Each month we will go over a separate Obstacle Factor. These are all of the things beyond length of a hole that impact play and difficulty.
The first spot the ball lands is the first thing we evaluate. For each player (Scratch and Bogey, Men and Women) we go to the Landing Zone.
Let’s start with a definition of Landing Zone: a fairway-wide area extending from where a shot hits the ground to where it comes to rest. It is generally a rectangle with dimensions equal to the width of the fairway by the length of the evaluated roll. Average roll out is approximately 20 yards. In situations where more or less roll out due to a shot that is up or down hill, we look at the adjusted areas as well.
Topography is the evaluation of the impact of terrain on play. Topography ratings are based on:
- Slopes and mounds in the fairway landing zones that affect stance and/or lieIf the Landing Zone (LZ) is flat as a carpet, it is a Minor problem. If the LZ is contoured and makes the player begin to adjust their stance or grip their club, it would bump up the difficulty to Moderate. If the LZ has severely undulating ground and the player is aiming at a green that is 30 feet downhill that would impact the player’s swing as well as their club choice, that would be considered Significantly or Extremely Awkward. Anyone lucky enough to have their ball stay in the fairway on #4 at Stone Ridge GC (Eagle Point, OR) would agree that the Topography is Significantly/Extremely Awkward.
Topography in each Landing Zone is assessed separately. For instance, the Bogey LZ may be flat and easy to hit from, the Scratch LZ may be on a sloped fairway. On longer holes, the most difficult LZ is the one that more highly impacts the player. We assess each area, but the toughest one for each player is what is entered into the Course Rating System.
Most of Topography is rated from the fairway landing zones. On Par-3s we have a different designation. Since most teeing areas are flat, and the player has their choice options to tee up their ball (tee, mound of dirt, directly on grass, etc.) only the change in Elevation is considered. Elevation is evaluated in 10-foot increments. On very long par-3s where the Bogey player cannot reach the green, the area in front of the green is used to evaluate their Topography designation.
Here is what Topography is not:
- It is not the width of the fairway, that will be covered in Fairway (which will be covered in July)
If you have any questions, please contact Gretchen Yoder, Director of Handicapping and Course Rating gretchen@oga.org