Ratings and slope - Analysis of over 3000 tournament rounds

[Cklguy2013]

Hey guys with a view to improving upon the current rating system for courses I analyzed over 3,000 tournament rounds, and found some interesting results. For the time being here is an overview of the scoring,

Rounds, 3012, Median score - 81, rounds in the 60s - 83, 70s - 1145, 80s - 1136, 90s - 451 and over 100 - 197.

Next post I'll share some thoughts on how courses should be rated based upon my findings.

[Cklguy2013]

More food for thought, tournament courses ranked by median score,

		Yards	Par	Rounds	Best	Top 10	Median
4/11/2016	Harbour Town Golf Links Sunday	6,915	71	54	76	76.6	90.0
3/14/2016	The Marina Golf Club	6,872	72	70	72	77.0	88.0
5/2/2016	Quail Hollow Wells Fargo Sunday	7,147	72	46	72	75.6	88.0
2/22/2016	PGA National Honda Friday	6,496	71	62	71	73.8	87.0
5/30/2016	Muirfield Village Golf Club 2015(final)	7,432	72	67	77	77.4	87.0
10/19/2015	Tomahawk Golf Club	6,886	71	32	71	71.3	86.7
5/16/2016	Pinehurst #2 ProTee Blue	6,602	72	102	69	72.3	86.0
7/18/2016	Glen Abbey GC (White Tees) by BoomBoom	6,788	73	57	70	72.5	85.0
10/12/2015	Pine Valley White tees	6,035	70	42	71	73.0	84.5
1/4/2016	Kapalua Bay Golf Club	6,711	72	38	72	74.8	84.5
10/26/2015	Doube Black Course at Christina Pines	6,705	72	35	68	70.3	84.0
3/21/2016	East Lake Golf Club	6,838	73	70	73	74.1	84.0
10/17/2016	Oceanic Athletic Club	6,777	72	111	68	70.8	83.0
10/24/2016	Congressional CC (Protee)	6,462	71	113	63	68.4	83.0
1/25/2016	Spyglass Hill 2015 (Sat)	6,817	72	40	70	72.0	82.5
2/15/2016	Rivera Country Club (White tees)	6,525	71	48	71	69.8	82.0
7/11/2016	The Belfry - The Brabazon (Protee)	6,443	72	89	69	72.3	82.0
9/19/2016	Pebble Beach Golf Links (SUN)	7,037	72	54	70	72.0	82.0
11/16/2015	The Oaks at Weschester blue tees	6,543	72	28	71	73.3	81.5
1/18/2016	PGA West Palmer Thursday tees	6,500	71	42	68	71.0	81.5
11/9/2015	Tobo GolfKlub Protee #2	6,173	72	36	67	69.3	81.0
1/11/2016	Tobacco Dunes Golf Club ProTee	6,500	71	36	65	69.3	81.0
2/7/2016	New Lunenberg Nationa Golf - Protee2	6,671	72	42	71	71.0	81.0
3/28/2016	GC of Houston (Protee)	6,480	72	80	72	71.3	81.0
4/25/2016	The Walker Course Tiger Tees	6,921	71	58	67	69.7	81.0
5/23/2016	Oceanic Athletic Club	6,777	72	59	70	71.3	81.0
6/6/2016	Pine Valley Protee Blue tees	6,613	70	53	67	70.0	81.0
6/13/2016	Oakmont Country Club (ProTee Green - 6836)	6,837	71	97	71	73.3	81.0

[Cklguy2013]

Continued,

6/20/2016	Congressional CC (Protee)	6,462	71	59	69	70.2	81.0
7/4/2016	Greenbrier Old TPC	7,002	70	57	69	70.8	81.0
8/15/2016	Magnolia National 2016 (Protee)	6,356	72	61	69	71.8	81.0
8/29/2016	TPC @ Boston (ProTee)	6,380	72	58	69	69.8	81.0
9/5/2016	Crooked Stick (Protee)	6,499	72	59	68	69.3	81.0
10/10/2016	NGLA	6,514	72	120	67	70.6	81.0
11/23/2016	Whistling Straits blue tees	6,627	72	28	69	71.0	80.5
12/14/2015	Winter Flathead Country Club	6,380	72	30	72	69.7	80.0
3/7/2016	Protee Royal Troon Old Course 2015	6,558	71	103	71	70.7	80.0
4/18/2016	Chicago Golf Club Final Ed	6,666	70	42	70	72.8	80.0
11/2/2016	Merion East Ardmore Pa (Protee)	6,182	72	36	68	70.8	79.5
11/30/2015	Monarch Montreal Protee	6,573	70	37	69	70.3	79.0
2/29/2016	TPC @ Boston (Protee)	6,380	72	66	72	68.6	79.0
8/22/2016	Bethpage State Black Course (Pro-Tee) by BoomBoom	6,533	70	62	67	69.7	79.0
9/12/2016	NGLA - The National (ProTee)	6,514	72	61	67	69.7	79.0
5/9/2016	TPC at Sawgrass (Protee)	6,303	72	96	67	69.2	78.5
6/27/2016	Firestone CC South (Protee)	6,611	70	62	66	68.2	78.5
4/4/2016	Magnolia National 2016 (Protee)	6,356	72	129	65	69.9	78.0
7/25/2016	Stonebirdge GC - Ottawa (Black - A - ProTee)	6,451	73	97	67	69.1	78.0
9/26/2016	Stonebirdge GC - Ottawa (Black - A - ProTee)	6,451	73	66	69	69.9	78.0
2/14/2016	Pebble Beach Golf Links (Protee)	6,230	72	66	67	68.9	77.5
	Mean average	6,603	71.6	62.4	69.4	71.3	81.9

[wbond]

Not surprised at Harbor Town leading the way, that thing was a beast. Long with really narrow fairways.

