rulefan
Tour Winner
SSS was only used by the EGU (the men's union). The USGA system was used by all other men's unions and ladies associations. The resultant CR was simply named SSS for convenience. For some years prior to WHS all EG men's courses have been rated under USGA and the CR used as the SSS. The two rating systems were broadly similar but the USGA CR had more fine detail. In my experience as the past county rating manager. we found very few variations between SSS and CR. Most were due to rounding the CR and others due to course changes that had been made since the last SSS rating (which could have been up to 10 years previously if the club hadn't bothered to notify us).No it wasn't, SSS course ratings were all over the shop, clear discrepancies, because as you said it was down to how a scratch player would play the course that determined what your handicap was based upon.
Until WHS slope was not used by CONGU although every course rated under USGA would have been given the bogey rating and slope (mainly used by overseas visitors).
Of course your handicap wasn't based on how a scratch player would play the course. Your handicap was/is dependent on how you scored on all the courses you played.