- Joined
- Jul 8, 2020
- Messages
- 9,955
- Reaction score
- 16,304
- Handicap
- 12.9
I generally go by yardage. I don’t regularly play courses with a hard slope rating
Choosing Tees: Yardage or Slope?
Yardage and rating as a secondary. If the rating is very high, I may play a shorter tee than I normally would - try not to go too much above par in rating. Conversely, if the rating is low but the tips are very long, I will try not to go above 6600yd or so (at par 72).
Ultimately though, I'm open to trying lots of different tee boxes, especially if I've played the course before. On new courses, I'm usually trying to avoid too much potential misery
Ultimately though, I'm open to trying lots of different tee boxes, especially if I've played the course before. On new courses, I'm usually trying to avoid too much potential misery
Subsonic
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2016
- Messages
- 134
- Reaction score
- 77
- Handicap
- 19
The Slope Rating for a golf course tells you how difficult the golf course is for a bogey player (about a 20 handicap for a male golfer) compared to a scratch player. The higher the Slope Rating, the harder the course is for the bogey golfer, relative to the difficulty of the course for the scratch golfer. For those math heads it is the good ole y=mx+b slope of a line equation.
Think of it this way. The higher the slope number the harder it is to walk up that slope. It is that easy...
yardage for sure.
The way I look at it, slope is a subjective thing and although I'm sure there are established standards for rating it, courses aren't all rated by the same person. And the things that factor into that difficulty/slope rating won't affect all golfers the same, since we all have different strengths and weaknesses. I've played courses with higher slope ratings that I didn't consider hugely difficult, and I've played courses with low slope ratings that were a lot more challenging than that number would indicate. A 113 slope course isn't always going to be wide open, straight and flat with no hazards and big, easy greens.
6500 yards will always be 6500 yards, though. I can rely on that in my decision process.
6500 yards will always be 6500 yards, though. I can rely on that in my decision process.
Subsonic
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2016
- Messages
- 134
- Reaction score
- 77
- Handicap
- 19
I respect your opinion.
Slope is a measure of difficulty, so a 113 slope course will not be difficult per se.
I have buddies that have no idea what slope means and go by yardage. They will play what they feel is the right yardage, but has a slope of 139 for example and they will talk abut how hard it is. Really?
They think slope is the amount of up and down a course has. Yardage is truly only a part of the story. Slope is a measure of difficulty.
Distance.
I'm distance challenged. The difficulty of the course seems secondary when you're taking "smaller bites".
I'm distance challenged. The difficulty of the course seems secondary when you're taking "smaller bites".
Not a big hitter, so I look to play <6400yards.
I usually play difficult courses well, so while slope is a consideration, I look at yardage first.
8-9 index
I usually play difficult courses well, so while slope is a consideration, I look at yardage first.
8-9 index
And yet the ratings that actually determine a course's difficulty are highly based on yardage.I respect your opinion.
Slope is a measure of difficulty, so a 113 slope course will not be difficult per se.
I have buddies that have no idea what slope means and go by yardage. They will play what they feel is the right yardage, but has a slope of 139 for example and they will talk abut how hard it is. Really?
Yardage is truly only a part of the story. Slope is a measure of difficulty.
Subsonic
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2016
- Messages
- 134
- Reaction score
- 77
- Handicap
- 19
Exactly. That is why two courses can have the same yardage but the one with a higher slope will play more difficult for most golfers.
At same yardage the one with the higher rating will play harder. Slope is secondary. People focus way too much on it.
Subsonic
Active member
- Joined
- Apr 10, 2016
- Messages
- 134
- Reaction score
- 77
- Handicap
- 19
I will agree to disagree with you on this. In the 20 years I have played golf, I have only run into a few that can even explain what slope is. Yardage is easy to understand, so that is why I feel most use it.
Yardage. 5600 - 5800 yds. work best for me. I like hitting 8i or less into green complexes because it's more fun and I have a better chance at getting pars. I could play longer tees, but I end up scoring about 6 - 7 strokes higher with more frustration and still have the same handicap, so who cares?
Always yardage for me