Obstacles

During a course rating, the rating committee evaluates 10 obstacles and measures the distance to each obstacle as well as the effect the obstacle has on both a bogey and scratch player.

All obstacles are given a numerical value ranging from 0 (non-existent), to 10 (extremely significant). All values are obtained from the USGA’s Course Rating Guide. The numbers assigned are based off of significant data gathered by the USGA’s Handicap Research Team. These numbers eliminate the guess work for the course rater. The course rater simply has to take a measurement from a prescribed landing area and assign the appropriate value.

The 10 obstacles with a brief description are as follows:

Topography:
A player’s stance or lie in the landing zone and whether the player has an uphill or downhill shot to the green.

Fairway:
The width of the fairway from which a scratch and bogey player will play their shots from.

Green Target:
The difficulty of hitting the green with the approach shot. The size of the green and the length of the approach shot are the primary factors.

Recoverability and Rough:
If the tee shot misses the fairway or the approach shot misses the green target, recoverability and rough evaluates the difficulty of a recovery shot.

Bunkers:
Difficulty is based on the size of bunkers and their proximity to target areas rather than simply the number of bunkers. Special attention is placed on the depth and severity of the bunkers.

Out of Bounds/Extreme Rough:
The severity of out of bounds depends on the proximity of the boundary to the center of the landing zone or green. Heavy underbrush is also rated under this category because a ball in such a place is likely to be lost or unplayable. The distance to safely carry this obstacle is also accounted for where applicable. Multiple occurrences on the same hole increase the likelihood of a ball ending up in this condition.

Water Hazards:
The rating for water and lateral water hazards, are based on the distance from the landing area and/or the green. The distance to safely carry this obstacle is also accounted for when applicable. Multiple occurrences on the same hole increase the likelihood of a ball ending up in this condition. Special consideration is noted when a green is significantly bordered by water.

Trees:
The rating for trees depends on the size and density as well as their distance from the center of the landing zone and green. The probability of recovering from various locations within the trees accounts for their severity.

Green Surface:
The green surface difficulty is based on the speed and contours of the putting surface. Speed in determined using a stimpmeter reading under mid-season playing conditions.

Psychological:
Based on the number and magnitude of above average ratings in all of the other obstacle categories. The location of many punitive obstacles close to a target area crates uneasiness in the mind of the player and thus affects his or her scores.