Course ratings.

[Slab]

Without wishing to derail Tashy's thread
I don't think I've played a top 100 course in the UK

What should I expect from any course on any top 100 list?

 

[Jacko_G]

Without wishing to derail Tashy's thread
I don't think I've played a top 100 course in the UK

What should I expect from any course on any top 100 list?

Don't expect anything, go and make up your own mind.

 

[Slab]

Don't expect anything, go and make up your own mind.

But there must be minimum standards across multiple categories in order to make a top 100 list?

 

[Hitdaball]

The minimum standard is generally that it will cost more than you would like.😜

 

[Jacko_G]

But there must be minimum standards across multiple categories in order to make a top 100 list?

You mean a minimum subjective report on how good the clubhouse and facilities are.

Go and play the course and enjoy the course. I could change my shoes in the car park and not give a hoot about the facilities, I'm there to play golf.

 

[Deleted member 1147]

But there must be minimum standards across multiple categories in order to make a top 100 list?

Good design and conditioning (and a freebie for those doing the rating, if you listen to some of the more paranoid folks 😉)

 

[Backache]

Without wishing to derail Tashy's thread
I don't think I've played a top 100 course in the UK

What should I expect from any course on any top 100 list?

I have played about a third of them and don't claim to either be a great golfer and certainly don't know them all.They are different and there may not be too many unifying features. One thing that they pretty much all have is that they are a bit tougher than the average course, I don't mean that all vourses in it are tougher than all courses out of it and there are clearly plenty of difficult courses outside the top 100 that are more so than some inside it. However I have not played one that is not tougher than the average club course. The designs are generally interesting and yup unfortunately they are usually pricier.

 

[PNWokingham]

Any course rating panel is very subjective but from what i know they all consist of multiple raters inputting into a score and these being collated and ranked accordingly - so they are all democratic and subjective lists from those involved. Many people will always disagree about many choices and a course being 10 or 20 or maybe even more different from another will, in real terms, be very similar in overall ranking and quality but, as they have to have a list, those that beat others by a little are ranked higher.

I would rather see the list expanded to 200 and see this as the new norm rather than 100 as it adds more variety and a greater distinction between the best and the worst - and we could probably see some quite big moves at times from near the 200 to probably up near the 100. This would also highlight a lot of the clubs rthat are making moves over the years, which would be a good focal point to delve into why - design changes, conditioning, new management approach etec etc

It would also be nice to see the maths behind the scores as this may should highlight where the bigger differences lie rather than just a number in a list.

The fact that most of the ranking lists are fairly similar in what courses are in and there rough positions or at least quartiles etc

 

[Slab]

Good design and conditioning (and a freebie for those doing the rating, if you listen to some of the more paranoid folks 😉)

Serious question though, but what constitutes good design (or bad design for that matter)
i.e regardless of the individual quality would two side by side holes running in opposite direction such that poor shots land on the other fairway be deemed a bad design?

 

[Liverbirdie]

I know this has been done to death, and will continue to be. But, just reading a review on Silloth. A course I have never played. A comment has been made that " if this course was in merseyside it would be rated even higher". I have said this before and will continue to say. Because some courses are not down south they are not rated as highly. Is that really the case? Truth be told I don't really know, but I suspect it is. Again I have said this before that it seems that price of said course never comes into it. Why? If a course is £200 becuse they either don't want me to play there or because they think it's worth it.Why is it rated so highly when 99% of golfers cannot play there. There's just something that from day one, that when it comes to golf courses and rating. I am missing something.

Tashy, as mentioned before, they aren't rated on VFM, which would be even more subjective and requiring thousands of courses to be marked instead of 130+.

I do have a slight sympathy about what you say with regards to location having a slight effect though and think that some courses would be rated higher if they were in Surrey instead.

I had a think about it and think that some of it may be down to income from green fees, joining fees and membership rates. If a top Surrey heathland can retain say 12 green staff, best machinery, change the sand more often in bunkers and maintain a short game area to a high standard amongst others, then they are more likely to get good marks for conditioning than a course in Yorkshire/Midlands etc, who may have half the income.

Silloth is a cracking course and is always held up as an "if" course, whether for VFM, open venues or other ratings.

Just a thought.

 

[Backache]

Serious question though, but what constitutes good design (or bad design for that matter)
i.e regardless of the individual quality would two side by side holes running in opposite direction such that poor shots land on the other fairway be deemed a bad design?

I think good design is usually a hole that offers golfers more than one obvious way to play it where the reward for taking more risk is there if played well but so is the punishment if played poorly. If the hole is aesthetically pleasing as well it helps.

 

[Foxholer]

... " if this course was in merseyside it would be rated even higher".... Because some courses are not down south...

Merseyside ain't 'down south' as far as I'm concerned! Not is it for a goodly percentage of the UK population!

As for Siloth...Only heard complementary reports about it. Been tempted a few times to 'call in' on my way to/from Edinburgh, but never quite managed to.

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Without wishing to derail Tashy's thread
I don't think I've played a top 100 course in the UK

What should I expect from any course on any top 100 list?

Will depend purely on what course it is , what sort of courses you enjoy and what you look for in a course that makes you want to go back again

 

[Deleted member 3432]

Merseyside ain't 'down south' as far as I'm concerned! Not is it for a goodly percentage of the UK population!

As for Siloth...Only heard complementary reports about it. Been tempted a few times to 'call in' on my way to/from Edinburgh, but never quite managed to.

You should, its fabulous.

If you do let me know, I will sign you on if I'm on my days off.

 

[Foxholer]

You should, its fabulous.

If you do let me know, I will sign you on if I'm on my days off.

Unfortunately unlikely to 'have the opportunity' as I'm now working about 1.5 miles from home cf 420+!

 

[Deleted member 15344]

He’s referring to the other thread.

There’s too much hostility on these forums to me.

I just started playing golf. I hope it’s not this aggressive at clubs.

Won’t be coming back to these forums again.

Don’t go near the Brexit thread and do you like football 😆 enjoy the game and enjoy your club 🏌🏿‍♂️

 

[Tashyboy]

Merseyside ain't 'down south' as far as I'm concerned! Not is it for a goodly percentage of the UK population!

As for Siloth...Only heard complementary reports about it. Been tempted a few times to 'call in' on my way to/from Edinburgh, but never quite managed to.

Think Merseyside is south of Silloth 😉plus is not Merseyside within touching distance of some of this countrys premier links courses .

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I know "top 100" is traditional in most magazines and online polls but is there an argument to expand these and give more clubs a chance to enter the listings and give some of those at the lower end a call to not rest on their status and laurels or would say a top 150 dilute it too much? Look at the top 10 in the GM poll and 6 are Scottish, 2 are Irish and only Sunningdale New is remotely down south. Again Sunningdale Old and Royal St Georges the only southern ones in 11-20 so not sure there is that much of a bias.

 

[Foxholer]

Think Merseyside is south of Silloth 😉plus is not Merseyside within touching distance of some of this countrys premier links courses .

Still not 'down south' for me - as per my post you quoted!

 

[Jacko_G]

Aggressive posting by some has driven a new member away.

Oooooft

Shocking behaviour.