Cornwall Golf
Course Rating
What is Course Rating?
The Course Rating is the evaluation of the playing difficulty of a golf course for the scratch player (0 handicap). It is used in conjunction with the Bogey Rating (the difficulty of the course for a bogey player of 20-24 handicap) to determine the Slope Rating. The Slope Rating will determine a player's Course Handicap.
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How is Course Rating Calculated?
Course Rating and Bogey Rating are calculated using the USGA Course Rating System. The Course Rating System is extremely objective and takes into account all the factors that affect the playing difficulty of a course. It requires numerous specific measurements to be taken on each hole of the golf course assisting in the consistency of application by course rating teams.
The Course Rating System Guide that all Course Rating teams will use when rating a course extends to some 45 pages and is extremely comprehensive. Course rating teams consider more than 460 variables on a standard course rating, from each set of tees.
The USGA Course Rating System takes into account: the actual measured length of a golf course, factors that can affect the playing length of the course and other challenges that influence the playing difficulty of each hole (obstacle factors).
The factors that can affect the effective playing length of a golf course are:
Roll - How far a ball will roll on fairways with various surface conditions/contouring
Dogleg - Where the dogleg design of a hole does not allow a full tee shot to be played
Wind - Average wind strength and direction
Elevation - Difference in elevation between the tee and green and approach shots to the green
Forced Lay-up - Where a player is forced to play short of obstacles that cross the fairway
The 10 obstacle factors that are used to determine the playing difficulty of a golf course are:
Topography - Nature of the stance and lie within each landing zone and approach shot elevation to the green
Fairway - The width of fairway landing zones, hole length and nearby obstacles - trees, hazards and punitive rough
Green Target - Evaluation of hitting the green with the approach shot, visibility and nature of the green surface
Recoverability and Rough - The difficulty of recovery if the tee shot landing zones and/or the green is missed
Bunkers - Size and depth of bunkers and their proximity to landing zones and greens
Crossing Obstacle - Shot length to safely carry water, penalty areas, OB or extreme rough.
Lateral Obstacle - Takes account of the distance of obstacles from the centre of fairways and greens.
Trees - Size and density, proximity to centre of landing zones/greens, shot length to target areas, recovery difficulty
Green Surface - Putting difficulty on a green - green speeds, surface contours and tiers
Psychological - Evaluation of the cumulative effect of the other nine obstacle factors
The Course Rating System also provides procedures for determining a Bogey Rating based on expected performance of a bogey player (a player with a 20-24 handicap). The difference between the calculated Course Rating and Bogey Rating is used to calculate the Slope Rating. Slope Ratings vary from 55 to 155 with a course of standard relative difficulty rated at 113.
How does Course Rating Affect Handicap?
Course Rating and Slope Rating affect Course Handicap. Each player with a WHS Handicap Index will play off a different Course Handicap at different venues, and off different tees, depending on the Slope Rating. Course Handicap is calculated by dividing Slope Rating by 113+ (Course Rating minus par) and multiplying by Handicap Index.
What is the average Course Rating?
There is not really such a thing as an average Course Rating but there is an average, or standard, Slope Rating - the difference between Course Rating and Bogey Rating multiplied by a predetermined value - the average or standard Slope Rating is 113.
