Slope Handicapping System

---

This summary was provided by Golf Australia when they introduced the 'slope’ handicapping system and has been updated with more recent details provided by Golf Link.

• The slope system started on 23 January 2014.
• Slope ratings for all courses were released in September 2013.
• Slope ratings vary considerably from course to course, for example - the slope rating of Leonay (White) is 112, Richmond (Blue) 124, Stonecutters Ridge (White) 127 and Glenmore (White) 139.
• Slope ratings range between 155 (highest for hardest courses), and 55 (lowest for easiest courses) and the neutral rating is 113.
• All players still have a Golf Australia (GA) Handicap, eg 18.4
• Before playing in any competition players must work out their Daily Handicap. Hopefully this will be done by computers at all respective clubs.
• Members must play off their daily handicap and not their GA Handicap.  It is the player’s responsibility to ensure they play off their daily handicap.
• Member’s Daily Handicaps are worked out by taking their GA Handicap (eg 18.4) and multiplying it by the slope rating on the course that they are playing (eg 128).  Divide the sum by the Neutral Slope Rating which is 113 and then adding the Scratch Rating minus the Par and then multiply the whole lot by 0.93, to give the member's daily handicap.
• Daily Handicap formula = (GA Handicap x (Slope Rating ÷ Neutral Slope Rating (ie. 113)) + (Scratch Rating minus Par)) x 0.93    
• The daily handicap must appear on the score card, which is the player’s responsibility.
• Score cards will show course rating and slope rating, eg Men white 71 Men white slope 120.
• All scores must be converted to stableford points before being sent to Golf Link for handicapping.  This provides a fairer indication of how a player played on the day.  For example, in a stroke round a player could have 10 on one hole, which does not clearly indicate how they played on the other 17 holes.
• When Golf Link receives all the scores from a competition, it uses a complex formula to determine if the playing conditions were difficult or favourable. The resulting points adjustment is shown in the column call Daily Difficulty. This adjustment is usually positive number of points (ie. the course played more difficult than usual) but it can be negative when the course plays easier.