The History of Course Rating

The USGA Course/Slope Rating System was implemented by the USGA on January 1, 1987 to address the problem of portability of handicaps. This system adjusts a player's USGA Handicap Index according to the difficulty of the golf course and tees being played. 

The Oregon Golf Association has the exclusive license from the United States Golf Association to rate and measure golf courses in its territory.  Established Courses in Oregon and SW Washington are rated on a 7-year rotation, while a newly constructed course is rated once every three years for a period of nine years.

Courses (without OGA Member Clubs) within our geographic jurisdiction are required by the USGA to be rated every ten years. We measure and/or rate any course when there have been physical changes made that would impact how the course is played (i.e. yardage changes, bunkers, water features).

Course rating, like golf, has its origin in the British Isles. The first measure of course difficulty was par. The word par is derived from stocks; i.e., "a stock may be above or below its normal or par figure." British golf writer A.H. Doleman in 1870 asked Davie Strath and Jamie Anderson, two professionals, what score would be required to win The Belt at the then 12-hole course at Prestwick. Their response was that perfect play should produce a score of 49. Mr. Doleman called this par for Prestwick and when Young Tom Morris scored two strokes over par for three rounds (36 holes) to win The Belt, the term stuck.

Another measure for scoring difficulty of golf course was "bogey," which was the expected score of the fictitious Colonel Bogey. About 1890, Mr. Hugh Rotherham of the Coventry Golf Club proposed the concept of a blind opponent in match play. He was called Colonel Bogey by Dr. Thomas Browne of Great Yarmouth. Colonel Bogey was a low handicap golfer who usually made 4 on long par-3 holes and 5 on long par-4 holes but otherwise played nearly flawless golf. Bogey scores ranged from 76 to 80 on most courses.

The Early Years   
1947 - 1970                
1971 - 1980                  
1981 - Present