Making sense of these scorecard numbers

I’m not sure that anybody with whom I play regularly even looks at the two key numbers on the back of a golf course scorecard. None of us play in official tournaments, nor do we play for even a dime in our casual weekly rounds. These admissions alone likely are considered sacrilege among the golf nuts and gambling sickos I work amongst at Golf Digest.

Nevertheless, those two numbers on the card—Course Rating and Slope—are the bread and butter of what the USGA and its member golf associations consider their most treasured tasks: maintaining a way for golfers of different skill levels to be able to equitably compete against each other. With those numbers, an 18-handicap can take on a scratch player and have a fighting chance. There’s no other sport like that, which is why the system for determining the Rating and Slope is critically important—and why those who do that work are some of the unsung heroes in the game. 

In his very insightful piece, Christopher Powers brought the details to light after spending a day with a group of raters at a New Jersey golf club that has been renovated and needed fresh numbers. What is a rating? What is slope? What are the factors that determine those? How are the various handicaps for each hole determined? He covers all that and a lot more.

What Chris saw was impressive: A group of highly dedicated people spending hours analyzing every nuance of the course. He did a nice video to accompany it that highlights the various areas that are judged. It’s all worth a look to truly understand how such a critical part to the competitive game is managed.

As for playing golf? Yes, the raters do get a round in, and nobody works harder for the privilege.

I got a first-hand look at the course-rating process. There’s a lot more that goes into it than you think

A day at Arcola Country Club observing the process of rating a golf course was fascinating

By Christopher Powers

What You Need to Know

Keely Levins

Charley Hull has played in enough pro-ams over the years to see all kinds of average golfers’ games. When I asked her what the biggest mistake amateurs make is, she knew right away: “They pick up their head when they putt.” What’s great about this is that it’s so easy to fix. “Keep your head down, hear it go in instead,” Hull says.

It’s understandable to be excited about seeing whether or not you made a putt. But I talked to Mai Dechathipatmai, a Golf Digest Best Young Teacher at KOHR Golf Academy in Massachusetts, about what can happen when you don’t wait until after impact to move your head. She says that when you’re peeking too early, you’re changing your posture and creating inconsistency in how you deliver the putter face to the ball. Picking up your head early makes it harder to keep a square face. And if the face isn’t square, it’s really hard to make putts.

But it goes beyond that. If you’re picking your head up early, it shows that your attention isn’t where it should be. “Picking your head up too soon while putting isn't just changing your posture,” Dechathipatmai says. “It can also mean your mind is already focused on the outcome rather than the task itself. Sometimes, I putt with my eyes closed, simply feeling the contact and the rhythm. It helps quiet my mind and bring my attention back to the present. Because sometimes, we’re so eager to see the result that we lose touch with the process that actually leads to the desired outcome.”

Alex Myers

Ben Griffin's first PGA Tour start in more than two months features a new looper. Veteran caddie Jon Yarbrough, who has worked for a number of pros previously including Phil Mickelson, has been brought in to replace Alex Ritthamel, and so far, so good. Griffin opened the VidantaWorld Mexico Open with a seven-under-par 64. After, he had plenty of nice things to say about both caddies.

"Yeah, so incredible run with Alex, previous caddie. Four and a half years, we changed each other's lives," said Griffin, who won all three of his PGA Tour titles during his breakout 2025 campaign with Ritthamel on the bag.

"So it was a really tough decision honestly. All respect to Alex. We had a great run and we had so much fun together really. Still friendly. It's just tough out here. Four and a half years and I just felt like the time was right for me to make a switch, and yeah, it's worked out really well. Jon's really good on the greens. He's known as one of the best green readers out here, so having him today from close range was nice to help me kind of reaffirm some of my reads. And then yeah, he's one of the chillest dudes out here, super calm and it's been fun so far having him one day in."

Jonathan Wall

Putter companies rarely announce deals with long-drive champions, so Makefield’s partnership with Kyle Berkshire is no doubt an odd pairing.

"Every drive I’ve ever hit, no matter how far, ended with a putt," said Berkshire. "When I rolled a Makefield for the first time, the ball came off the face different—no skid, no hop, just rolling on my line immediately. I’ve spent my career chasing speed. This putter is how I’m going to chase scores."

The four-time World Long Drive Champion, who holds the longest fully verified drive at 588.3 yards, now plays a Makefield VS putter that features a black-gloss KBS CT-Tour Double Bend shaft and a red Garsen Quad Tour grip. Makefield built its name on roll quality, not distance, making this deal one to track going forward. The real test is whether Berkshire’s power game translates to success on the green.

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