Field-Calibrated Ratings
Scores are not measured against a fixed par. Instead, each round's effective scratch is derived from the established ratings of the players in the field. If a strong field plays a course, the same score earns a higher rating; if a weaker field plays, it earns less. This means every number reflects real competition.
Effective Scratch
For each round, we look at all players who already have an established rating and calculate:
Eff. Scratch = Avg Score + (Avg Rating β 1000) / Slope
This is the score a 1000-rated player would be expected to shoot in that field. A player's round rating is then:
Rating = 1000 + (Eff. Scratch β Score) Γ Slope
Dynamic Slope
The slope measures how much one stroke is worth in rating points. It's calculated each round by comparing the average rating and score of the top half of the field against the bottom half. The slope is clamped between 6 and 15 to prevent runaway inflation.
NR β Not Rated
A round is marked NR when fewer than 3 players with established ratings are in the field. Without enough reference points, the effective scratch can't be reliably determined.
EXH β Exhibition
An EXH round means the player's score was used to help calibrate the field rating, but the round does not count toward that player's own rating. Useful when a player participates in multiple leagues and you don't want their round counted twice.
Player Rating Calculation
A player's current rating is a weighted average of their rated rounds:
- Recency weight: the most recent 25% of rounds (up to 8) count twice as much as older rounds.
- Outlier exclusion: rounds rated more than 2 standard deviations below a player's mean are excluded.
- 1-year cutoff: players with 8 or more rounds only count rounds from the past year. Players with 7 or fewer rounds keep all rounds regardless of age.
Official Leaderboard
Only players with 3 or more rated rounds appear on the official leaderboard. Use the Show all toggle to see everyone including newer players still building their record.