Just about every golf course in America is rated by the USGA for scoring difficulty. The older and most understood method is called a Course Rating. This is a number that the USGA believes would be the number of strokes a "scratch" golfer would score on the course. A Course Rating of 71 means the USGA believes a scratch golfer would shoot a 71. The higher the Course Rating the more difficult the course -- for a scratch golfer.
The USGA also rates each course with a Slope Rating. This number rates the course according to the play of an average golfer. The higher the Slope Rating the more difficult the course -- for the average golfer. The USGA says a slope of 113 is average, and slopes can go from 55 to 155.
Men's Tees | USGA Course Rating | USGA Slope Rating | Yardage |
Burgundy | 74.7 | 144 | 7083 |
Black | 71.8 | 137 | 6642 |
Blue | 69.3 | 126 | 6190 |
Silver | 66.9 | 120 | 5635 |
Women's Tees | USGA Course Rating | USGA Slope Rating | Yardage |
Blue | 76.1 | 141 | 6190 |
Silver | 72.4 | 135 | 5635 |
Gold | 68.9 | 122 | 4906 |