Member Clubs A Ratings Crash Course
How the VSGA rates your favorite golf course by MICHAEL WALDER
“ WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING ?” I have been asked that question more times than I can count while conducting a course rating . Why ? Because a group of men and women dressed alike , equipped with rangefinders and stopping several times over the course of a hole to look around and take notes is not something you normally see at your local golf course .
So , to help answer the question above , I am going to provide some insight into how a Course Rating™ and Slope Rating™ is determined .
Let ’ s start with timing . The VSGA is licensed by the USGA to perform course ratings in the commonwealth of Virginia . It is one of the core services we provide to our member clubs . A rating is only valid for 10 years , so we visit each golf course on an eight-year cycle to ensure it remains in compliance . If a golf course undergoes a major renovation or other significant changes , we will visit it sooner . And since a new golf course can change in its first years after construction , we will re-rate it within five years of its initial rating date .
Next is the makeup of our team . The VSGA ’ s course rating program is dependent on the hard work and dedication of its volunteers . There are more than 50 men and women who assist the VSGA
In Virginia alone , we feature courses in the mountains with elevation changes and uneven terrain , and courses along the coast with lots of water and sand . The Course Rating System™ addresses all these elements .
staff in conducting course ratings across the state . Without their time and expertise , we would not be able to rate an average of 40 golf courses per year . All the VSGA ’ s volunteers and staff who rate courses have been trained in course rating procedures and have attended either a USGA Calibration Seminar or an annual VSGA workshop . At a typical rating , we will have six to eight raters participate .
Pre-rating preparation is important . Several weeks before our visit , we will contact the club to gain an understanding of the grass types , average rough height , and average green speeds for midseason play . In addition , we will get a list of tees to be rated for men and women . Different shot lengths are used for male and female golfers when rating a course , so a set of tees rated for both men and women will yield different results .
Golf is different from other sports — it isn ’ t played on a standard size court or field . In Virginia alone , we feature courses in the mountains with elevation changes and uneven terrain , and courses along the coast with lots of water and sand . The Course Rating System™ addresses all these elements and provides us with an accurate depiction of a course ’ s difficulty as well as the number of strokes a player will receive based on their Handicap Index ®. When rating a golf course , our teams are evaluating its difficulty for a scratch player and a bogey player . In the Course Rating System™ , a scratch player has a Handicap Index ® of 0.0 while a bogey player has a Handicap Index ® of approximately 20.0 for men and 24.0 for women . The Course Rating™ reflects the playing difficulty for the scratch player under normal course and weather con-
WORLD HANDICAP SYSTEM™
10 V IRGINIA G OLFER | M AY / J UNE 2022
vsga . org