Dear Member,
Prior to the Indiana Course opening in April 2001, the Real Federación Española de Golf (RFEG) were invited to Desert Springs to evaluate the golf course and assign a Slope Rating. The ‘Slope’ is a measurement of the difficulty of a golf course relative to the Course Rating (which represents the difficulty for scratch golfers). The ‘Slope Rating’ is a value between 55 and 155 with 113 considered average. On a course considered above average difficulty e.g. Slope 130, a players’ ‘handicap of play’ will be higher than their exact handicap, giving them the extra shots required to be competitive. On a course considered below average difficulty e.g. Slope 95, a players’ ‘handicap of play’ will be lower than their exact handicap giving them less strokes.
During the years that have elapsed since the initial evaluation, a further review of the Indiana course was undertaken by the RFEG in 2012 and again in 2022.
The Indiana course has undergone natural maturity along with continual modifications made to improve the already exceptional aesthetics, quality and challenge of the course. Latterly this has included, by way of examples, the introduction of an additional new tee complex on hole 4, the enlargement of the Green tee on hole 18, the introduction and on occasion, relocation, of planted areas and most latterly the progressive programme of clearing and cleaning of overgrown desert areas.
Considering the evolution of the course, by invitation of the Club the RFEG returned to Desert Springs in August to re-evaluate the Indiana Course. Following their evaluation, they have now assigned the course with new Slope Ratings, which take immediate affect and shall reflect the true challenge of the Indiana Course.
These new ratings, with the previous ratings in brackets, are as follows:
| Men’s Slope Orange Tees 132 (132) | Gold Tees 131 (135) | Green Tees 122 (122) |
| Ladies Slope Orange Tees 137 (137) | Gold Tees 137 (135) | Green Tees 128 (128) |
To illustrate how this new evaluation in slope rating affects stroke allowances please see the examples below.
| Orange Tees: | ||||
| Exact Handicap: | 6.0 | 18.0 | 24.0 | 36.0 |
| Previous handicap of play: | 8 | 22 | 29 | 43 |
| New handicap of play: | 8 | 22 | 29 | 43 |
| Gold Tees | ||||
| Exact Handicap: | 6.0 | 18.0 | 24.0 | 36.0 |
| Previous handicap of play: | 7 | 20 | 27 | 41 |
| New handicap of play: | 7 | 20 | 27 | 41 |
| Green Tees (Ladies Slope) | ||||
| Exact Handicap: | 6.0 | 18.0 | 24.0 | 36.0 |
| Previous handicap of play: | 8 | 21 | 28 | 42 |
| New handicap of play: | 7 | 21 | 28 | 41 |
A list showing the new Slope Rating along with ‘Exact Handicaps’ and the corresponding ‘Handicap of Play’ is now on display on the Club Notice Board in the Club House.
