How you can tell course ratings are BS on here

[jhgonzo]

It's obvious that we'll see a lot more of the 5-disc (yet only 1- or 2-paragraph) reviews of Flyboy a la Idlewild and Flip...it's already gotten more reviews than Blueberry Hill (38 versus 30, which was in the ground years before Flyboy was even conceived, but is much harder to get to for the bulk of DGers in the U.S.).

If you look at only Trusted Reviewers, Blueberry rates as a 4.9 (10 TRs) and Flyboy sits at 4.8 (5 TRs)...chances are that Flyboy will be bombarded with a lot more 5-disc reviews from people who register on DGCR just to review that one course, much more accessible to large metro areas than the Highbridge complex, while Highbridge reviews will continue to trickle in since it really does require a vacation for most people.

That said, I'm seriously considering heading down to play Flyboy, probably fly down to Georgia and rent a car and hit up a few more courses while I'm down there...when the bank account allows, that is. Seeing the pics and reading the reviews of Flyboy has actually caused me to have dreams that I was playing the course, only to wake up and think, "Aw, shucks, I'm not there!" and make a vow to myself to get down there.

 

[Apothecary]

if those rubber pads arent kept suuuuuper clean, i couldnt give it a 5-disc rating.:\

 

[mashnut]

Remember it is all an average of all people voting, if you haven't played and rated a course you have no ground to argue yet. I am not faulting you for examining this, but you cannot compare until you have been there. There are intangibles that just pictures cannot show you.

This is an important point. I am all for having an honest discussion about course ratings and reviews when you've played a course and disagree with the majority of reviewers, I've had several of those discussions through pms. If you haven't played a course though, it's a little ridiculous to say it's over- or underrated just based on the pictures you see.

 

[U_NICED_ME]

At least the tee pads look level and somewhat 'installed'.

 

[smyith]

i think you guys are missing my point. to be the Best of the Best, you have to have everything. not just get a C on the teepads, a F on amenities, a B on baskets and an A+++++++ on design. it should be A+ across the board. thats what i am trying to get at. If i give a course a 5 disc, i don't think that there anything that could be done better. to me this flyboy looks like a stellar 4.5 course that has the potential to easily be a 5 disc.

 

[tallpaul]

I should not have even posted in this thread; having not been there. The long holes get most of the press; but, having gone to look at the pics and read through the reviews; even though I already said I want to get there; I will note this even more.

I do know a couple of courses that I think are absolutely great, that get dissed some for losing discs in the water. Seems like Flyboy would fall into this category as well.

 

[optidiscic]

I should not have even posted in this thread; having not been there. The long holes get most of the press; but, having gone to look at the pics and read through the reviews; even though I already said I want to get there; I will note this even more.

I do know a couple of courses that I think are absolutely great, that get dissed some for losing discs in the water. Seems like Flyboy would fall into this category as well.

I will admit I am a hydrophobe and hate deep water...I know a lot of people enjoy this thrill...I try not to let it affect my ratings but I was having the same thought about Flyboy

 

[mashnut]

i think you guys are missing my point. to be the Best of the Best, you have to have everything. not just get a C on the teepads, a F on amenities, a B on baskets and an A+++++++ on design. it should be A+ across the board. thats what i am trying to get at. If i give a course a 5 disc, i don't think that there anything that could be done better. to me this flyboy looks like a stellar 4.5 course that has the potential to easily be a 5 disc.

Says who? It's absolutely valid for you to rate based on that set of criteria, but you don't get to say that everyone needs to care equally about all those things. I think that the mix of different reviewers with different priorities gives a much more complete picture of a course than a bunch of people all rating on exactly the same set of things.

 

[smyith]

It's obvious that we'll see a lot more of the 5-disc (yet only 1- or 2-paragraph) reviews of Flyboy a la Idlewild and Flip...it's already gotten more reviews than Blueberry Hill (38 versus 30, which was in the ground years before Flyboy was even conceived, but is much harder to get to for the bulk of DGers in the U.S.).

the bluberry hill and flyboy comparison isn't very fair. If you never been up there then you wouldn't know, but there ain't $%^& for population to draw from. the town of Highbridge, WI consists of a few (i mean a few) houses, a cementary, a place that i assume is a bar (looks like a house but had beer signs everywhere and a large gravel parking area), and the course. to go to a store you have to travel 25mi. atlanta isn't that far from flyboy it has a much larger populous to pull from. the closest town near atlanta's says is a couple hundred miles away.

 

[lokirising]

Again, it all about opinion.

 

[optidiscic]

the bluberry hill and flyboy comparison isn't very fair. If you never been up there then you wouldn't know, but there ain't $%^& for population to draw from. the town of Highbridge, WI consists of a few (i mean a few) houses, a cementary, a place that i assume is a bar (looks like a house but had beer signs everywhere and a large gravel parking area), and the course. to go to a store you have to travel 25mi. atlanta isn't that far from flyboy it has a much larger populous to pull from. the closest town near atlanta's says is a couple hundred miles away.

More population=more noobs or non serious DGers with access who dont appreciate a challenging design...more bad reviews

Less population=only seasoned and serious DGer who appreciates challenging design will venture there and thus more postive reviews

just saying

 

[bikinjack]

i think you guys are missing my point. to be the Best of the Best, you have to have everything. not just get a C on the teepads, a F on amenities, a B on baskets and an A+++++++ on design. it should be A+ across the board. thats what i am trying to get at. If i give a course a 5 disc, i don't think that there anything that could be done better. to me this flyboy looks like a stellar 4.5 course that has the potential to easily be a 5 disc.

