Using Numbers for Course Difficulty Ratings like they do in Ball Golf like the Slope rating. Being able to gauge how difficult a course is compared to other courses in the same category.
4 Likes
Hey @shadyhermit, love this idea! Our team is always game for making improvements to the app. This is not on the near term roadmap, but something we could consider for the future.
Have you tried filtering by course difficulty in the app? Any other thoughts you have to share are welcome 
1 Like
Hey Jenn, golf uses both the “Slope” rating of a course, along with a players “Index” to calculate handicaps for a player on any given course, evening the playing field during league our tournament play, or even just casual betting rounds.
The establishing of slope in golf is a complex process, but in disc golf doesn’t need to be complicated at all.
You (UDisc) already have the ability to calculate something akin to a players index using your new round rating system and avg’ing out their play. By taking those indexes and then cross referencing them with how they play on other courses, you can calculate a defacto slope for each course. Filter out the lowest and highest 10% of recorded rounds, and come up with a scale for expected play for any given index on the course and then compare that scale against the same scale of another course and now you have a basic range. Do that for all the courses in your system and you have a complete range of difficulty, and the ability to plot each course on it.
The slope on a golf course doesn’t change unless they go through the rating process again, whereas, like the PDGA’s round rating system, your slope system could be more fluid, updating each month to take into account foliage growth for instance. i.e. a course would be more difficult in the middle of summer when covered in leaves, but easier in the fall when the leaves are down and the under story is thin.
One of the great things about ball golf is the ability to use your handicap for a course to put a few bucks on the game with a friend, but without any kind of system for comparison (short of a PDGA rating), this is really difficult in disc golf. If UDisc were to figure this system out, you could even facilitate the ability to take into account handicaps in amateur tournament play!
4 Likes
Hi Jenn,
Yes to your question. For example my course is Black Diamond, mid length- Highly Technical.
The course up the road is Black Diamond-Long-Technical. But What is the degree of difficulty between the two for my abilities?
Now a “Slope” such as Kevinfarley Speaks of would be great not only for the reasons he speaks of, but also for determining which courses are the hardest and most technical to play comparing which courses are the most challenging to play.
then dive down a step further and assign hole difficulty ratings or slope to help calculate handicap play. by using udisc data of score collected and ( now here is where it can get really good) using player data to calculate a projected score based on his udisc skill level. then assigning a round rating based on his projected score and actual score and then assign ± NUMBER on how close they came to the AI or probable score by which they shot. ( to help Identify possible Sandbaggers) lol This could then calculate odds for Live scoring or pre match ups.
This also can help a traveling player at a new course playing for the first time. knowing how to play the hole based on the degree of difficulty. helping them make better decisions when choosing which shot to play. Especially if the player has data on how this basket is played this season by people in his division or skill level and being able to make live playing decisions in real Time using current data and conditions.
As more Highly Skilled players play the courses, the slope or difficulty rating number could increase or decrease based on current scores of the higher skill levels.
Also Then eventually adjust odds by wind speed and direction for live events. Could also adjust for winter play as well in different climates.
Just some thoughts coming from the ball golf world. Helping players compete as evenly as possible when playing in a handicap league or tournament.
while also providing as much data to the course owners, clubs, and players to help run a smooth event.
as well as course recognition for being a really challenging course based on current play.
as well as basically creating a pocket caddy for shot selection.
4 Likes