Endwell Greens Golf Club 3675 Sally Piper Rd, Endwell NY 13760
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| Course Handicap This is the number of strokes allotted to you for the particular course you're playing, based on its relative difficulty. Your index and the slope of th tees you play from determine your course handicap. Most pro shops have a chart that does the conversion for you. Or you can simply multiply your handicap index by the slope and divide that number by 113. For example, if your index is 26.4 and you're playing from tees with a slope of 120, your course handicap is 28 (26.4 x 120 / 113). The average golfer plays to her or his course handicap 25 percent of the time and plays a few strokes over it most of the time. |
| Slope and Course Rating The USGA developed a "course rating" system for courses in America. This rating assesses a course's playing difficulty based on what a scratch golfer would shoot under normal conditions. Most ratings are around par (72). If a rating is 74.6, the course will play a little tougher; if it's a 68.7, your day will be a bit easier. The "slope" indicates an average player's potential scoring ability on the course. The lowest slope rating is 55 (an asy course), and the highest is 155 (very difficult). A golf course of standard difficulty, as defined by the USGA, has a slope of 113. |
| Handicap Index Because golf courses vary in difficulty, the USGA establishes two numbers for every golfer; a handicap index and a course handicap. When people ask your handicap, it's really your index they're asking about. (This is the number with the decimal point that the computer spits out after you post each score.) The index is based on the best 10 of your most recent 20 scores and expresses your potential scoring ability. This article is featured in the May/June 2005 edition of GOLF FOR WOMEN |