"Empirical" GCA Top Fifty List

[Roger Wolfe]

From Wikipedia:
The word empirical denotes information gained by means of observation, experience, or experiment.[1] A central concept in science and the scientific method is that all evidence must be empirical, or empirically based, that is, dependent on evidence or consequences that are observable by the senses

Here is the "Empirical" GCA Top Fifty List.  On a slow day I took the results of the "Name your Top 25" thread and listed them all (1925 entries).  Below is the list.  I only used the number of times each club was included in a Top 25 list.  I value accessibility as much as quality and as far as I am concerned, Augusta National only exists in the make believe world of televised golf.  Enjoy!

1. St Andrews (Old) - 43 Votes
2. Pacific Dunes   - 42 Votes
3. Bandon Dunes   - 28 Votes
3. Royal Dornoch   - 28 Votes
5. Pebble Beach   - 27 Votes
6. Royal County Down - 26 Votes
7. Ballybunion - 25 Votes
7. Pinehurst #2   - 25 Votes
9. Bandon Trails   - 23 Votes
9. Royal Portrush   - 23 Votes
11. Cypress Point   - 22 Votes
11. Muirfield - 22 Votes
13. Carnoustie - 21 Votes
13. North Berwick   - 21 Votes
15. Bethpage - Black  - 20 Votes
16. Oakmont - 18 Votes
17. Ballyneal - 17 Votes
17. Merion - 17 Votes
17. Turnberry (Alisa) - 17 Votes
21. Kiawah (The Ocean Course) - 16 Votes
21. Lahinch - 16 Votes
21. National Golf Links  - 16 Votes
21. Pine Valley - 16 Votes
26. Crystal Downs   - 15 Votes
26. Pasatiempo - 15 Votes
26. Whistling Straits   - 15 Votes
29. Olympic Club - 14 Votes
29. Riviera - 14 Votes
29. Shinnecock - 14 Votes
32. Kingsley Club  - 13 Votes
32. Sand Hills   - 13 Votes
32. Tobacco Road   - 13 Votes
35. Kingston Heath   - 12 Votes
35. Royal Melbourne (West) - 12 Votes
35. TPC Sawgrass   - 12 Votes
38. Kingsbarns - 11 Votes
38. Portmarnock - 11 Votes
38. Prestwick - 11 Votes
38. Royal St George's  - 11 Votes
38. San Francisco Golf Club - 11 Votes
38. Spyglass Hill   - 11 Votes
44. Fishers Island   - 10 Votes
44. Friar’s Head   - 10 Votes
44. LACC - 10 Votes
44. Sunningdale (Old)   - 10 Votes
48. Cruden Bay   - 9 Votes
48. Royal Birkdale   - 9 Votes
48. Winged Foot (West)  - 9 Votes
48. Yale - 9 Votes
52. Arcadia Bluffs   - 8 Votes
52. Pine Needles   - 8 Votes
52. Plainfield - 8 Votes
52. Rustic Canyon   - 8 Votes
52. Torrey Pines (South) - 8 Votes

[Brian Phillips]

Roger,

I hate to burst your bubble but that rating has already been done quite scientifically by someone else on here already...

[Chris Simonson]

I applaud the repeated effort, but this list is a joke.

[Tony Weiler]

Brian, totally different methodology, however.  I like this compilation, as well. 

[Tony_Muldoon]

Thats the problem with lists, I love them all.

(Roger you only counted one of Anthony's 25 votes for Cruden Bay?)

[Jim Colton]

Roger,
  
  It must've been a really slow day!

  Nice work.  Interesting read.

  Jim

[Roger Wolfe]

Sorry to offend the purists, but I like good data and a list from folks who have actually set foot on the golf courses.  Yes,
its somewhat intended to be "tongue in cheek" but what good is a list full of places you most likely will never be allowed
to set foot on.

You want a list that is not "a joke"... it might be impossible to find.  The ultra-political and corrupt list Golf Digest puts out
every year has lost all credibility with me in recent years.

[Roger Wolfe]

Roger,
  
  It must've been a really slow day!

  Nice work.  Interesting read.

  Jim

Fifteen years of working with Excel and bad, proprietary accounting systems finally paid off!

Does anyone have the list Brian referred to above... I would love to see it.

[Carl Nichols]

Roger,
I think this is the thread:

http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,42368.0/

[Brian Phillips]

The list is flawed as the Public Courses get higher ratings due to lack of play of the private courses such as Sand Hills.

[Rob Rigg]

It is kind of interesting from the standpoint of "access".

Obviously many in the treehouse have the opportunity to play the finest courses - both public and private - but others do not - and in such a tally it becomes evident which publics people are willing to travel to play and which privates appear somewhat accessible.

There is certainly some value here - not in absolute quality of course rankings - but in terms of the great courses that members of GCA have played the most and enjoyed the most.

Interesting Roger - Thanks

Also - Any magazines 1 to 100 rankings are nothing more than an interesting list either IMO - these lists are little more than a bit of fun, no matter how "pro" or "right" anyone tries to make them

Just IMO of course

[John Moore II]

I applaud the repeated effort, but this list is a joke.

Why is it a joke? That might need some explaining. Its no more a joke than any of the lists published in the magazines and accepted as gospel by many.

[Jaeger Kovich]

The problem is that all the private clubs get the shaft. Oakmont and Ballyneal are the first 2 listed at #16 and 17, when everyone who has played the PV's, Sandhills and Cypress have them above both of those in their personal lists....

What this really does is show the most accessible of the worlds greatest courses... which i think is great!

[Stewart Abramson]

What this really does is show the most accessible of the worlds greatest courses... which i think is great!

Or, courses that attract golf architecture geeks to travel to play and are liked after having been played.  Whatever it shows or doesn't show, thanks for posting.

[Scott Warren]

Why is it when people say "I hate to burst your bubble" it often sounds like the person is actually quite enjoying it?!

Roger, as Robb R said, it is interesting to see which of the great courses the Treehouse is actually playing.

It's sad, IMO, that you have to get as far down as T38 - Royal St George's - to see an English course. It continues to perplex me that so many people make pilgrimmages to play British golf and don't venture outside Ireland and Scotland.

That whinge is almost getting to "hobby horse" status with me!

[Garland Bayley]

How come Jawbone Creek Country Club did not make the list?

[Ronald Montesano]

I loved the ebb and flow of this thread...Roger (a guy I have personally met...thanks, Carl!) assembled a list, people jumped up and decried it, others came to its defense.  In the end, some found something of value in the list, while others from GCA never viewed it.  The random nature of life came to life in this thread.  Thanks, Roger.

[Brad Huff]

Roger,

As a physics teacher I loved it!  Sorry for the dogpile that ensued.

It's unfortunate, but an empirical ranking of golf courses will never be possible because what makes one player rank one course over another is subjective.  We're forever objectively compiling subjective data.

I loved the effort though!  Bravo to you!

BH

[Gary Slatter]

it's a fine "list", if someone could only play course on that list I think they would be quite happy!
I like the lists found on Pat Baxter's site, top100courses
Aren't all lists subjective? 
Hello Anthony, I've moved!