Movement in top 10

[Recob25]

This is an oft repeated comment, so I'm finally speaking up. You're just my guinea pig.

I see you've listed playing a total of 18 courses. There are currently 4,330 courses listed on this site. How exactly do you know that one of those courses is deserving of being in the top .023% of all the courses on this site?

This is where the whole 'top 10' think seems to lose a lot of merit. I've played 130+ courses, and I can't tell what classifies as a top 10 course. I can list the top 10 courses I have played, but whether any of those belong in the top 10 of more than 4K courses on this site, I haven't a clue. Courses like Sugaree, Stoney Hill, Bracketts, New Quarter, Renaissance are all great courses. But who can really say if they're top 10, top 50, top 100, etc.? The obvious answer is the cumulative community on this site, assuming people were actually unbiased in their reviews.

Perhaps, more important, is there really a difference between a course being top 10, top 50, top 100? The 216th rated course on this site is still in the top 5% of all courses, so congrats to Bijou Community Park for making the cut. Freeman Lake, Addison Oaks County Park & Hornets Nest all need some drive by 5s to move into that coveted #216 spot. Hmmm, I guess I could switch my rating for Hornets Nest to a 5.

It's all subjective like any top 10... Doesn't matter if your rating movies, hot chcks, actual golf courses, disc golf courses, Rocs vs. Buzzes, or best pay to play... Every top 10 is subjective.

I posted that Rollin Ridge deserves to be in the top 10 because it's my opinion... I didn't say everyone else's opinion is wrong. And as for the previous post about the courses up north... Yep the Highbridge courses are amazing and I look forward to that yearly trip over any other because it's 6 sweet courses in one spot... but course maintenance, clubhouse, and signage are big factors that can't be overlooked... The game is changing and IN MY OPINION Rolling Ridge is ahead of the curve.

 

[Mando]

It's all subjective like any top 10... Doesn't matter if your rating movies, hot chcks, actual golf courses, disc golf courses, Rocs vs. Buzzes, or best pay to play... Every top 10 is subjective.

I posted that Rollin Ridge deserves to be in the top 10 because it's my opinion... I didn't say everyone else's opinion is wrong. And as for the previous post about the courses up north... Yep the Highbridge courses are amazing and I look forward to that yearly trip over any other because it's 6 sweet courses in one spot... but course maintenance, clubhouse, and signage are big factors that can't be overlooked... The game is changing and IN MY OPINION Rolling Ridge is ahead of the curve.

I don't mean to be argumentative, but have you played 18 courses or 26 ?

 

[Recob25]

I don't mean to be argumentative, but have you played 18 courses or 26 ?

I've probably played around 40... Just havent added the ones from Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota yet. I'm new to the site... I just saw you haven't been to Highbridge. My apologies, I though you were being sarcastic... You have to make the journey with a crew, We do a big skins game there every year... Blueberry and Gold are beautiful.

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

I don't mean to be argumentative, but have you played 18 courses or 26 ?

I see he has 26 listed now, not just 18.

My point, and I'm not picking on him, or anyone in particular, is that there's a major flaw in people blindly thinking they know what makes a top 10 course, myself included. The idea being that 10 is such an arbitrary number. Recob25 is saying its in his top 10, which is out of 26 played courses (and possibly counting). That means 38% of his played courses would be in his top 10. My top ten would be 7% of the courses I've played, and so on. Other people have played 5 courses, yet that's enough for them to know when they've seen one of the world's 10 best courses.

As we've seen all too often, you get people who have played a limited number of courses, and the best they have played, regardless of how good that course really is, almost automatically gets a 5. The idea being, if it's the best I've played to date, it's got to be a five, therefore making it one of the best anywhere.

I wonder how much different these lists would look if we could vote on both overall quality and simply our favorites.

 

[Jukeshoe]

:thmbup: to Rollin' Ridge. That place is epic.

 

[Mando]

I'm new to the site... I just saw you haven't been to Highbridge. My apologies, I though you were being sarcastic...

So, in addtition to 3 top ten courses, you can get a healthy dose of sarcasm @ highbridge...sign me up.

 

[Recob25]

I see he has 26 listed now, not just 18.

My point, and I'm not picking on him, or anyone in particular, is that there's a major flaw in people blindly thinking they know what makes a top 10 course, myself included. The idea being that 10 is such an arbitrary number. Recob25 is saying its in his top 10, which is out of 26 played courses (and possibly counting). That means 38% of his played courses would be in his top 10. My top ten would be 7% of the courses I've played, and so on. Other people have played 5 courses, yet that's enough for them to know when they've seen one of the world's 10 best courses.