Diary
| March 2025 Diary of Events | ||||||
| Saturday 1st | ||||||
| Sunday 2nd | ||||||
| Monday 3rd | ||||||
| Tuesday 4th | ||||||
| Wednesday 5th | ||||||
| Thursday 6th | ||||||
| Friday 7th | ||||||
| Saturday 8th | ||||||
| Sunday 9th | ||||||
| Monday 10th | ||||||
| Tuesday 11th | ||||||
| Wednesday 12th | ||||||
| Thursday 13th | ||||||
| Saturday 14th | Cornwall Men Match at home to Royal Navy (Friendly) | Perranporth | ||||
| Sunday 15th | Frank Wills Salver & Cornish Bowl Finals | Newquay | ||||
| Sunday 16th | ||||||
| Monday 17th | ||||||
| Tuesday 18th | ||||||
| Wednesday 19th | ||||||
| Thursday 20th | ||||||
| Friday 21st | ||||||
| Sunday 22nd | Cornwall Team Championship & Presidents Trophy Finals | St Enodoc | ||||
| Sunday 23rd | ||||||
| Monday 24th | ||||||
| Tuesday 25th | ||||||
| Wednesday 26th | ||||||
| Thursday 27th | ||||||
| Friday 28th | ||||||
| Sunday 29th | 12:00 - 14:30 | Junior Spring Meeting (OoM) | Bude & North Cornwall | |||
| Tuesday 7th | Cornwall Boys U16 Match at home to Devon U16 (U16 Ben Enoch Trophy) | Bude | ||||
| Cornwall Boys U14 Match at home to Devon U14 (U14 Jack Roberts League) | Bude | |||||
| Tuesday 8th | ||||||
| Thursday 9th | 08:30 - 09:30 | Cornwall Women's Amateur Championship 2026 Rd 1 & Amateur Championship 2026 Rd 2 | Mullion | |||
| Thursday 10th | ||||||
| Friday 11th | ||||||
| Sunday 12th | Cornwall Men Match at home to Dorset (Channel League) | Perranporth | ||||
| 11:05 - 15:37 | B Team Club Championship Qualifier 2026 | St Austell | ||||
| Sunday 13th | ||||||
| Tuesday 14th | SW Four Counties Junior Championship (3 days) | Woodbury, Devon | ||||
| Tuesday 15th | ||||||
| Wednesday 16th | ||||||
| Thursday 17th | ||||||
| Friday 18th | ||||||
| Sunday 19th | 10:00 - 13:54 | A Team Club Championship Qualifier 2026 | The Point at Polzeath | |||
| 13:00 - 14:20 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd1 (0-28) | Perranporth | ||||
| 14:30 - 15:42 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd1 (29-54) | Perranporth F9 | ||||
| Sunday 20th | ||||||
| Monday 21st | ||||||
| Tuesday 22nd | ||||||
| Wednesday 23rd | ||||||
| Thursday 24th | ||||||
| Friday 25th | ||||||
| Sunday 26th | Cornwall Mixed Greensomes | Falmouth | ||||
| 08:00 - 09:28 | Cornish Closed & U21 Championship - Rnd 1 & 2 | Mullion | ||||
| Monday 27th | Cornwall Seniors Men Match away to Devon Seniors (Seniors Channel League) | Tavistock | ||||
| Sunday 3rd | Gammon Trophy Preliminary Round | |||||
| 13:00 - 14:20 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd2 (0-28) | Bowood Park | ||||
| 14:30 - 15:42 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd 2 (29-54) | Bowood Park Hotel & F9 | ||||
| Sunday 4th | ||||||
| Monday 5th | ||||||
| Tuesday 6th | ||||||
| Wednesday 7th | ||||||
| Thursday 8th | ||||||
| Friday 9th | ||||||
| Sunday 10th | 07:30 - 15:54 | Royal Cornwall Goblets | The Point at Polzeath | |||
| Monday 11th | 07:33 - 16:15 | Seniors & Founders Cups | The Point at Polzeath | |||
| Tuesday 12th | 07:30 - 15:50 | Royal Cornwall Challenge Cup | The Point at Polzeath | |||
| Wednesday 13th | 08:00 - 09:50 | Cornwall Men's Amateur Championship 2026 Rd 1 | The Point at Polzeath | |||