I understand what you're getting at, but I don't agree with it at all. Like Opti, the only way things like tees and baskets would ever factor into a rating I give a course is if they are vastly inadequate or dangerous. What I do consider more than anything is how much I want to play there again, and the overall design of the course, mainly in terms of the quality of the holes (at least in my eyes). Neither of the courses I gave 5 discs to have any trashcans. One has no tee signs, homemade baskets (which catch better than any others I've ever played), and carpeted tees, with a few benches scattered along the walk through the course. The other has wonderful concrete tees, great tee signs, next hole signage, and benches at every hole. But none of these things are reasons why I consider them 5 disc courses. They're 5 disc courses to me because I found the designs to be amazing, and I would love to play them every day. I will admit that I am sometimes drawn in by aesthetics, which I probably shouldn't be.

tldr: it's all opinion.

 

[medicinalfunk]

how can you tell if the course ratings are BS? go play it for yourself, that's what i did with all the courses i read about on here

 

[unknown2no1]

It seems obvious that the OP wants DGCR to set standards on the reviews its users submit, I don't necessarily think this would a be a bad thing but I think there is a place for opinionated and standardized reviews

 

[harr0140]

i think you guys are missing my point. to be the Best of the Best, you have to have everything. not just get a C on the teepads, a F on amenities, a B on baskets and an A+++++++ on design. it should be A+ across the board. thats what i am trying to get at. If i give a course a 5 disc, i don't think that there anything that could be done better. to me this flyboy looks like a stellar 4.5 course that has the potential to easily be a 5 disc.

To you that is true, but it isnt to everyone, some people couldnt care less about the amenities, some couldnt care, about the teepads, some couldnt care about if they have toilets, garbage cans, or tee signs, do you really expect them to use the exact same critera as everyone else? Thats not fair to say someone else criteria is flawed. I am one who values everything but like I said I can look past no benches, no tee signs, poor teepads, etc etc etc and still rate a course highly, but to get a 5 it needs a little of everything as you will see by Winter Park only getting a 4.5. If it had good teepads it would be a 5 for sure, but the teepads are bad enough that it took the whole rating down in my opinion. Then the courses I have given 5's to have a little of everything . . . Blue Ribbon Pines and Bracketts Bluff

 

[scarpfish]

Never been there, but I'm sure Flyboy is a great course, just like Flip, Blueberry and Idlewild are.

That being said, I think its only natural that people get a little suspicious that some folks are trying to game the system when it gets five 5-star reviews in less than 48 hours.

And while the subject is up, here's a sure fire way to get a red thumb from me...

Cons: None

Every course has cons, including the best of best. If I had my way, reviews that say that would be pulled, or at least not counted.

 

[wkelly42]

I actually like courses that have natural tees -- I don't do a big runup, and especially in a wooded course, natural tees seem to fit better than concrete tees. Some parks won't allow concrete tees. If you want to downgrade a course because of a lack of concrete tees, that's fine; just don't expect everyone else to, and don't pitch a fit and start saying people don't know how to review a course when they don't agree with the way you evaluate a course.

 

[Jukeshoe]

I actually like courses that have natural tees -- I don't do a big runup, and especially in a wooded course, natural tees seem to fit better than concrete tees. Some parks won't allow concrete tees. If you want to downgrade a course because of a lack of concrete tees, that's fine; just don't expect everyone else to, and don't pitch a fit and start saying people don't know how to review a course when they don't agree with the way you evaluate a course.

You bring up a good point. Not all courses (such as courses in certain federal or state parks) are allowed to pour concrete tees.

 

[mashnut]

You bring up a good point. Not all courses (such as courses in certain federal or state parks) are allowed to pour concrete tees.

A little off the subject of the thread, but I think that is sort of irrelevant to including the condition of the tees as a pro or con in a review. If the tees are bad, they're bad regardless of what led to that. I have sympathy for the people working to maintain a course where they don't have the option to put in their first choice of tees, and I absolutely appreciate the work they do, but I don't think that my reviews would be as fair and consistent if I adjusted based on constraints like that, especially since I play so many courses where I would never know the full story behind the installation and maintenance of the course.

Now that said, natural tees aren't always a con if they're well maintained, level, and free of ruts, roots and rocks etc.

 

[smyith]

Says who? It's absolutely valid for you to rate based on that set of criteria, but you don't get to say that everyone needs to care equally about all those things. I think that the mix of different reviewers with different priorities gives a much more complete picture of a course than a bunch of people all rating on exactly the same set of things.

you still dont get it. the best of the best has it all, not just my criteria or your criteria, but everyones, there is nothing that cant be improved. you honestly want to tell me that this course couldn't use several more upgrades? i cant stand all these 5 disc ratings that people dish out for courses that are seriously lacking in multiple courses.
plus a course that is near a 5 disc should qualify to be picked apart by all. im just using this course cause ive been watching the reviews lately and its climbing the charts with the same BS ratings the Flip City gets. "ive only reviewed 1 or 2 courses and this a 5!!!" reviews are over abundant. 19 of 38 reviews on flyboy are by people with less than 5 courses played/reviewed.

another reason why think some of the more "popular" raters, rate these courses high is cause they dont want their :thmbdown: to go up.