What do you look for in a golf course?

[richart]

Good greens!! Everything else slots in after that.

So you turn up at Birkdale, and they have just deep hollow tined the greens, and covered them in tonnes of sand. Would you be put off the course ?

I always think there is a bit of luck involved in playing a course when the green are in great condition. Ours are fantastic in the middle of April when we have a big amateur competition, but at the end when there has been a weeks of course maintenance they are not great. As a member you know if your greens are generally good, but when you just turn up at a course as a guest it is harder to judge.

I have played some courses with great greens, but I would never play them again. Lot more to a good course for me. I think Royal County Down ticks most of the boxes though.

 

[JohnnyDee]

I like good, smooth and fast-running greens too, as playing two great shots only to end up putting on bobbly knobbly wobbly greens is disappointing but not the end of the world.

However for me it's more about the terrain, general ambiance and views. Golf functions on so many different levels so therefore several need to be in harmony for me to want to go back.

I've played a few places where the course was great, but because I was made feel like an outsider who was being tolerated then I would never want to set foot on them again.

 

[KJT123]

I think there is room for a real good, well put together, golf course review site. I've read many reviews online and find them totally useless. If I was setting up a site I would look at making in-depth, but easy to use. I would be looking at making a rating out of 100 for every course. I would have it set up in 10 different categories, using a 10/10 rating, would look something like this:

1: Off course visual appearance
How it look on the way in, the clubhouse, the changing rooms etc
2: How welcome you are made to feel
3: Initial visual appearance of the course
4: Standard of the practice facilities
Driving range, putting green etc
5: Tee boxes
6: Fairways
appearance, quality etc
7: Greens
8: Unique memorable holes
9: Variety of holes
10: Overall experience

So using my system, my last game would look like this.......

The Challenge Golf Club
Saturday March 12th 08:30am
Fee $42

1: 6
2: 8
3: 7
4: 5
5: 6
6: 7
7: 8
8: 10
9: 8
10: 7

Total = 72.

So anyone going use your site would now see that this course is a 72. Simple, easy way of getting a feel for what a course is like.

Thanks for the helpful response.

I've already posted two reviews on my website/blog (https://golfcoursereview.wordpress.com/), I agree with you that their is room for an in-depth review site so that's what i'm focusing on, quality, well written reviews.

I guess the only thing I haven't decided on yet is the scoring system, at the moment it is very basic but what you have suggested looks like the best way to go.

Also thanks for everyone else's feedback.

 

[irip]

I agree with a lot that has already been said, but for me a major factor is also pace of play.

If i have a round where i am waiting on every shot it is unlikely i will go back in the future no matter how good the course is.

 

[MadAdey]

Thanks for the helpful response.

I've already posted two reviews on my website/blog (https://golfcoursereview.wordpress.com/), I agree with you that their is room for an in-depth review site so that's what i'm focusing on, quality, well written reviews.

I guess the only thing I haven't decided on yet is the scoring system, at the moment it is very basic but what you have suggested looks like the best way to go.

Also thanks for everyone else's feedback.

It would need to have an in-depth scoring system, how ever you choose to use it. I've read reviews before and they are about as much use as a chocolate tea-pot. For me it is all about the course, I couldn't care less if the clubhouse is a broken old wooden shack and the food is crap, I can always go elsewhere to get food. But others look for the complete experience of playing somewhere different.

Using my scoring system is useful, because it helps you choose if it is for you, or not. If the courses are also categorised by the price range then you can find the best course for what you are wanting to pay. At the end of the day we all now a trip to woburn or Wentworth is going to be a pleasurable experience, but you will pay for it. If you rate them by under 50, under 100 and then over 100. Let people look at what is within their own budget.