| 08:30 - 10:30 | Cornwall Women's Division 1 Spring Meeting | Newquay Aug2012 | ||||
| 10:40 - 12:30 | Cornwall Women's Division 2 Spring Meeting | Newquay Aug2012 | ||||
| 13:00 - 14:50 | Cornwall Men's Amateur Championship 2026 Rd 2 | The Point at Polzeath | ||||
| Thursday 14th | 09:37 - 11:43 | Lawrance Cup | The Point at Polzeath | |||
| 13:49 - 15:55 | Lawrance Cup (cont.) | The Point at Polzeath | ||||
| Friday 15th | 08:06 - 11:42 | Western Morning News Challenge Cup | The Point at Polzeath | |||
| 12:54 - 16:12 | Western Morning News Challenge Cup (cont.) | The Point at Polzeath | ||||
| Friday 16th | ||||||
| Sunday 17th | Gammon Trophy 1st round | |||||
| Monday 18th | Cornwall Seniors Men Match away to Gloucestershire Seniors (Seniors Channel League) | Lilley Brook | ||||
| Monday 19th | ||||||
| Tuesday 20th | ||||||
| Wednesday 21st | ||||||
| Thursday 22nd | ||||||
| Friday 23rd | ||||||
| Saturday 24th | ||||||
| Monday 25th | 10:00 - 13:54 | England Golf Junior Champion Club Qualifier | Mawgan Porth GC | |||
| Monday 26th | ||||||
| Tuesday 27th | ||||||
| Thursday 28th | SW U16/U14 Boys Championships | Bude | ||||
| Thursday 29th | ||||||
| Friday 30th | ||||||
| Sunday 31st | Cornwall Men Match away to Glamorgan (Channel League) | Radyr | ||||
| Thursday 11th | 08:00 - 09:30 | Cornwall Women's Baron Rose Bowl Round 1 & 2 | Tehidy Park | |||
| Thursday 12th | ||||||
| Friday 13th | ||||||
| Sunday 14th | Gammon Trophy 2nd round | |||||
| Cornwall Boys U14 Match away to Wiltshire U14 (U14 Jack Roberts League) | Chippenham | |||||
| Sunday 15th | ||||||
| Monday 16th | ||||||
| Wednesday 17th | 12:45 - 14:35 | Cornwall Golf Men's Seniors County Championship 2026 Rd 1 | Bowood Park | |||
| Thursday 18th | 11:15 - 12:55 | Cornwall Golf Men's Seniors County Championship 2026 Rd 2 | Bowood Park | |||
| Friday 19th | 08:30 - 15:00 | Cornwall Men's Over 55s Team Championship | Looe | |||
| Friday 20th | ||||||
| Sunday 21st | 13:00 - 14:20 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd3 (0-28) | Porthpean | |||
| 14:30 - 15:42 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd3 (29-54) | Porthpean | ||||
| Sunday 22nd | ||||||
| Monday 23rd | ||||||
| Tuesday 24th | ||||||
| Wednesday 25th | ||||||
| Thursday 26th | ||||||
| Friday 27th | ||||||
| Sunday 28th | 08:00 - 09:30 | Cornwall Junior County Championship 2026 Rd 1 (U16 & U18) | Trethorne | |||
| 09:40 - 11:10 | Cornwall Junior County Championship 2026 (U12 & U14) | Trethorne | ||||
| 12:00 - 12:10 | Cornwall Golf Girls 9 Hole Championship | Trethorne F9 | ||||
| 12:20 - 12:50 | Cornwall Golf Girls County Championship 2026 | Trethorne | ||||
| 13:00 - 14:30 | Cornwall Junior County Championship 2026 Rd 2 (U16 & U18) | Trethorne | ||||
| Sunday 29th | ||||||
| Tuesday 30th | Glamorgan Seniors Match away to Cornwall Seniors Men (Seniors Channel League) | |||||
| Sunday 5th | Women's South West Inter County Match Week (4 days) | Yeovil | ||||
| Cornwall Men Match at home to Somerset (Channel League) | Perranporth | |||||
| Monday 6th | Cornwall Seniors Men Match at home to Wiltshire Seniors (Seniors Channel League) | West Cornwall | ||||
| Monday 7th | ||||||
| Wednesday 8th | 08:30 - 12:50 | Cornwall Women's Inter Club Handicap Shield (Division 2) | St Austell | |||
