What does World Class Par (WCP) mean? The WCP is an estimate of the average score 100 world class pros would shoot on that course configuration. The WCP will be roughly 4-6 throws higher than the record on an 18 hole course. Most courses suitable for pro competitions have WCPs that range from 47-53.
Where can I find official WCP values for courses? Once tournament results have been turned in and processed, the WCP values for courses played will be posted or updated on the PDGA web site. A process for submitting locally-generated WCP values may eventually become available.
How do I get a WCP for my course? Host a PDGA event is the official way to get a WCP for your course. Your course will get a WCP rating when at least ten current PDGA members with rating over 900 play it in PDGA competition. On courses not played in PDGA events or those with multiple tees or pins, you can calculate WCP values for other configurations by gathering scores from local players who have ratings. For more information, contact Chuck Kennedy.
How does the off-season or abnormal weather affect the WCP calculation? The tournament report should indicate whether the weather was abnormal for any rounds, or whether there were unusual conditions. Off-season timing, such as a January PDGA event in the northern U.S., would also not be suitable for ratings. Even if no snow was on the ground, the lack of foliage on deciduous trees would probably be inappropriate for calculating an official WCP.
If a course WCP is less than 54, how do I know which holes are par two? The PDGA rating system does not produce ratings for individual holes, but the entire course only. Just because a WCP is less than 54 does not mean any holes should be labeled par two. Course pros may decide to calculate average scores per hole to rank them form easiest to most difficult for fun, for knowledge or for use in local handicapping style events.
Our course has hundreds of tee and pin combinations. How can all these WCPs be tracked? We recommend that TDs select a specific group of configurations to be used regularly for tournament and league play. This way, players have benchmark WCP values to compare against whether for local leagues or major events. However, the PDGA will track WCP info for every configuration submitted for ratings as part of PDGA events.
