Gary Van Sickle at SI on golf course ratings/rankings

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Will this be the last word?

Who comes up with golf-course rankings, and what criteria do they use to rate them? I had the chance to play Royal Melbourne last year. It is purported to be the seventh-best course in the world. At one point, the Aussie I was playing with turned to me and asked if it felt like the seventh-best course in the world to me. I certainly don't want to denigrate Royal Melbourne, but I've played nicer courses. --John Lees, Wappingers Falls, N.Y.

How dare you question the sacred rankings, John-boy? Why, they're carefully and scientifically devised by anyone who wants to make up a list (usually monthly golf magazines looking for a break between their "How to Cure Your Slice" articles) and carefully ranked in the order that the listmakers, well, feel like ranking 'em. One magazine's ranking has long featured at No. 1 a course at which its editor is a member. That same magazine used to (and maybe still does) follow a point-formula in which courses that allow walkers earned extra credit in its rankings. What that has to do with a course's design remains a mystery. In short, the rankings are totally subjective and mostly irrelevant. Make up your own. It'll be just as legitimate.

[Tom_Doak]

acer:

I played Royal Melbourne just yesterday.  I can't think of seven other golf courses I would definitely put above it.  But, all rankings are opinions, in the end.

[Carlyle Rood]

I happen to think that walking is a legitimate criteria, particularly if caddies are available.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Tom

It's all subjective in the end.
Personally, this is how I rate courses:
             1. I really like the course and would play it again
             2. The course is ok and maybe I'll play it again
             3. I don't like the course and wouldn't play it again......   (unless it was a freebie)

Who's to say if Merion should be rated higher/ranked higher than Walnut Lane, for example? I always thought Walnut Lane,a Philadelphia muni, where I played a lot of golf while in law school, was a dog track. Then, many years later, I "joined" GCA and found Walnut Lane as a featured course while Merion was not to be found! Someone actually waxed poetic about this course! I couldn't believe it. Upon reflection, Walnut Lane has many good holes but just a terrible routing and generally poor conditioning- no sand in the bunkers until recently. I remember taking a hammer to use to get the tee in the rock hard ground. However, it serves its purpose for the people who play there just as Merion does.

I just bought your book- Confidential Guide- so I can learn more since many here use your system.

Steve

[A_Clay_Man]

. What that has to do with a course's design remains a mystery.

I beleive this comment shows that there are many more mysteries in this authors life.

[ForkaB]

redanman

Don't you mean:

2--I won't drink it/play it AGAIN

?

Surely you are not so inherently biased against Greek produce and Rees Jones designs that you won't even TRY them?

Say it ain't so....

[Kelly_Blake_Moran]

redanman,

Is there a category for I drank it, drank a lot of it, but I don't remember drinking it, and can that apply to golf?  Or is that the category where some else is buying?

acer,

where did you get the out of print guide?