| Thursday 9th | SWCGA Boys Championship | Weston-super-Mare | ||||
| Thursday 10th | ||||||
| Friday 11th | ||||||
| Sunday 12th | Gammon Trophy Semi-Finals | |||||
| 13:00 - 14:20 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd4 (0-28) | Tehidy Park | ||||
| 14:30 - 15:42 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd4 (29-54) | Tehidy Park F9 | ||||
| Sunday 13th | ||||||
| Monday 14th | ||||||
| Wednesday 15th | SWCGA Men's Seniors Championship (2 days) | Royal North Devon | ||||
| Wednesday 16th | ||||||
| Thursday 17th | ||||||
| Friday 18th | ||||||
| Sunday 19th | Cornwall Men Match away to Somerset (Channel League) | Mendip Spring | ||||
| Sunday 20th | ||||||
| Monday 21st | ||||||
| Tuesday 22nd | ||||||
| Wednesday 23rd | ||||||
| Friday 24th | Cornwall Boys U16 Match at home to Dorset U16 (U16 Ben Enoch Trophy) | China Fleet | ||||
| Cornwall Boys U14 Match at home to Dorset U14 (U14 Jack Roberts League) | China Fleet | |||||
| Friday 25th | ||||||
| Sunday 26th | 08:00 - 09:36 | Cornwall Golf Maxam Cup Rd 1 & Maxam Cup Rd 2 | Falmouth | |||
| Monday 27th | Somerset Seniors Match at home to Cornwall Seniors Men (Seniors Channel League) | TBC | ||||
| Monday 28th | ||||||
| Tuesday 29th | ||||||
| Thursday 30th | Cornwall Boys U18 Match away to Devon U18 (U18 Greenaway Shield) | Stover | ||||
| Sunday 2nd | Girls Inter County Match Week (4 days) | Bristol & Clifton | ||||
| Cornwall Men Match at home to Glamorgan (Channel League) | St Enodoc | |||||
| Monday 3rd | Cornwall Women's Flag Day | St Austell | ||||
| Tuesday 4th | Somerset U18 Match away to Cornwall Boys U18 (U18 Greenaway Shield) | Bowood Park | ||||
| Tuesday 5th | ||||||
| Wednesday 6th | ||||||
| Thursday 7th | ||||||
| Friday 8th | ||||||
| Saturday 9th | ||||||
| Sunday 10th | ||||||
| Monday 11th | ||||||
| Wednesday 12th | Cornwall Boys U16 Match away to Somerset U16 (U16 Ben Enoch Trophy) | Wells | ||||
| Cornwall Boys U14 Match away to Somerset U14 (U14 Jack Roberts League) | Wells | |||||
| Wednesday 13th | ||||||
| Thursday 14th | ||||||
| Friday 15th | ||||||
| Saturday 16th | ||||||
| Monday 17th | Cornwall Seniors Men Match at home to Gwent Seniors (Seniors Channel League) | Bude | ||||
| Monday 18th | ||||||
| Wednesday 19th | 08:30 - 14:30 | Cornwall Golf Men's Seniors County Stableford Championship 2026 | St Mellion-Kernow | |||
| Wednesday 20th | ||||||
| Thursday 21st | ||||||
| Friday 22nd | ||||||
| Sunday 23rd | Lord Lieutenants Trophy | Truro | ||||
| U12 Four Counties | Trethorne | |||||
| Sunday 24th | ||||||
| Monday 25th | ||||||
| Tuesday 26th | ||||||
| Thursday 27th | Cornwall Boys U18 Match away to Dorset U18 (U18 Greenaway Shield) | Isle of Purbeck | ||||
| Thursday 3rd | 09:00 - 10:30 | Cornwall Women's Division 1 Autumn Meeting | Bude & North Cornwall | |||
| 10:30 - 12:00 | Cornwall Women's Division 2 Autumn Meeting | Bude & North Cornwall | ||||
| Thursday 4th | ||||||
| Friday 5th | ||||||
| Sunday 6th | Cornwall Men Match away to Dorset (Channel League) | Crane Valley | ||||
| 13:00 - 14:20 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd5 (0-28) | Cape Cornwall Club 18 | ||||
| 14:30 - 15:42 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd5 (29-54) | Cape Cornwall Club 18 | ||||
