Why Are So Many Courses Dropping So Much in the Golf Digest Rankings?

[Parker Page]

1. Medinah #48 – as high as #11 in 2007-08
2. GC at Black Rock #84 – as high as #27 in 2009-10
3. Rich Harvest Links #88 – as high as #45 in 2005-06
4. Inverness #89 – as high as #40 in 2009-10
5. Flint Hills #97 – as high as #43 in 2005-06
6. Eagle Point #100 – as high as #48 in 2011-12
7. Shoal Creek #106 – as high as #49 in 2005-06
8. Forest Highlands #114 – as high as #45 in 2007-08
9. East Lake #119 – as high as #61 in 2011-12
10. Grandfather #121 – as high as #65 in 2007-08
11. Sage Valley #122 – as high as #78 in 2005-06
12. Harbour Town #127 – as high as #75 in 2009-10 (and I believe I heard Ron Whitten say that at one point it was in the Top 10 in the early years!)
13. Eugene #128 – as high as #62 in 2009-10
14. Forest Dunes #135 – as high as #99 in 2011-12
15. Kiawah (Cassique) #137 – as high as #85 in 2009-10
16. Ocean Forest #138 – as high as #66 in 2005-06
17. Sycamore Hills #139 – as high as #69 in 2011-12
18. Long Cove Club #148 – as high as #71 in 2005-06
19. Sanctuary #152 – as high as #73 in 2007-08
20. Stone Canyon Club #155 – as high as #68 in 2009-10
21. Black Diamond Ranch #163 – as high as #67 in 2007-08
22. Whisper Rock (Upper) #167 – as high as #123 in 2013-14
23. Broadmoor (East) #169 – as high as #135 in 2013-14
24. Tullymore (NR) – as high as #83 in 2007-08


Here's my best shot – these are mostly courses that were designed in the architectural low period of the 50's - 90's, or they are classic courses that have suffered too much tinkering during that same period.  Now those courses are being bumped down by superior courses from what many consider the "second golden age" or by golden age courses revitalized.  The three obvious exceptions to this trend are Pete Dye (the godfather of the second golden age), Jack Nicklaus (influenced by Dye and a sometime member of the second golden age) and the true outlier – Tom Fazio.  Six of the declining courses above are his work either by design or renovation, but then again, he has 15 in the Top 100 and another 22(!) in the Second 100 (plus his influence on many other designs such as Pine Valley, Augusta, Merion, et al). 


So if my theory is correct, then why should all those other low-period courses fall, but not Fazio (for the most part)?  Of course, my theory may not be correct, so I look to those more learned than I for insight.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Some clubs open with a lot of fanfare, then as more guys see them it levels off to where it should have always been. Sanctuary, Black Rock, and Sage Valley are good examples. Let's face it Black Rock and Sanctuary are in two stunning settings. I try not to let that influence me but I think it does more than I'd like to admit. The second time around the setting isn't so new. I have noticed that the second time I played them my numbers went down. I probably rated them too highly the first time. As for Sage Valley the shot values seemed extremely high the first time but on replay I wasn't as impressed.

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

I love Harbour Town but have heard many times over the last several years that the conditioning has been an issue. Now that the new clubhouse is built, and I think the renovation of the other course is complete (former Ocean?), perhaps they can focus on getting conditioning back in order.

[jeffwarne]

Long Cove was 19th in the country in the mid-late 80's
Perhaps a bit overrated then at 19th-a bit underrated now at 148





Tastes and fads change
many great new courses built
hype and fanfae
a new course is only "new"once, eventually the play "what's new" crowd gravitate to that and history repeats


Lots of predicatable falls listed, Alotian Club being the noteable exception-must be some "lack of ANGC invite" fear in play there

[Tom_Doak]

The biggest reason for this phenomenon is that the raters who are most prone to like a course by a particular designer, are the ones who go in the first two years and set the high bar for it.  Then the guys who don't like, say, Jim Engh's work think, well, maybe this course is different than his others, so they go to see it, and it's not different, and their votes make it fall back to earth.


As Jeff says, too, the private courses get a lot of attention when they're brand new and the developer is spending marketing dollars and the course gets ranked as Best New ... but if it's private, that's the last of that it will ever get, because you are never going to see articles about private courses in the mags.  So from there, there is nowhere to go but down.  The same phenomenon explains why tournament courses [which get a ton of attention when they host an event] generally have more staying power, as long as they keep hosting an event.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Long Cove was 19th in the country in the mid-late 80's
Perhaps a bit overrated then at 19th-a bit underrated now at 148

Painful to see this, as I believe that course is so much better than Harbour Town. LC is in desperate need of a renovation and was supposed to happened in summer of 2017, but I'm not sure if the hurricane is postponing that.

[Jon Wiggett]

The rating of many courses has as much to do with the hype they can create around the course as it has to do with the quality of the actual place. I have little time for ratings and even less for raters. I much prefer to talk to someone who has played the vast spectrum of courses in an area or country than some appointed 'special one' who plays a small, preselected group of courses on a freebie whilst being almost certainly looked after by the club.


Jon