How are you influenced by the rankings?

[Anthony Gray]

  It does stir my interest when I see a course that I am unfamiliar with ranked. How about you? Does it become a must play for you? Does it even matter?

  Anthony

[Adam_F_Collins]

I think Anthony poses an important question here. (One I've been thinking about, but haven't posted, as I'm sure it's been discussed before)

To that question, I say that I used to be quite influenced; that before I knew any better, I would've taken it at face value and just assumed I was playing the "number whatever" course.

But I wonder too -

What are the effect of these rankings?

How much influence do they have? How much revenue do they translate to?

When we see rankings which we feel are 'off' - what 'damage' can become of it?

[Anthony Gray]

  Adam,

  Good points. I grew up in Bridgeport WV and have close friends that are members and work at The Pete Dye Club, but I have never taken the oppertunity to golf it. Now when I see it at number 4 on the Modern list I'm there in two months. I want to see what all the fuss is about.

  Anthony

[Jonathan Cummings]

I wonder how many can answer this honestly...

[Mike Sweeney]

Personally, I have always said that I am "Top Heavy". Courses played on the latest Golf Digest list:

1-10      7 courses
11-20    2
21-30    1
31-40    0
41-50    1
51- 100  12 courses

23 courses total

Not sure is this means that I am a "Top 10 "Ho"" or if I am a really serious student of architecture. 

PS. If I am forced to play Eastward Ho!, Hidden Creek and Newport CC all summer, I will consider it a great summer.

My personal must see is Essex County - Massachusetts version with Myopia Hunt right behind it over Oakmont, Augusta and Seminole (my Top 10 missing).

[Carl Nichols]

I'm in a pretty unique situation -- living in Argentina for the next 3-4 months -- but because I've encountered a relative lack of information about golf down here, I'll admit that the 2009 GD top 10 in Argentina (together with earlier iterations of the same list) comprises *the* list of courses I will try to play while here.

[Sean Leary]

Because of this site, not really at all.

Before this site, very much so.

[Matt_Ward]

Anthony:

The issue is whether the person ascribes credibility to what you read. I see so little of it because the magazines are missing a number of contenders that should dot their listing.

The reality is that sites like this -- and others -- along with different network sources -- can really illuminate what's happening.

The mags used to have a dominant position on the "new" about key courses. That's not the case now -- at least to me.

[Scott Warren]

Because of this site, not really at all.

Before this site, very much so.

+1.

[Jim Franklin]

If it is rated, I want to play it so I can pass judgement for myself. I do not agree with some of the various course rankings, but enjoy following them.

[Brent Hutto]

Influenced? Not at all.

Care? Not at all.

It's advertising, I attribute to it the same importance as those popularity polls in the local newspaper that always have The Olive Garden as the best "Italian Restaurant" in town.

[TEPaul]

"How are you influenced by the rankings?"


I'm influenced by them in that I think numerical ranking lists should be completely shitcanned, and these magazine ranking lists continue to prove that! I think it has been totally hilarious to read these recent ranking threads that produce all this ridiculous rationalization about how to make them work or work better if any kind of architectural information and education is supposed to be the goal.

[Adam_F_Collins]

So Tom,

If the aim is to educate people on golf course architecture, then the has to be both a selection of "greatness" and an accessible explanation of what makes them "great".

Would you say that there is such a reference? Is it, for instance, The World Atlas of Golf?

Should it be left at that? - eliminating rankings entirely?

A

[Kalen Braley]

Anthony,

Interesting question.  Certainly if a course is listed it'll usually piq my interest to research it and see if I can find any pics or info on the place.

But more often that not its the great course reviews and insights that I see in here that ultimatly make me think it'd sure be nice to see it in person someday and perhaps even play it.

[Sam Maryland]

Golf course ranking -- zero influence, could care less.

Parker rating -- strong influence, often end up under the influence ;-)

[TEPaul]

Adam F C:


On your post #12 you ask me some good questions. I'm going to be on the road for a few hours so I'd like to think about them and get back to you.

In the meantime, you should realize that whenever I've commented on here about golf magazine ranking lists my opinion and attitude has always been something between catty, uninterested and really critical.

I have my own particular reasons for that which I will explain later but I certainly don't want to seem like I'm suggesting they are completely useless for everyone else. I just think it should be better understood what those things are essentially all about and what they aren't.

I take back what I said earlier that they should all be shitcanned. If people like them for whatever reason then obviously they shouldn't be shitcanned.

What I'm primarily interested in though is something that provides people who might be interested in an architectural education with an architectural education and I know those ranking lists don't really do that and they never really have.

But your post deserves a better answer from me than just this. I'll try to supply one later.

[Tom_Doak]

They really don't influence what I build.

Twenty years ago, they had a pretty big influence on what courses I tried to go see.  However, the more I've seen of the rankings and the various results, the less stock I place in them.  There are a few new courses in the GOLF DIGEST rankings, one or two of which I have absolutely NO interest in seeing, based on word of mouth reviews from others and on my own experience with other courses.

The existence of rankings MAY influence what sorts of projects I take on, although it's just one of many factors.

The only real influence rankings have on me is that they have too large a bearing on how much I earn.  That's why they're so dangerous, and why most architects care at least a little bit about them, no matter what we say.

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