NJSGA Conducts Course Rating Seminar At Galloping Hill
Some 40 men and women participated in the NJSGA annual course rating seminar on Wednesday, May 14 at Galloping Hill Golf Course.
“It’s a refresher course for our course raters. It’s mandatory new course raters attend,” said Denise Keating, NJSGa Course Ratings Manager. Keating helped present the seminar along with Jack Luts, NJSGA Course Rating chairman.
The event included two USGA representatives, Scott Hovde, Assistant Director, Handicap and Course Rating Administration, and Lee Rainwater, Assistant Director.
The seminar included both classroom and on-course instruction.
A group from the Women’s Metropolitan Golf Association also attended. Also, two representatives from the China Golf Association took part in the event.
“We are reinforcing the ratings procedure because nearly everyone here has experience in course rating,” Hovde said. “We will conduct calibration exercises and compare numbers for consistency and accuracy.”
Jim Rapp, a retired policeman in Hanover Township who has worked 15 years at Flanders Valley Golf Course, was one of the few newcomers to course rating.
“I’m here because I love math and it sounds interesting. You also get to see some great courses in New Jersey that you would never have a chance to play on. I think it’s good to give back to the game,” Rapp said.
Rainwater has been conducting seminars on behalf of the USGA throughout the country. This year alone he has visited state golf associations in Nevada, North Carolina, Texas, Alabama, Pennsylvania (GAP), Maine, Connecticut, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
“It is imperative that we all evaluate golf courses consistently,” Rainwater said. “The seminars stress the accuracy of following the course rating system. “
