Each year, volunteers on the MGA’s Course Rating Committee visit courses throughout the Met Area to update or ensure the accuracy of course and slope ratings. Challenges of the golf courses are quantified to produce the figures that ultimately help maintain the integrity of the World Handicap System and allow players of all skill levels to compete with one another.
This year, the MGA’s Course Rating Committee is slated to conduct 65 ratings throughout the Met Area, ranging from the Hudson Valley and the East End of Long Island to portions of New Jersey and Connecticut. Through August, the Committee – which includes regional teams of volunteers – has rated nearly 50 courses, with more scheduled over the last couple months of the season.
In 2024, the World Handicap System approved new low-end limits for courses that could be issued a Course Rating and Slope Rating. Those limits now stand at 1,500 yards for 18 holes and 750 yards for nine holes. As a result, many more courses in the Met Area can receive proper ratings – a benefit especially for beginners or players with shorter hitting distances that often play their golf at such courses. This year, the MGA will have provided ratings for 10 short courses.
Have questions about the Course Rating or Slope Rating? Visit the MGA’s World Handicap System hub.