As we've seen all too often, you get people who have played a limited number of courses, and the best they have played, regardless of how good that course really is, almost automatically gets a 5. The idea being, if it's the best I've played to date, it's got to be a five, therefore making it one of the best anywhere.

I wonder how much different these lists would look if we could vote on both overall quality and simply our favorites.

Then I suppose the only way to be allowed to have a top 10 is if you've played every course in the United States... It sounds silly but it is what your saying.

The reason why this is a dumb argument is because I just agreed that Rollin Ridge is sick and it deserves to be in the top 10 and IT IS IN THE TOP 10... Which means it has to be sick course unless all the people who reviewed it have only played 5 to 26 courses. You're acting like a picked some 9 hole - 1 star dog track and said its a top 10 course. C'mon man!

 

[New013]

maybe we should turn our attention away from colorado and start calling out wisconsin for inflating their courses

 

[DiscGolfCraig]

I just agreed that Rollin Ridge is sick and it deserves to be in the top 10

I'm sure it's a great course. If I ever make it up that way, I'll be sure to check it out. Back to the whole top 10, top 50, top 100, and what's the difference in any of those courses. If Rollin Ridge was, say, ranked #38 would you also think that's an appropriate ranking?

My point being, who cares the exact ranking for a course. It shouldn't change one's passion for a course what others think about it. Too many people flip out when a course drops off a so called list, or even simply drops a spot in it. Any of the top percentage of courses should be considered must plays, no matter the exact ranking they might currently occupy.

In the end, we're all here to play some great courses, and help others discover great courses as well. :clap:

 

[Jukeshoe]

maybe we should turn our attention away from colorado and start calling out wisconsin for inflating their courses

**** that. Rollin' Ridge is better than Brackett's Bluff good. Probably better than Leviathan, Charlotte's Web, LL Gold, any number of courses. It's legit.

 

[illyB420]

RR deserves a top spot. Ridge has 2-3 sets of tee"s, all landscaped with extra run off, most every tee has benches along with beautiful walls to protect from a bad drive. Awesome clubhouse, tons of disc at shop, bar with cold beer and flat screen tv's and pool table, fire pit, practice basket and driving range right outside. Bathroom and shower available and some of the nicest host;s around. Plus very soon hole 3 long will be done soon. Tee off from under and THRU a freaking waterfall onto a 1000 ft fairway. If that isn't top ten material then i don't know what is...

 

[tbird888]

RR deserves a top spot. Ridge has 2-3 sets of tee"s, all landscaped with extra run off, most every tee has benches along with beautiful walls to protect from a bad drive. Awesome clubhouse, tons of disc at shop, bar with cold beer and flat screen tv's and pool table, fire pit, practice basket and driving range right outside. Bathroom and shower available and some of the nicest host;s around. Plus very soon hole 3 long will be done soon. Tee off from under and THRU a freaking waterfall onto a 1000 ft fairway. If that isn't top ten material then i don't know what is...

Aside from (pretty common today) multiple tees and a tee behind a waterfall, the rest of your logic for why it deserves a top spot is amenities. Glad that you're impressed with the actual golf itself...

 

[Jukeshoe]

Aside from (pretty common today) multiple tees and a tee behind a waterfall, the rest of your logic for why it deserves a top spot is amenities. Glad that you're impressed with the actual golf itself...

Nope. Not the case.

The icing is super duper thick n tasty, but the cake underneath is substantial and delicious, too. All you haters can hate, but Rollin' Ridge is as good as or better than Idlewild even on golf merit alone. The amenities are just ridiculously good on top of excellent golf.

 

[tbird888]

Nope. Not the case.

The icing is super duper thick n tasty, but the cake underneath is substantial and delicious, too. All you haters can hate, but Rollin' Ridge is as good as or better than Idlewild even on golf merit alone. The amenities are just ridiculously good on top of excellent golf.

Not trying to hate on the course (can't hate on what I have yet to play), just the argument.

 

[TOURNEYPLAYER]

I will say amenities matter. Its the reason Flyboy would get a 5 from me

 

[tbird888]

I will say amenities matter. Its the reason Flyboy would get a 5 from me

I agree they matter, but when we're talking about the best of the best, I think the golf should be the strongest argument (not saying Flyboy's golf isn't top notch). Saying that a course belongs in the best because it has a country club just doesn't ring very true to me.

