Course Rating

Every golf course in the state is rated on the USGA Course Rating System. Find out how it works and more below.

What is Course Rating?

Every golf course receives both a USGA Course and Slope Rating for each set of tees that is rated. The rating established for the scratch golfer is known as the Course Rating. There is also a rating for the bogey player known as the Bogey Rating. This Bogey Rating is not normally published but is used to determine a Slope Rating. The Slope Rating is an evaluation of the relative difficulty of a course for players other than scratch. The USGA Course and Slope ratings are then calculated and certified by the authorized golf associations before they are issued to the club. These ratings are vital in calculating a person’s handicap for that particular course (Course Handicap)

In the State of Utah the UGA is the licensed authority on the USGA Course Rating System and is the only authorized authority to issue Course and Slope Ratings for Utah courses. To provide this service to its members and member clubs the UGA has a volunteer course rating crew of men and women that measure and rate each golf course in the state. When a golf course first opens it is measured and rated by the UGA, it will then be re-rated approximately four years later after which it will begin a cycle that calls for each course to be re-rated every eight to ten years. The UGA also re-rates courses which have undergone significant design or yardage changes to ensure that the ratings in the handicap system are accurate.


Course Rating Resources