Aussie GD Ranking Criteria: Make You Go "Hmm"?

[James Bennett]

I am sure Metro allow prams on the fairway, and probably even across the greens.

I think you can do that on Tuesday mornings.

 

James B

[Andrew Summerell]

Two British Open courses - Birkdale and Carnoustie.  I would rather play Carnoustie any day of the week.  Birkdale I wouldn't care if I never saw  again.  Yet it has all the advantages Carnoustie doesn't.  Both are similarly thorough tests. Birkdale does have some terriffic shots, but is otherwise mundane and uninteresting, apart from 9, 2 and 15.  It's a much more special place to play, however.  Which is better?

I agree with you, Mark, yet, neither of those two courses would make my UK Top 20, even though I greatly enjoyed them both. Of course, many would look at my UK Top 20 & wonder if I was on drugs.

We see The Australian back in the Top 10. Obviously conditioning is important to AGD as The Aus is in great condition 52 weeks a year & it can play tough. The fact that architecturally it is the epitome of bland doesn’t seem to matter.

What is difficulty ? That can change from golfer to golfer.

What is good conditioning ? Some love perfectly green courses, even if they play soft. I do not consider that good conditioning.

What is good architecture ? We see enough divergent opinions on this site to understand how difficult that would be to rate.

There will never be one system that will satisfy all readers of these lists.

[Mark_F]

I agree with you, Mark, yet, neither of those two courses would make my UK Top 20, even though I greatly enjoyed them both. Of course, many would look at my UK Top 20 & wonder if I was on drugs.

Aren't all musicians on drugs?   I would surmise Rye, Swinley, St George's Hill, Woking, Prestwick, North Berwick, Brancaster  are in there ahead of the usual suspects such as Wentworth, Birkdale, Turnberry, Troon, Waterville?

What is good conditioning ? Some love perfectly green courses, even if they play soft. I do not consider that good conditioning.

It's when the course allows you to play the shots the architecture intended. Although I do think fairways should have a little green in them. It's a mystery as to why anything beyond that is considered superior.

What is difficulty ? That can change from golfer to golfer.

True, but I think equitable difficulty can be much the same for all.  Although I have never played it, Metropolitan has always struck me as a course that would be very difficult for a jam tin flyer like me, yet a relative pushover for big hitters like Mr Mollica - the exact opposite of my course, of course.

We'll see soon hopefully whether all that cooing over the cot hasn't altered his postural signature and therefore his swing. 

[Andrew Summerell]

Aren't all musicians on drugs?  

Not when you reach 40, have short hair & are fat.

I would surmise Rye, Swinley, St George's Hill, Woking, Prestwick, North Berwick, Brancaster  are in there ahead of the usual suspects such as Wentworth, Birkdale, Turnberry, Troon, Waterville?

Pretty much

What is good conditioning ? Some love perfectly green courses, even if they play soft. I do not consider that good conditioning.

It's when the course allows you to play the shots the architecture intended.

I would agree, but many don't

[Kevin Pallier]

Mark

The only real focus I give to conditioning when comparing golf courses is whether the greens are of a consistent speed and quality in sync with their design.

Speaking of criteria - I find it interesting that Golf Australia list a "WOW" factor as part of it's components....

[Matthew Mollica]

Loved this quote from Geoff Shack's site today -

"The quality of lists clearly depends on the quality of the judges. On their education, intelligence, knowledge, experience, ability, honesty, artistic sense, lack of bias; their grace and tolerance; their breadth and integrity as human beings. Be that as it may, I have always maintained that the only lists where the judges were any good were those where you came out on top".   -  DESMOND MUIRHEAD

Matthew