As the golf season kicks into gear during the spring, it’s important to be mindful of certain course conditions, renovations, and guidelines that may affect your game and your ability to post scores for handicap purposes. Here are the main points to consider:

Course Conditions to Watch Out For:

Unplayable Bunkers
During the spring, bunkers may be affected by rain or snowmelt. If a bunker is considered unplayable or too wet to play from, check for local rules or temporary relief options provided by the club. For example, you may be allowed to take free relief from a flooded or unplayable bunker.

Temporary Water
If your ball is in an abnormal ground condition (temporary water), you may be allowed to take relief, typically under the “temporary water” rule, which allows you to drop the ball without penalty if the conditions make it unplayable. The location of your ball within this area needs to be known or with virtual certainty in order to take relief

Aeration Holes

Aeration holes are commonly found in the spring but are not classified as ground under repair, so free relief is generally not allowed. However, relief may be permitted if a Model Local Rule is in place. Be sure to check with your golf course before your round to confirm if this rule applies.

Course Renovations/Temporary Construction

During the spring, courses often undergo maintenance, which could involve the use of temporary greens or tees. How are scores to be posted when Temporary Tees/Greens are used?

The Rules define a putting green as any area specifically prepared for putting. This includes both the normal green and any temporary ones created with paint or mow lines in the fairway. In both cases, the same Rules apply.

The same principle holds for teeing areas, whether it’s the standard tee box or a designated spot in the rough nearby.

Hole Closures
Sometimes, specific holes may be closed for maintenance or safety reasons, particularly during the spring.  If the case, here’s how you would post your score for handicap purposes:

A score from an incomplete round or when one or more holes have not been played may only be used for handicap purposes if, among other things:

• The round has been played over at least the minimum number of holes required for either a 9-hole or an 18-hole score to be acceptable; and
• The reason for not completing the round was valid

If these two conditions are met, a 9-hole or 18-hole Score differential will be created either using a player’s Expected score or Net Par for the hole or holes not played.

Expected Score

The procedure for calculating a Score Differential using an expected score can be summarized as follows:

1. An expected Score Differential for the hole or holes not played is calculated, based on a given Handicap Index and a course of standard difficulty.

2. A Score Differential for the holes played is calculated using the player’s actual scores and the rating value of the holes played.

3. The Score Differential from the holes played is combined with the expected Score Differential to produce either a 9-hole or 18-hole Score Differential.

*Expected score can only be calculated if the round is entered Hole-by-Hole in the system*

Net Par

In certain circumstances, a score of net par can be used for a hole or holes not played, in place of the expected score. The procedure for calculating a Score Differential using Net Par can be summarized as follows:

Adjusted Score = Par (for the hole) + Additional handicap strokes received

Course Conditions and Impact on Handicap Index Calculation

Your Handicap Index reflects your demonstrated ability to play in relation to the difficulty of the course. Spring conditions can vary, which might affect your scoring and thus your Handicap Index. Here’s how it can:

Soft Conditions May Impact Scoring
When course conditions are soft like fairways and greens, this can lead to no, or little roll making the course play much longer (in some cases nearly 300 yards). If tees are not moved to account for the loss of roll and other course conditions, scores posted may not reflect how the course was playing in relation to its course/slope rating. This would also impact the calculation of each players Handicap Index that played in these conditions.

Wind and Rough May Affect Scores
Windy conditions and thick (wet) rough can make it much more difficult to play/score well. Unpredictable wind or soggy thick rough can lead to more errant shots and penalties, making it harder to keep your score low.

Acceptability of Scores for Posting

To post an acceptable score, certain conditions must be met. Here’s what you need to know:

• Authorized Format of Play
• Minimum Holes
  To post a valid score, you need to play at least 9 holes for a 9-hole score and complete 10 holes to post an 18-hole score. In cases of early course closures or specific conditions (like weather), scores might be adjusted or shortened, but you’ll need to check course rules to confirm.
• Playing with Others
• Adherence to the Rules of Golf
• Current/Valid Course Rating and Slope Rating
• During the Active Golf Season (April 15^th in Ontario)

Remember Your Responsibilities as a Player

• Act with Integrity
• Make the Best Score Possible
• Submit All Acceptable Scores

Spring golf conditions can be unpredictable, but they present opportunities for growth and challenge. Being aware of course conditions, renovations, and the guidelines for posting scores ensures you’re prepared and can keep your game and handicap accurate as the season begins. Always play by the rules, act with integrity, and take into account how changing conditions can affect your game and score.

