Ben Hogan NJ:
I'll send you a copy of the magazine as long as you forward me your home or business address. Just send the info to mattwardgolf@hotmail.com if you're interested.
Please understand many people who did the Golf Mag poll are individuals who have not seen the various Jersey courses in question to the level of those who live here. Playing a course once and playing it several times is a big difference. Sometimes when you play just once you only see the broad outlines -- you miss the finer points.
The other factor is that ratings based on the masses will produce a result that I believe is little more than name association with the architect who designed it or because of some long standing recognition tied to that course or area of the country.
Ben Hogan, understand one thing -- I did course ratings for Golf Digest for 17 years. It always amazed me about the lack of knowledge of a number of fellow panelists because very few really have the expertise to make the nationwide cross comparisons and do the extensive kind of travel you need to do in order to be effective in any ratings process. Don't assume because a title says "Golf Whatever" that it automatically has more insight than others. Just because you have not heard of Jersey Golfer doesn't mean to say we don't know what we're talking about. We've been around 11 years and should not be discounted because some we don't carry the cache of a national pub.
Unfortunately, there are many people who give automatic points to a so-called name architect but will just "assume" that if someone does a course and is not highly known then the course must be a waste of time. That is rubbish!
Also -- when you call TD a "driving range" please don't proclaim your ignorance until you've played the course. I've already spelled out to you that "wide" fairways don't mean a lesser course. ANGC and TOC are two examples that prove my point -- ditto Bandon Dunes, Sand Hills and Pacific Dunes, to name three others. Courses that are boa constrictor narrow are usually predictable and boring -- they favor only one type of play.
Pine Hill is a fine course and I'm not part of the anti-TF faction that sometimes appears on GCA. But, if you examine the strategic merits of each and every hole between Pine Hill and TD you will see what Mike Cirba and I are addressing. The range of depth and variations are greater at TD than PH. Please play the course before proclaiming who much off based people like Mike and I. Thanks!