Written By: Greg Johnson
A foursome of golf course raters from the Golf Association of Michigan moved about in orderly fashion using range finders to measure from tees to greens to penalty areas to fairways and more.
Then compiled information on custom sheets attached to clipboards, gathered together and discussed, measured some more and moved on through the nine holes of The Falcon Golf Course in East Lansing, part of the Hawk Hollow/Eagle Eye family of golf properties in the Lansing area.
The GAM and its group of volunteer raters work on about 70 courses each year as an official arm of the United States Golf Association® (USGA).
A Course and Slope Rating™ allows golfers interested in maintaining a Handicap Index® as part of the World Handicap System™ (WHS) to post scores for rounds played at the facility. A course rating keeps a course in compliance with the Rules of Handicapping for 10 years.
Mark Bultema of Grand Rapids, a GAM President Emeritus, and a longtime volunteer course rater with over 900 ratings in his service to golf, was on the small crew at The Falcon. Hunter Koch, the director of course rating on the GAM staff, and volunteers Dave Klingbiel of Grand Ledge and Chris Bixby of Farmington Hills were the other three.
It was an experienced unit. Klingbiel is in his fourth year of course rating, and Bixby is in his third year. The group moved seamlessly through the nine holes three times, measuring first, rating the difficulty of the various obstacles, including penalty areas and more the second time around and finally playing, too. A videographer was on this rate, too, filming for GAM Communications.
In recent years nine-hole rounds became a part of the World Handicap System on a single-round basis without having to be paired with another nine-hole score, aiding in the increase in posted nine-hole rounds. Shorter length par-3 and executive courses, like the Falcon, have become a trend in the last few years of golf course construction, too.
“There is very little difference in how the rating is accomplished as compared to an 18-hole course,” Bultema said. “Here at The Falcon, there are five one-shot holes or par 3s, and four two-shot holes or par 4s. This is more the executive style course of nine holes. It’s beautifully maintained, nicely mounded, nicely designed.”
The GAM raters gather raw data to verify yardage measurements for each tee, determine Course Rating and Slope Rating for each tee and other specifics that go with the formula for the WHS.
Once established, any visitor to The Falcon or any other rated course in Michigan can turn his or her score in via WHS and have an up-to-date index for events, tournaments and more anywhere else they play golf.
In addition, The Falcon can host tournaments and events using a golfer’s Handicap Index and any groups who come to play can adjust their handicaps to the course for events and fair competitions.
The GAM has over 100 volunteer raters, including some who only do a few rates in the region of the state where they live, and others who do 30 or more rates for the year. Among the group are Region Captains who helped direct the day’s work. New raters work with more experience raters. Some also compete in tournaments as GAM members and some serve in GAM leadership roles once they are exposed to the organization.
Koch said the GAM is always recruiting more raters, especially in regions of the state where they have just a few. He can be reached at [email protected].
“We try not to make everyone travel around the entire state, they are volunteers,” he said. “Of course, some of our raters like that part. We have something for everyone.”
