OUR SMGA

First, the Course Rating is subtracted for the posted score. This value is then adjusted by multiplying by 113 and dividing by the Slope Rating of the course/tee played.

113 is considered to be the average slope rating. The difference between the posted score and the Course Rating is reduced for a slope greater than 113 and increased for a slope less than 113.

The intent of the slope adjustment is to approximate what the strokes above Course Rating would be on a course/tee of average Slope Rating.

The example below shows the resulting differentials when courses/tees with different ratings are included.

A minimum of 3 posted scores are required for a valid index to be calculated. When 20 scores are posted, the index is the average of the lowest 8 differentials. When fewer than 20 scores are posted, the number of low differentials used is reduced.

In the example below, note that the calculated index is 3.1 strokes lower than the average of all 20 differentials. Generally, the difference is about 3 strokes.

Since only 4 differentials are equal to or less than the resulting index. The player has played to, or better than, the course handicap in only 20% of the rounds.

About 50% of the rounds are 3 strokes or more above handicap.

Once the index is calculated, the Course Handicap will be determined by the index, the Course Rating the Slope Rating and par of the course/tee that will be played.

If one plays exactly to Course Handicap, the resulting net score will be equal to par.

So when player plays to handicap, the gross score will be course handicap plus par. So the player with a lower handicap will have a gross score lower than a higher handicap player if both to handicap.

If one player has a handicap 3 strokes lower than an opponent and plays an average round (3 above handicap), the opponent will have to play to handicap to tie for gross score.

If the player in the example with an index of 11.3 plays the White Tees, the Course Handicap would be 9.  A player with a 14.1 index would have a Course Handicap of 12.

If the lower handicap player plays to handicap, the net score of 72 would be for a gross 81. To match the gross 81, the other player would have net 69, 3 strokes better than handicap.

Similarly, if two players with the same index play from different tees, and both play to handicap, the player on the tees with the lower Course Rating will have a gross score lower than the other player.

Using the 11.1 index in the example below, that player would have a Course Handicap of 9 playing the White Tees and 0 playing the Silver Tees.

From the White Tees, a net 72 (playing to handicap) would be a gross 81. From the Silver Tees, a net 72 would be a gross 72.

The greater the difference in handicaps, the greater the chance that the lower handicap player will win gross.

Unlike the situation with gross, in net competitions, all players have a similar chance of having the lower scores.