If you have ever examined a scorecard or posted a score for handicap purposes, you have probably seen the terms Course Rating™ and Slope Rating®. While most golfers know they pertain to course ...

This content was first published in Golf Journal, a quarterly print publication exclusively for USGA Members. To be among the first to receive Golf Journal and to learn how you can ensure a strong ...

Information on The List was obtained from the United States Golf Association's Course Rating and Slope Database. Data was compiled as of August 28, 2025. In case of ties, the toughest golf courses are ...

Golf courses across the country are rated for their difficulty by the U.S. Golf Association in different ways. The Phoenix Business Journal, as it has for the past few years, collected a pair of ...

For a score to be acceptable for handicap purposes, it must be played on a set of tees on a golf course with a valid Course Rating and Slope Rating. All tees up to 6,000 yards on an 18-hole course ...