<font color='#000000'>I'm assuming that you mean a maximum casting range of 175 yards in perfect conditions (over grass, following wind etc.). I'd just get to your nearest shop and check out the old faves like Shakespeare, Daiwa, Abu and pick out one of their mid-range models i.e. not a budget rod or expensive scaffold pole. Rods are so good these days in the 70-120 quid bracket that they should be perfect for your purposes. I'm not going to recommend specific models as that is up to you really.
As for the other questions raised:-
1. Ground - as with most angling terminology this is not clearly defined. At one extreme you have totally clean ground i.e. snagless, such as sandy beaches. At the other you have rough ground i.e. horribly snaggy, such as thick kelp with boulders. Over clean ground you can get away with a softer rod as a. the fish may well be smaller and b. you don't have to drag your rigs out of snags. Rough ground may require a stiffer rod because a. most people only tackle this sort of territory if the rewards are high (BIG fish) and b. you'll get snagged and have to drag you rigs back in.
2. Casting weights - don't trust the printed casting weight, especially on cheaper rods. The convention for years is to put 4-8 ozs on most beachcasters and is just laziness on the part of some manufacturers. Most (with one or two exceptions) are far to soft to deal with much over 4 ozs, although 5 ozs could be lobbed safely. This is not so much of a problem as there is a rough correlation between casting ability and the price of rod used by the angler. So at shortish ranges 4 oz will hold bottom just fine. This isn't a dig at novices. In fact shorter range casters are those most likely to pick up decent bass on many marks coz they're close in. Those who blast it 120 yds + are frequently 118 yds too far out.
God, I do go on sometimes.
Yours babblingly,
Rhod.</font>