Hey newbie reviewers, it's not the course, its you!

[davetherocketguy]

Observations:
I tend not to review because when I read the existing reviews most everything that could be said has already posted in the first 10-15 reviews. Why should I spent time rewriting the same stuff. Do we really need 200+1 reviews of Flip City. And what else needs to said about Hawk Hallow and it only has 20 reviews.

Agree about Flip however, there are times additional reviews are needed because conditions change. I just reviewed Lake Alliance and there was like 4 or so year gap between my review and the last. Going based on just those reviews the score dropped from 2.5 to 1. It's pretty obvious based on reviews that things have changed quite a bit over 4 years.

 

[John M. Fretz]

I've played all the courses in the Chicago area that Valkyrie Kid has reviewed, and I think they are some of the most spot on reviews I've read. So, if you're looking for a good, honest review, check out the VK's work first, would be my advise. There's a good chance he's been there.

Any review that VK or Silly Bizz wrote is extremely accurate. I always check for theirs' 1st, but I also look at newer reviews to see how conditions may have changed

 

[KniceZ]

Agree about Flip however, there are times additional reviews are needed because conditions change. I just reviewed Lake Alliance and there was like 4 or so year gap between my review and the last. Going based on just those reviews the score dropped from 2.5 to 1. It's pretty obvious based on reviews that things have changed quite a bit over 4 years.

:thmbup: If here hasn't been a review in a year or two then an update is warranted.

I won't mind if reviews that are older than 3-4 years didn't get factored into the rating. Courses change and disc / basket technology improves. Or as you said maybe the course hasn't been maintained so fairways are overgrown, pads deteriated, and baskets rusted up.

 

[ru4por]

I've played all the courses in the Chicago area that Valkyrie Kid has reviewed, and I think they are some of the most spot on reviews I've read. So, if you're looking for a good, honest review, check out the VK's work first, would be my advise. There's a good chance he's been there.

I think this is right on the mark. Finding a trusted or frequent reviewer, whose comments or pros and cons, seem to align with your list of important points, is the ticket. I like to think of them as my personal trusted reviewers. Thanks Bogeynomore!! :hfive:

 

[DavidSauls]

It would be a cool site feature if the course search had more filters---a range of review dates, or most recent xxx number of reviews, or reviews by reviewers with xx amount of courses played or reviews written, or whatever. Users could compile lists by whichever criteria they thought most valid.

Though in the vast majority of cases, it wouldn't change things a whole lot.

Otherwise, any restriction imposed on the overall ratings brings with it its own problems, and a whole new debate.

 

[PEPSIFLAME]

As a new player, I always think it's the course, the wind, the basket is "slightly tilted in an unhelpful manner", etc...

 

[The Valkyrie Kid]

Thank you and I completely agree about Silly Bizz's reviews



.

Any review that VK or Silly Bizz wrote is extremely accurate. I always check for theirs' 1st, but I also look at newer reviews to see how conditions may have changed

 

[weeshed]

Hi, long time reader first time poster. I totally agree about newbie reviews. When Im going on a road trip and looking for a disc course I always look for reviews from players who have played 100+ courses so I usually look for Valkyrie kid or Mashnut right off the bat as I highly respect their opinions. However its not always the newbie. Where newbies will give a low rating because their game isnt well rounded yet, Ive also noticed the opposite on a couple of Tahoe area courses where the actual designer has entered a new username and reviewed the course to pad the course rating giving 1 course a 4.5 star and the other a 5 star. Neither review gives much detail at all so they were mainly just to pad the course rating. Seems like an integrity/ego issue to me.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

Yeah, I just read a review from a course designer about his own course that seemed conveniently light on the cons. Can course designers be unbiased about their own course? Probably, but when a business is charging admission I'm willing to bet they're always going error on the side of overrating rather than underrating.

 

[DavidSauls]

It's not so bad as long as the designer (or course owner) reveals that fact.

Sure, he has a financial interest in good ratings.

But, a designer given free reign and a suitable property is going to design a course in the style that he likes in courses. So, if you think the best courses are tight wooded courses with lots of S-turns, and don't think the tees matter much, then when given the chance you might design a tight wooded course full of S-turns, with dirt tees, and proclaim it great. That's not necessarily promotion or bias; it could be a kind of a feedback loop. It met your definition of greatness, because you designed it with your definition in mind.