| Sunday 7th | ||||||
| Monday 8th | ||||||
| Tuesday 9th | ||||||
| Wednesday 10th | ||||||
| Thursday 11th | ||||||
| Saturday 12th | Summer Scratch & Handicap League Finals Day | Launceston | ||||
| Sunday 13th | Gammon Trophy Final | |||||
| Monday 14th | Cornwall Seniors Men Match away to Dorset Seniors (Seniors Channel League 2014 on) | Dorset Golf and Country Club | ||||
| Monday 15th | ||||||
| Tuesday 16th | ||||||
| Wednesday 17th | ||||||
| Thursday 18th | ||||||
| Friday 19th | ||||||
| Sunday 20th | Bolitho Trophy and Kernow Cup Final | TBC | ||||
| Sunday 21st | ||||||
| Monday 22nd | ||||||
| Tuesday 23rd | ||||||
| Wednesday 24th | ||||||
| Friday 25th | 09:00 - 12:30 | Cornwall Women's Captain's Jubilee | West Cornwall | |||
| Friday 26th | ||||||
| Sunday 27th | SW Boys Under 12's Championships | Ferndown Forest | ||||
| 11:35 - 14:25 | Cornwall Golf Men's Club Champions (Depot & Petherick Cups) | Carlyon Bay | ||||
| Sunday 4th | 10:00 - 12:50 | Junior Autumn Meeting (OoM) | Whitsand Bay | |||
| Sunday 5th | ||||||
| Monday 6th | ||||||
| Tuesday 7th | ||||||
| Wednesday 8th | ||||||
| Thursday 9th | ||||||
| Friday 10th | ||||||
| Sunday 11th | 13:00 - 14:20 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd6 (0-28) | Mullion | |||
| 14:30 - 15:42 | Cornwall Junior Tour 2026 Rd6 (29-54) | Mullion F9 | ||||
| Sunday 12th | ||||||
| Monday 13th | ||||||
| Tuesday 14th | ||||||
| Wednesday 15th | ||||||
| Thursday 16th | ||||||
| Friday 17th | ||||||
| Saturday 18th | ||||||
| Sunday 19th | ||||||
| Monday 20th | ||||||
| Tuesday 21st | ||||||
| Wednesday 22nd | ||||||
| Thursday 23rd | ||||||
| Friday 24th | ||||||
| Saturday 25th | ||||||
| Sunday 26th | ||||||
| Monday 27th | ||||||
| Wednesday 28th | Cornwall Golf Club Team | Perranporth | ||||
| Thursday 29th | 09:15 - 12:27 | Junior Maxam Cup | St Enodoc-The Holy Well | |||
| Thursday 30th | ||||||
| Friday 31st | ||||||
| March 2025 Diary of Events | ||||||
| Saturday 1st | ||||||
| Sunday 2nd | ||||||
| Monday 3rd | ||||||
| Tuesday 4th | ||||||
| Wednesday 5th | ||||||
| Thursday 6th | ||||||
| Friday 7th | ||||||
| Saturday 8th | ||||||
| Sunday 9th | ||||||
| Monday 10th | 12:00 - 13:00 | County Seniors OoM Rd1 | West Cornwall | |||
| Tuesday 11th | ||||||
| Wednesday 12th | ||||||
| Thursday 13th | ||||||
| Friday 14th | ||||||
| Saturday 15th | ||||||
| Sunday 16th | ||||||
| Monday 17th | ||||||
| Tuesday 18th | ||||||
| Wednesday 19th | ||||||
| Thursday 20th | ||||||
| Friday 21st | ||||||
| Saturday 22nd | ||||||
| Sunday 23rd | ||||||
| Monday 24th | ||||||
| Tuesday 25th | ||||||
| Wednesday 26th | ||||||
| Thursday 27th | ||||||
| Friday 28th | ||||||
| Saturday 29th | 07:30 - 17:00 | Cornwall Men Match at home to Royal Navy (Friendly) | Perranporth | |||
| Sunday 30th | 11:30 - 13:30 | Junior Spring Meeting (OoM) | West Cornwall | |||
| 12:30 - 15:34 | A Team Club Championship Qualifier 2025 | Trevose Golf Club | ||||
| Monday 31st | ||||||
Simon Wood
Operations Manager
Cornwall Golf
E:
info@cornwallgolf.org.uk
T: 01752 847600
T: 07971 624313
Performance and Development Manager
Cornwall Golf
E: development@cornwallgolf.org.uk
T: 07958 262193
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