Which ‘top 100 courses’ list?

[cvieri32]

Interested to know which ‘top 100’ list people prefer and why? Given there appear to be several lists including:

https://www.top100golfcourses.com/
Golf World / Today’s Golfer
Golf Monthly
National Club Golfer

It seems approaches vary, from user rated, to a more strict review panel type process. Do any feel fairer / more representative than others? Noting this is a very subjective top!

 

[evemccc]

Interested to know which ‘top 100’ list people prefer and why? Given there appear to be several lists including:

https://www.top100golfcourses.com/
Golf World / Today’s Golfer
Golf Monthly
National Club Golfer

It seems approaches vary, from user rated, to a more strict review panel type process. Do any feel fairer / more representative than others? Noting this is a very subjective top!

I think @golfempire has the best review site and reviews personally. Also he has a composite list of all the main review sites you’ve mentioned.

Almost all of the reviews on Golf Empire are done by him, and so you know it’s the same person comparing whereas a panel list could be different preferences
Also there’s things like a Quirk list, as well as type of course (modern, links etc) as well as regional rankings

Edit: some review lists are bizarre Eg. They will have Muirfield listed lower than Dornoch in the Top Scottish courses, but higher than Dornoch in the Top UK courses..?

 

[evemccc]

@cvieri32 I’ve spent more than enough time in the last three years on several of these rankings sites..

I suppose Top100.com is another favourite..the trick is to find a course you’ve played and find a review that has a similar point of view about that course to you — then read (and then play) the other courses that that person also rates highly

You’ll soon get familiar with the names of reviewers you’ve enjoyed

It does make you want to spend all your money and all your time playing (or planning to play) a load of top courses though ?

 

[Deleted member 31467]

I think @golfempire has the best review site and reviews personally. Also he has a composite list of all the main review sites you’ve mentioned.

Almost all of the reviews on Golf Empire are done by him, and so you know it’s the same person comparing whereas a panel list could be different preferences

You think the views of one person are better than those of a big panel? The GM article about their reviewers this month said they have about 40 people. I know which I would pay more attention to.

 

[IanM]

I read them all... but only to spark debate. Some of the relative placings are hard to reconcile, but it isn't an exact science.

 

[cvieri32]

haha I know what you mean - already lining up as many as i can for this year, though I think I’ll be doing well to add another 5 on in 2023!

@cvieri32 I’ve spent more than enough time in the last three years on several of these rankings sites..

I suppose Top100.com is another favourite..the trick is to find a course you’ve played and find a review that has a similar point of view about that course to you — then read (and then play) the other courses that that person also rates highly

You’ll soon get familiar with the names of reviewers you’ve enjoyed

It does make you want to spend all your money and all your time playing (or planning to play) a load of top courses though ?

 

[cvieri32]

I‘d read one of them (possibly GM) was a case of anyone can vote, whereas Golf World is a ‘panel of experts’- will try and locate the GM article to which you refer, sounds interesting!

You think the views of one person are better than those of a big panel? The GM article about their reviewers this month said they have about 40 people. I know which I would pay more attention to.

 

[evemccc]

You think the views of one person are better than those of a big panel? The GM article about their reviewers this month said they have about 40 people. I know which I would pay more attention to.

Yes. That is why I used the words ‘I’ and ‘personally’ in my sentence stating my preference..

If a reviewer has played all of the top 50 links courses and makes a statement in a review about something, I know he’s personally played all of the other courses….if it’s a panel of 8 making a review list, the chances are each panelist may not have done


I read them all, anyway, and so should anyone interested in course design

 

[Deleted member 31467]

Yes. That is why I used the words ‘I’ and ‘personally’ in my sentence stating my preference..

If a reviewer has played all of the top 50 links courses and makes a statement in a review about something, I know he’s personally played all of the other courses….if it’s a panel of 8 making a review list, the chances are each panelist may not have done


I read them all, anyway, and so should anyone interested in course design

Fair enough if you want only 1 person's opinion. You only have to look on this forum to see how some people like links, others like heathland or parkland. Getting a balanced view is much better IMHO.

 

[Jacko_G]

They're all flawed - make up your own mind.

