Over the past year we have discussed the different Obstacle Factors and how they affect Course Rating.
This month’s topic is Psychological. If you are reading this, I must assume that you are a golfer, and if you are a golfer, you know that 90% of the game is played between your ears.
Let’s start with a definition per Course Rating: Psychological is an evaluation of the cumulative effect of obstacles on a player’s score. The location of many punitive obstacles close to a target area creates uneasiness in the mind of the player and thus affects their score.
PSYCHOLOGICAL rating is not calculated by the Course Rating team. It is calculated using the numbers tallied by ALL the other Obstacles: Topography, Fairway, Green Target, Bunkers, Recoverability & Rough, OB Extreme Rough, Water Trees and Green Surface.
Each of the Obstacle Factors are calculated on a scale of 0 (Does not Exist) to 10 (Extreme Significance). No, we can’t turn that dial up to 11! Obstacles with little to below average factors of 1-4 would not affect the Psychological rating. Once the obstacles are assessed an above average (5 or higher) significance, that is when the Psychological kicks in.
Even with that, there must be at least 3 factors of 5 or above, for either the Scratch or the Bogey player, for the calculation to kick in. The more factors above 5, the more the hole is considered to “get into the head” of the golfer. Once the team assesses the highest factor of 10 even just one time in Obstacles, there would be an automatic assignment of 5 to Psychological, with 2 or more, that starts at 9.
Here are some examples:
- A middle of the shot length 6-yard-wide creek carry may not affect the Psych rating
- A river running along one side of a narrow par 5 fairway with OB running the other side, might
- Long fairway shots to a small green would generate higher Green Target, and possibly Psych, especially since higher Green Target relates to Recoverability & Rough and Bunkers
- Multiple deep bunkers around more than half of the green, with a giant fairway bunker carry
- A long pond where a player must hit a full, perfectly straight shot, avoiding heavy trees in the landing zone might just trigger some higher Obstacle Factors
Side note: there are very few “10s” when it comes to Psychological or any other Obstacles. Most of the time getting to such a high obstacle rating would trigger a lay-up or alternate shot length procedure.
The key thing to remember is that the team of trained Course Raters does not assess the Psychological factor. It is solely a mathematical function. Each hole is assessed individually for Scratch and Bogey, Male and Female golfers, at each landing zone and green for all the Obstacles. Then the Psych factor kicks in.
So, the next time you are playing a course and wonder if the Course Rating Team thought about how mentally intimidating a specific golf hole is, please know that we do. That does not, however, include the pressure of sketchy side bets and wagers (cough cough… Rules of Amateur Status). You are on your own there!
If you have any questions about Course Rating, please contact Gretchen at gretchen@oga.org