Golf is quite a unique sport, and it can be quite tricky for bettors to figure out. Whereas in sports like soccer, football, basketball and baseball, where the fields/courts/ballparks are virtually the same across the world, the difference between golf courses can be night and day.
There are, of course, standards to which golf courses must be built, but the devil lies in the details. Exposure, length, size and slope are never quite the same at any two courses. And the top golfers must be versatile and adapt to different courses, playing to their strengths and trying to overcome their opponents. There are two main criteria through which golf course “difficulty” is determined, the Slope Rating and the Course Rating, but first we will analyze par in golf.
What is Par in Golf
A par is a standard score and every golf course has one. This is the number of strokes it takes for professional golfers to complete the course. In stroke play tournaments, a golfer’s score will be compared to the par, and is either written as “5 under par” or “-5”. If a golfer has a score level to par, this is called “Even” and their score may be denoted with an “E”. If they are over par, then their score will be “5 over par” or “+5”.
Par for Holes
The par for an 18-hole golf tournament usually ranges from 70-72. Though there is also par for each hole, generally ranging from 3-5. Par 3 usually requires golfers to reach the green from tee off, and then to approach and hole out in two putts.
Par 4 usually means golfers should reach the green after 2 shots, and then hole out in the following two. With Par 5, golfers should reach the green in three shots, and then have two putts to hole out.
Golf Par Scoring
Here is the scoring terminology in golf.
| Birdie | -1 / 1 Under Par |
| Eagle | -2 / 2 Under Par |
| Double Eagle/Albatross | -3 / 3 Under Par |
| Bogey | +1 / 1 Over Par |
| Double Bogey | +2 / 2 Over Par |
| Triple Bogey | +3 / 3 Over Par |
| Hole in One | Depends on par (-5, -4, -3) |
The scores are all relative to the par, except for hole in one. Easier courses can have loads of eagles and birdies, but then there are courses that have extremely challenging holes, where golfers can even win with double or triple bogeys.
Golf Course Rating Definition
The course rating is the difficulty of a course for a scratch golfer. A scratch golfer is a player with a handicap of zero under normal weather conditions. The course rating is written as a number with a decimal point, and ranges from 67 up to 77, with 75 being the average.
The ratings are calculated through various factors, including the course length, obstacles, speed on the green, fairway width and the changes in elevation. Courses with a higher rating are more challenging for scratch golfers.
Meaning of Slope Rating in Golf
The slope rating is the difficult of a course in relation to a bogey golfer. It is a measurement system that was created by the United States Golf Association (USGA), and commonly you will find this rating given on golf courses in the US. The difference between slope rating and course rating is simply that course rating does not factor in the level of the golfer, whereas slope rating does.
Course rating takes into account a generic scratch golfer, whereas slope rating measures the course difficulty for a bogey golfer (who have a handicap of around 20 for men and 24 for women). The slope rating can range from 55 up to 155, with the average difficulty rated at 113.
How it Affects Your Betting
While these two ranking criteria are useful to know, they do not hold too much value for when you place golf bets. After all, how can we define scratch and bogey golfers among all the professionals, and the ratings themselves are a little generic for our liking. If we want to dive into fine details, we would look at statistics such as the Greens in Regulation, and Putts Per GIR (see below). Then we can assess each player’s historical data at a course, analyzing their performances at each hole and looking for strengths and weaknesses.
Betting Stats to Check for Golf
We usually look at GIR and PP GIR when assessing a golfer, in addition to their statistics at a given course.
Greens in Regulation – GIR
How many times a golfer hits greens “in regulation” (when the number of strokes taken is -2). GIRs are counted by numbers with a decimal point, and can range from around 40-70.
Putts Per Greens In Regulation – PP GIR
PP GIR – How many putts a golfer makes on average after reaching the green in regulation. This is the number of putts divided by the holes, so it should range from around 1.6 up to 1.9
PP GIR is better than Putts Per Round for evaluating how a golfer has fared on a particular course. The difference is that PPR does not take getting onto the green into consideration, which is quite a crucial bit of information.
Let’s explore a scenario using GIR and simple PPR. The first golfer has a low GIR but manages to stay even on par by getting onto the green and into the hole in 2 strokes, his PPR will be the same as the golfer who made the GIR and putted the hole in 2 strokes.
The first golfer managed to salvage the hole after missing the green in their first 2 shots. They got lucky (or had a moment of brilliance) to escape with an even score. The second golfer hit the green in regulation and made the hole to keep an even to par score. They are even on score, but if the two went at the hole again, our money would be on golfer number 2 as they seem to have a better grasp on that hole.
Hardest Golf Tournaments to Win
All golf courses have thier quirks and unique challenges. Talent is not enough on its own, as golfers require good decision making, a stroke of luck, and experience to handle whatever comes up during a tournament. The majors are the most difficult, which is why they have the biggest media and betting coverage.
The Masters
Played at Augusta National Golf Club, this is the first of the golf majors and begins on the second Sunday in April. Augusta is 72 to par, with a course rating of 78.1 and slope rating of 137.
Augusta Golf Club: 72 to Par / Course Rating: 78.1 / Slope Rating: 137
PGA Championship
The PGA Championship begins 1 week before US Memorial Day weekend, and the location changes every year. It has been held the most times at the Valhalla Golf Club, the Southern Hills Country Club, and the Oak Hill Country Club (70 to Par, CR: 77.3, SR: 153.
Valhalla Golf Club: 71 to Par / Course Rating: 76.4 / Slope Rating: 148
Southern Hills Country Club: 72 to Par / Course Rating: 78.2 / Slope Rating: 142
Oak Hill Country Club: 70 to Par / Course Rating: 77.3 / Slope Rating: 153
US Open
Enter the summer and we have the US Open starting on the third Sunday in June. A different venue is picked every year, but the US Open has been held the most at the Oakmont Country Club and the Baltusrol Golf Club.
Oakmont Country Club: 71 to Par / Course Rating: 77.7 / Slope Rating: 142
Baltusrol Golf Club: 72 to Par / Course Rating: 75.9 / Slope Rating: 151
Open Championship
The last of the golf majors takes place in the UK and is held on the week of the third Friday of July. It has been held the most at the Old Course at St Andrews.
Old Course at St Andrews: 72 to Par / Course Rating: 71.4 / Slope Rating: 129
Betting on Golf with BettingTools
Our golf experts are always on the lookout for a good deal and we scour the top betting sites in the US for value. Notoriously difficult to predict and volatile, there is serious money to be made on golf bets, but it can be more testing than betting on NFL or the NBA. But with the proper insights and careful budgeting, you can benefit from the lengthy odds and volatility of the market. Stick to our betting predictions and check out our guides if you want more useful tips for betting on golf.