[keither5150]

Now that we have the ability to pull and sort data like this. Is there a way that we can automate the course ratings? We really don't need to change the handicapping system as much as we need to change the course ratings. Now that we have lots of players on the tour, the data should be accurate enough to do so. ProTee has proven to be very accommodating when it comes to making changes to the tour. We just need to make sure that it's feasible and bring it to them in a logical manor.

I looked at a couple of courses...... These are real ratings pulled from scorecards. It would be nice if we had enough data that we could automate the course ratings..... sim only of course.


NGLS 6514 yards 133 slope

Oceanic course...( not real) 6777 132 ( my guess )

Congressional CC 6500 132

Oakland hills CC 6556 132

Whistling straits Protee 6627 137

Sea island CC 6500 137

KPC ( Kapalua Plantation course ) 7400 144

[Cklguy2013]

I would propose starting off with a rating based on yardage and a slope of 113, then as we have data on the course relative to other courses adjust the rating up or down based on how tough or easy it plays. With regards to slope, the difference between the rating and the median score could be used, as the difference between the scratch rating and the bogey rating are in real life,with the difference being multiplied by 5.38 in real life. In an analysis of the numbers I've run I would see the difference between median and rating being multiplied by 9.44 to arrive at slope. FYI Tomahawk Golf Club would have the highest slope of 155, and Chicago golf club the lowest of 82, Harbour town would be 141.

[Cklguy2013]

I would propose the following ratings and slope,

			Yards	Par	Rating	Slope
Bethpage State Black Course (Pro-Tee) by BoomBoom			6,533	70	68.5	103
Chicago Golf Club Final Ed			6,666	70	71.5	82
Congressional CC (Protee)			6,462	71	67.5	144
Crooked Stick (Protee)			6,499	72	68.0	127
Double Black Course at Christina Pines Dovetail Park - Winter			6,705 6,399	72 72	69.0 70.0	147 109
East Lake Golf Club			6,838	73	73.0	109
Firestone CC South (Protee)			6,611	70	67.0	113
GC of Houston (Protee)			6,480	72	70.0	107
Glen Abbey GC (White Tees) by BoomBoom			6,788	73	71.5	135
Greenbrier Old TPC			7,002	70	70.0	112
Harbour Town Golf Links Sunday			6,915	71	75.5	144
Kapalua Bay Golf Club			6,711	72	73.5	107
Magnolia National 2016 (Protee)			6,356	72	68.5	114
Merion East Ardmore Pa (Protee)			6,182	72	69.5	97
Monarch Montreal Protee			6,573	70	69.0	97
Muirfield Village Golf Club 2015(final)			7,432	72	76.0	106
New Lunenberg Nationa Golf - Protee2			6,671	72	70.0	110
NGLA - The National (ProTee)			6,514	72	69.0	109
Oakmont Country Club (ProTee Green - 6836)			6,837	71	72.0	87
Oceanic Athletic Club			6,777	72	70.5	114
Pebble Beach Golf Links (Protee)			6,230	72	68.0	96
Pebble Beach Golf Links (SUN)			7,037	72	71.0	110
PGA National Honda Friday			6,496	71	72.5	142
PGA West Palmer Thursday tees			6,500	71	70.0	115
Pine Valley Protee Blue tees			6,613	70	69.0	120
Pine Valley White tees			6,035	70	72.0	125
Pinehurst #2 ProTee Blue			6,602	72	71.0	147
Protee Royal Troon Old Course 2015			6,558	71	69.5	103
Quail Hollow Wells Fargo Sunday			7,147	72	74.5	134
Rivera Country Club (White tees)			6,525	71	69.0	132
Spyglass Hill 2015 (Sat)			6,817	72	71.0	115
Stonebirdge GC - Ottawa (Black - A - ProTee)			6,451	73	68.5	94
The Belfry - The Brabazon (Protee)			6,443	72	71.0	107
The Marina Golf Club			6,872	72	76.0	120
The Oaks at Weschester blue tees			6,543	72	72.0	92
The Walker Course Tiger Tees			6,921	71	68.5	123
Tobacco Dunes Golf Club ProTee			6,500	71	68.0	127
Tobo GolfKlub Protee #2			6,173	72	68.0	127
Tomahawk Golf Club			6,886	71	70.5	155
TPC @ Boston (Protee)			6,380	72	67.5	124
TPC at Sawgrass (Protee)			6,303	72	68.0	103
Whistling Straits blue tees			6,627	72	70.0	105
Winter Flathead Country Club			6,380	72	68.5	113

[keither5150]

I just wish that you would put a little more time and effort into this........ JK Awesome work!
I will discuss with the tour committee.

[Cklguy2013]

Thanks Keith, my work here is done I think, but would be happy to keep updated.