 

[golfempire]

I think @golfempire has the best review site and reviews personally. Also he has a composite list of all the main review sites you’ve mentioned.

Almost all of the reviews on Golf Empire are done by him, and so you know it’s the same person comparing whereas a panel list could be different preferences
Also there’s things like a Quirk list, as well as type of course (modern, links etc) as well as regional rankings

Edit: some review lists are bizarre Eg. They will have Muirfield listed lower than Dornoch in the Top Scottish courses, but higher than Dornoch in the Top UK courses..?

That's very kind of you to say. Yes, all reviews done by myself so you hopefully see what I personally think are the best whereas on a panel it definitely gets diluted down (I am on Top 100 & NCG panels fwiw) but then on the otherhand with the group lists you also get the opinion of a load more folk, many of which are a lot more qualified than myself! Ultimately I'd take the exact running order of any list with a large pinch of salt.

 

[IanM]

Don't mention the Belfry!

 

[hairball_89]

I think I’ve played 3 courses on the (lower half!) of the list, as such my experience is incomparable to many on here.

However, I’d take a large bet that any of the top 5 could be top, any of the top 15 could be top 10 and the further down you go the same applies. 79 in one year could put in loads of work and be 61 the next.

All in all, they’re all varying degrees of excellent golf course and experience.

 

[Deleted member 31467]

This made me laugh, compare the course positions for Belgium and Europe overall. How can any ranking with such discrepancies be taken seriously

https://www.top100golfcourses.com/golf-courses/continental-europe/belgium

 

[sunshine]

This made me laugh, compare the course positions for Belgium and Europe overall. How can any ranking with such discrepancies be taken seriously

https://www.top100golfcourses.com/golf-courses/continental-europe/belgium

Yeah I noticed this recently with another European country. I think it’s because they are rolling out new country rankings and then they will update the overall European rankings.

It would spoil their thunder if they updated the European rankings first.

 

[Crazyface]

It always baffles me when a "new" list is produced each year. What do these courses do to move up , or cause them to drop down? And, who has the time to go round every single one and asses them all each year. That's a massive task. Conkers if you ask me.

 

[Jacko_G]

It always baffles me when a "new" list is produced each year. What do these courses do to move up , or cause them to drop down? And, who has the time to go round every single one and asses them all each year. That's a massive task. Conkers if you ask me.

The obvious answer is they make wholesale changes like Turnberry did. It's comfortably the best course in Britain (for me) but he's to polarising for magazines and ratings to buck the anti Trump media bandwagon. Again like Trump Aberdeen, 100 times better than Cruden Bay yet Cruden is ranked above it.

Absolute nonsense - hence why I say make up your own mind as they're all flawed and influenced.

 

[Newnsy]

I always take a look at Top100 before visiting a course just to see what's been said, but as above form your own opinion of the course as these lists are just other peoples or groups opinions there are courses in the Top 15 in England that personally would only just put in the Top 100 but because of their history they maintain a higher status - But that's just my opinion and I'm sure lots of other people would disagree.

I do think they should change how they rank courses and remove emotive scoring based on what's happened in there history, but then again I would say go play St Andrews because the place is so special

 

[Grizzly]

Always enjoy reading them, rarely find that I entirely agree with them -- example being Camberley Heath and Blackmoor which we played in the last but one H4H - most listings have Camberley ahead, but I cannot for the life of me see it, its not even close. Oddly, I found the recent Todays Golfer one more interesting than most because they covered the courses 101-200 in order, which gave a lot of new talking points and featured 100 courses you might actually play.

 

[Newnsy]

Always enjoy reading them, rarely find that I entirely agree with them -- example being Camberley Heath and Blackmoor which we played in the last but one H4H - most listings have Camberley ahead, but I cannot for the life of me see it, its not even close. Oddly, I found the recent Todays Golfer one more interesting than most because they covered the courses 101-200 in order, which gave a lot of new talking points and featured 100 courses you might actually play.

This is why the lists are so interesting and create discussions I couldn't agree with you more its not close between Blackmoor and Camberley but I would have Camberley above, all down to what suits your eye I guess