My concern with bringing ranking acclaim to unheralded courses like Cleeve Hill is that it is going to be followed by the inevitable hiking up of the green fee rates. This is of little concern to well-to-do international golf course travellers, list tickers and raters (guilty as charged), but locally it is going to make the course less affordable and perhaps even unaffordable. It is a fine balance between rightly bringing an underappreciated course to wider public attention, as Sean has done so admirably, before snatching it away from them again as it becomes overpriced. Cleeve is currently in the golden phase where it is both admired and affordable. I hope it will stay there.
It's not so long ago that Cleeve was going to close. It is brilliant that it has been saved and, by all accounts, is thriving under new ownership. Long may that continue. How they navigate this new path they find themselves on is going to be interesting.
I share your concern, but with all the courses listed. The St Andrews hike in their TOC green fee this year is more than twice the prime time Cleeve Hill rate! Even so the trend at Cleeve Hill was sharply rising green fees before being listed. No doubt this list will escalate the fees....which is great for Cleeve Hill, not so much for golfers. I already play the course less because of increased fees. However, none of that has anything to do with lists...its punters' reactions to the lists. If a club gets more calls and website hits fees go up. Then the land owners cotton on and raise the rent. The circle continues until....at the moment it seems forever. The rise in GB&I green fees these past 10 or so years has been astronomical. But if I was a club manager, I would do the same thing because a crash is coming.
Ciao