 

[weeshed]

the designer does not reveal himself on rating either course, I only know who is as I saw him reveal himself in a thread on here. Its an unethical way to inflate your resume as a course designer. Who knows, maybe he has 4 or 5 fake reviews on his courses? What he doesnt understand its not about his design, its the incredible property these 2 courses are on that bring people back. Nothing against his design but a total rookie could install a good course on these gems of a property!

 

[DavidSauls]

weeshed, that's clearly unethical on several points.

I was really responding to Mr. Butlerton, with the assumption that the case he cited may have involved the owner revealing his interest, but at least presumably only involved a single review.

 

[davetherocketguy]

the designer does not reveal himself on rating either course, I only know who is as I saw him reveal himself in a thread on here. Its an unethical way to inflate your resume as a course designer. Who knows, maybe he has 4 or 5 fake reviews on his courses? What he doesnt understand its not about his design, its the incredible property these 2 courses are on that bring people back. Nothing against his design but a total rookie could install a good course on these gems of a property!

There are loads of reviews that are clearly "homer' type reviews. If you read through a lot of the reviews on a single course it becomes really easy to pick out the "homer" reviews so leave those reviews be or write your own on those courses. It's extremely hard to not think highly of a course you have blood sweet and tears invested in - I do have a little bit of personal experience so I have an idea of what that's like.

 

[TAFL]

... I always look for reviews from players who have played 100+ courses ....

I reckon that's of limited use. There are lots of courses I played long ago for which I didn't find entries on here. I gave up looking for listings after a few of those--I just don't have much motivation to try to track down every course I ever stopped to throw.

I also don't think I'm alone in that. I suspect there are lots of folks on here who have played many more courses than they identified as having played.

Though I agree that, in general, folks who have thrown a lot of places over many years can provide quite a bit of enlightenment.

 

[treysonagras]

The website is dgcoursereview. Nothing about it being an elitist organization. Why can't a new player give their impressions of a course? Even if they don't yet know what they're talking about. If you don't like a review, just skip over it.

 

[magictenor1]

I think it's all about the info you get. A newbie may give good info that another newbie wants to hear lol. Ratings are always very subjective anyway by definition. I've played 113 courses but I'm an older guy with a rag arm. I don't play tournies. My perspective could be much different than a 1000 rated player. I try to give my honest rating but I try to include info that will actually be useful to someone coming to the course for the 1st time. When you get right down to it that's the real purpose of a review. Once you been to a course several times you will have formed your own opinion and you don't need the info from a review.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

The website is dgcoursereview. Nothing about it being an elitist organization. Why can't a new player give their impressions of a course? Even if they don't yet know what they're talking about. If you don't like a review, just skip over it.

Poorly written reviews will likely get thumbs down regardless if they're writen by a newb or elitist.

 

[Mr. Butlertron]

I think it would be really helpful if people that gave thumbs down had the option to change their thumbs. "Bad" reviews can be edited and turned into "great" reviews, but the thumb givers can't edit their thumbs? What's the point of editing a poorly writen review?

 

[scarpfish]

The website is dgcoursereview. Nothing about it being an elitist organization. Why can't a new player give their impressions of a course?

They can. Some might do a better job at it than some folks who've been playing for years. When new players complain about things like "trees" though, they aren't giving their impressions of the course, they're showing their lack of ability, particularly when the course info, pictures and other reviews show that it's not that difficult of a track.

Even if they don't yet know what they're talking about. If you don't like a review, just skip over it.

Or do the responsible thing and red thumb it, or possibly report it when the reviewer is dumb enough to admit they gave up after two holes. Let's stop using the review feature as an outlet for our frustrations. That's not what it's there for.

 

[dreadlock86]

I think it would be really helpful if people that gave thumbs down had the option to change their thumbs. "Bad" reviews can be edited and turned into "great" reviews, but the thumb givers can't edit their thumbs? What's the point of editing a poorly writen review?

you can

once a review has been edited, you can change your thumbs



which admin knows how this works?