If you have ever examined a scorecard or posted a score for handicap purposes, you have probably seen the terms Course Rating and Slope Rating. While most golfers know they pertain to course difficulty, there are misconceptions about how they are determined, what they represent and how they impact players of different skill levels.

To set the record straight, here’s everything you need to know about these two key terms within the Rules of Handicapping:

How are they are determined?

When a golf course is rated by Golf Ontario, the rating team determines the effective playing length for each set of tees – which is the measured length adjusted for things like roll, forced lay-ups, and elevation changes that make the course play longer or shorter. The rating team also evaluates how obstacles such as bunkers, penalty areas, fairway widths, rough heights, green speed/contours impact two model  players: the scratch player (with a Handicap Index of 0.0), and the bogey player (with a Handicap Index of 20.0 for men and 24.0 for women).

From the data collected during the rating procedure, a Course Rating, Bogey Rating and Slope Rating are all calculated based on weightings and formulas that reflect the impact of each item evaluated.

What do they represent?

Let’s start with Course Rating – which is  an indication of the difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player under normal course and weather conditions. In other words, a Course Rating of 71.2 means that a scratch player can expect to shoot around 71 when they play well.

An additional term that isn’t well known is Bogey Rating – which is an indication of the difficulty of a golf course for the bogey player. In other words, a Bogey Rating of 95.5 means that a bogey player can expect to shoot around 95 or 96 when they play well. Although Bogey Ratings are generally not printed on scorecards or displayed within score-posting apps, they can be found for each course on the Course Rating and Slope Database™.

Once the Course Rating and Bogey Rating  are established, they are compared to determine the Slope Rating – which represents the relative difficulty of a course for non-scratch players compared to those who are scratch players. To put it simply, the larger the difference is between the Course Rating and the Bogey Rating, the higher the Slope Rating will be.

For example:

• With a Course Rating of 71.0 and a Bogey Rating of 92.5, Course A has a Slope Rating of 116.
• With a Course Rating of 71.0 and a Bogey Rating of 95.5, Course B has a Slope Rating of 132.

What does this mean for you?

It depends on your ability – i.e., your Handicap Index. Since low-handicap players tend to find the fairways and hit greens wherever they play, their scores do not increase much when faced with obstacles that can impact wayward shots.

On the other hand, for higher-handicap players, increasing length or the presence of severe obstacles, such as forced carries, long rough, and deep bunkers, can lead to much higher scores – and that’s where Slope Rating comes into play.

For example, if we go back to Course A, with a Course Rating of 71.0, Slope Rating of 116 and par of 71:

• A 1.0 Handicap Index player would have a Course Handicap of 1 and an 18.0 Handicap Index player would have a Course Handicap of 18.

However, if we go back to Course B, with a Course Rating of 71.0,  Slope Rating of 132, and par of 71:

• The 1.0 Handicap Index player would still have a Course Handicap of 1, but the 18.0 Handicap Index player’s Course Handicap would increase from 18 to 21.

In summary

The Course Rating and Slope Rating allows you, and any other player with a Handicap Index, to get the strokes you need to have a fair game wherever you decide to tee it up.

For more information about the World Handicap System, visit www.usga.org/whs.

A new, full-time job opportunity is available at Golf Ontario.

To learn more about the Coordintator, Handicap and Course Rating role CLICK HERE.

The role summary is as follows:

Responsible for coordinating and implementing Golf Ontario’s member service strategy, including effectively onboarding new member facilities and delivering core services to facilities, including course rating and handicapping.

The ideal candidate is a dynamic, team-oriented individual who has a genuine passion and sound understanding of the game of golf with a keen attention to detail and excellent communication skills. With experience and an understanding of handicapping and course rating, the candidate is motivated to promote and build our member facility service program at Golf Ontario, including delivering high quality customer service to all partners and member facilities while collaborating with a diverse Team of colleagues and volunteers.

Golf Ontario is a Provincial Sports Organization and the governing body for golf in Ontario. With more than 80 years of history and tradition, serving 125,000 members, Golf Ontario is one of the largest golf associations in the world. We strive to partner with a connected golf community to inspire the game of golf for all Ontarians, including youth, women and underserved communities.

With our vision of Golf for All, Golf Ontario is committed to creating a diverse and safe environment within our organization and across the sport of golf.