2024 Top 100 Methodology: How We Ranked Canada’s Best

A top 100 list is something so fleshed out in the world of golf that it can be difficult to really separate a list from another. At Beyond The Contour, we simply asked one question to compile our list: what is the better golf course?

Much like our ranking system in 2022, we do not have any criteria or a set of metrics to judge a golf course on, There are no subcategories like a “Walk in the Park” test, “Fun,” or “Difficulty” for panellists to crunch numbers on a scale out of 10 (because really, what is 7.87 out of 10 on “Fun”)? Rather, we compile our list through panellists slotting courses into various tiers, asking them where they think each golf course falls in the pecking order of Canadian golf.

In doing so, our ranking system is stripped back to the purest form of rankings: “I think X is better than Y.” In order to get there, though, each panellist gets sent a spreadsheet of the Top 200 golf courses from last year’s ranking, which acts as their ballot. They check off which courses they have seen among those 200, and that provides their “weight” as a panellist. After that, each panellist slots the courses they checked off into various ranges:

Once they slot the courses into each category, their “weight” is multiplied by the tier they ranked each course, and in order to get the final position of each course, the total number between (weight x placement) is divided by the weight across all panellists who rated the course to give an “average placement.” The lower the number, the better rated the course is. As a result of the system, those who have seen more of the Top 200 have more sway in the list. Not only does this encourage those who want more say in the final product to explore the country, but it also rewards those who have taken the time to travel across the country and find those outlier courses.

All this is the same since 2022 and 2023’s public list, though. We did not reinvent our system or change the metrics. Instead, the panel got stronger: up from 17 panellists in 2022, the panel grew by 58% to 27 total people. Yes, regions like British Columbia and Ontario saw more panellists onboard as well, but we saw contributors from Saskatchewan and Prince Edward Island get involved, too. We needed more regional representation, and that we got. As a result, you will see a better diversity of some of the fringe areas of the country: New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, Newfoundland, among others. The usual suspects from Quebec and Alberta are here, but maybe one or two courses in rural Canada improved their standing as a result of better representation.

In order to qualify to make the Top 100, a minimum of three panellists had to rate it. Only one course missed that metric to qualify—Quebec’s Domaine LaForest—though a few just outside the list would have qualified for the Top 150. Nonetheless, this list is without edits, alterations, or editorial oversight. The list is presented as we saw it come in… as the spreadsheet spit it out.

So, who is ranking these golf courses? It is not just a compilation of the best golf courses those who write on Beyond The Contour have played. Many of them are on the panel, but instead, that twenty-seven is comprised of numerous golf architects, journalists, esteemed club professionals, and the journeymen and journeywomen who venture across the country to play golf. Like 2022, many have requested to stay anonymous, although a slew have “Panellist Profiles” in the 2024-2025 Top 100 Golf Courses in Canada physical limited-edition print (coming March 8). Nonetheless, the common motif among the crew? They all have keen eyes for great golf architecture.

Want to apply to be a panellist? Think we got the methodology or the top 100 wrong? Let us know below!