How Are Golf Courses Rated?

What Our Course Rating Team Evaluates

One of the most common questions asked of Miami Valley Golf team members is, “How are golf courses rated?” There isn’t a short answer — but here’s a clear look at what our Course Rating Team evaluates when assessing a course.

Effective Playing Length Factors

Every tee is rated for both Scratch and Bogey golfers, for men and women. To determine a course’s rating, our team evaluates several factors that influence its effective playing length:

• Roll – Uphill landing areas reduce roll, causing the course to play longer, while downhill landing areas increase roll.
• Elevation – Uphill holes play longer; downhill holes play shorter.
• Doglegs and Forced Lay-Ups – Strategic design elements that require players to shape shots or lay back affect overall playing length.

In some regions of the country, Prevailing Wind and Altitude Above Sea Level are also significant factors. However, due to the geographic nature of our area, these elements are typically not major considerations in Miami Valley Golf course ratings.

Obstacle Factors That Affect Difficulty

Beyond effective playing length, our team also evaluates obstacles that affect overall difficulty:

• Topography – The impact of terrain on stance and club selection.
• Fairway – The difficulty of keeping the ball in the fairway.
• Green Target – The difficulty of hitting the green with an approach shot.
• Recoverability and Rough – The likelihood of missing the fairway or green and the difficulty of recovery.
• Bunkers – How bunkers come into play and the challenge they present.
• Crossing Obstacles – Penalty areas, extreme rough, or out of bounds that must be carried to play the hole.
• Lateral Obstacles – Penalty areas, extreme rough, or out of bounds that affect play along the sides of a hole.
• Trees – The overall impact of trees on shot selection and scoring.
• Green Surface – The difficulty of putting, including speed, contour, and complexity.
• Psychological Factors – Punitive or visually intimidating features near the target that influence a player’s confidence and decision-making.

How Ratings Are Determined

Each factor is evaluated on a scale from 0 to 10. Courses with multiple higher-rated obstacles — for example, several 7s or 8s — will result in a higher overall rating across 18 holes.

These determinations are submitted into the Course Rating System, carefully reviewed, and finalized at season’s end for implementation the following season.

Why Course Rating Matters

Course Rating is a vital core service provided by Miami Valley Golf. Course Rating and Slope Rating® directly impact every score posted and ensure fairness and consistency within the Handicap System.

Courses are re-rated every 10 years, or whenever significant modifications occur. This season, our team will complete a full rating of the North Course at NCR, Walnut Grove, Springfield, Shelby Oaks, and Prairie Trace, along with multiple updates tied to new combination tees and yardage changes.