Before heading out to a new course, many golfers will take advantage of the golf course review available to see what they can expect once they arrive. There is a lot of information written in a golf course review, especially if it is written by people who have actually played the course more than once, and useful information will usually include more than the personality of the clubhouse personnel.
When looking at a golf course review, there are two numbers that really tell the story on how well the player can expect to do on the course. Consider the two different types of golfers, one that shoots par for the course nearly every time they go out, regardless of the course or conditions, and the bogey golfer who typically scores 18 over par on every round played. Using these two groups, every hole on every course is given two numbers. One is the rating and one is the slope, which when included in the golf course review indicate the difficulty of the course for both groups.
The U.S. Golf Association has standardized the rating system that is included in the golf course review. The rating is the score that average par golfer can expect to shoot on the course. The slope is the difference between what the par golfer and bogey golfer can expect on the same course under similar conditions.
Course Design Plays Into Reviews Of All Courses
When looking at the golf course review the layout needs to be taken into consideration. Bogey golfers will have more trouble with tight fairways, but larger greens may be more forgiving. Better golfers will usually have little trouble with tight fairways, but smaller greens may give them some grief. It is helpful if the golfer’s handicap is included with what they write in a golf course review.
While it is nice to visit a golf course where the employees are exceptionally friendly and they offer great service, the condition of the golf equipment they provide is even more important to include in a golf course review. It will not matter how much they smile and thank you if the golfer has to walk back to the clubhouse because the golf cart broke down on the other side of the course.
Course conditions are usually included in independent comments in a golf course review, but again, consider the time of year the golfer played and the weather conditions at the time. All of these variables indicated in a golf course review can offer a better picture of what can be expected on the course when played.