-hole course of the Golf Lounge Resort Hamburg, the Black Course, with the DGV Platzreife. It has par 33. According to the published Course Rating table, men have a Course Rating of 31.0 with a slope of 100 and women 31.9 with a slope of 116. The values currently valid on site take precedence. The course is open from April to December, with one to four players per booking. From May to October there is a handicap-qualifying 9-hole competition every Saturday.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Course Rating in golf?
The Course Rating states how many strokes a scratch golfer, a player with a handicap of 0, is expected to need on a course under normal conditions. It is given to one decimal place and applies to a specific tee, usually separately for men and women.
What is the difference between Course Rating and Slope Rating?
The Course Rating applies to the scratch golfer and is an expected score in strokes, for example 71.2. The Slope Rating shows how much harder the course is for bogey golfers and ranges from 55 to 155. The standard value is 113. Together the two numbers make handicaps comparable on all courses.
What does a Course Rating of 72.5 mean?
A Course Rating of 72.5 means that a scratch golfer is expected to average 72.5 strokes from that tee under normal conditions. At par 72 it is half a stroke above par, so the course is slightly harder for good players than par suggests.
Where can I find the Course Rating of my course?
It is usually on the scorecard, on a board at the tee or in a table in the clubhouse or on the facility's website. You will also find the Slope Rating there and often the finished playing handicap for each handicap. Check the right tee colour and whether the values apply to men or women.
How is the Course Rating used in the handicap?
It appears in the formula for the Score Differential that results from your round and in the formula for the playing handicap. A higher Course Rating lowers the Score Differential of your round. A Course Rating above par raises your playing handicap on that course.
As of: October 2026