We talked about this at Stoney Hill. There aren't a ton of amenities (David and Chris were two of the nicest hosts I've encountered however and very modest about the absolute gem of a course they've built), but the golf is awe-inspiring. When you think you've seen it all, you turn a corner, and you face a completely new and even better hole than the last. I would drive to Newberry (from Cincinnati) to play it again in a heartbeat.

Sugaree was a very similar situation. It didn't need Championship caliber baskets or a pro shop/pool tables/showers because the golf was just that good! Reading that the baskets had been shipped to the west coast leaves a tremendous hole in my heart. Knowing they are going to another great course provides some consolation, but I will never forget my round there. I can't thank Rich enough for keeping the baskets out long enough for my round and joshuajames for being my guide. I kind of wish I'd skipped Ashe County (which I also enjoyed thoroughly) for two rounds at Sugaree.

Now I know I haven't played many courses in the grand scheme of things, but those are the kind of reactions that should define the best to me.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I agree amenities matter, but the discplay has to be incredible or no 5.0, I don't care how great the amenities are. There's something special about a 5.0 course. I might bump a 4.0 to a 4.5 because of amenities but I just can't bump a 4.5 to 5.0 because of them. I admit it's a kind of a double standard, but IMHO, a course should earn a 5.0 on discplay alone, and if it happens to have extras, then it's just that much better an experience.

I will say amenities matter. Its the reason Flyboy would get a 5 from me

By no means will I sweep the BnB or the Legettes' wonderful hospitality under the rug (they really play a big part in the Flyboy Experience), but are you implying that Flyboy doesn't earn a 5.0 without it? I think its the best course I've played to this point, and while I'm no Martin Dewg, I've played some pretty sweet (highly ranked) courses.

 

[Dave242]

I'm with you tbird888. Amenities do not count for much at all in my book either. The challenge and fun of navigating a disc through interesting and creative airways in a way that will give me a good score if I perform well and a bad score if I perform badly......is enough to max out the experience (if it is in a beautiful and secluded environment).

But, I do not begrudge people for factoring in how amenities play into their experience.....it is their experience they are rating after all (just like how I rate my experience).

I personally did not think the Fly Boy golf was off the charts (but the non-golf experience at flyboy.......wow!). Really good, but not best in class for me. Likewise, when I visited Rollin Ridge with TallPaul in June 2010, the course was still in its development stage (very few amenities, but big plans) I thought it was really good, but had too many tweener holes to be considered top shelf.

On so many of the holes from the long tees, due to fairway shapes the perfect drive left you a 50-70' approach and a less ideal throw left you with an easy 100-120' approach. I discussed it with Steve (and Paul) and his reply was basically, "yeah, holes like that make it harder - more like golf where a birdie is really rare". He has every right to design things exactly as he pleases.....and I have every right to like holes the most that reward excellence and punish mistakes. I have no idea how the final design worked out.....and I am eager to see. The pictures look amazing!

 

[Connor Jones]

Flyboy is a 5 with or without, brief talk with mashnut about this a long time ago and he still, for the time being, has it placed as his #1, regardless of the other fantastic things offered.

 

[humchris85]

I agree they matter, but when we're talking about the best of the best, I think the golf should be the strongest argument (not saying Flyboy's golf isn't top notch). Saying that a course belongs in the best because it has a country club just doesn't ring very true to me.

We talked about this at Stoney Hill. There aren't a ton of amenities (David and Chris were two of the nicest hosts I've encountered however and very modest about the absolute gem of a course they've built), but the golf is awe-inspiring. When you think you've seen it all, you turn a corner, and you face a completely new and even better hole than the last. I would drive to Newberry (from Cincinnati) to play it again in a heartbeat.

Sugaree was a very similar situation. It didn't need Championship caliber baskets or a pro shop/pool tables/showers because the golf was just that good! Reading that the baskets had been shipped to the west coast leaves a tremendous hole in my heart. Knowing they are going to another great course provides some consolation, but I will never forget my round there. I can't thank Rich enough for keeping the baskets out long enough for my round and joshuajames for being my guide. I kind of wish I'd skipped Ashe County (which I also enjoyed thoroughly) for two rounds at Sugaree.

Now I know I haven't played many courses in the grand scheme of things, but those are the kind of reactions that should define the best to me.

I will definatly agree with you on this. I think the golf is what should matter when you rate a course. I think ammenities should be a very small part of the rating on courses. It's the golf that should matter.

Just for S&G what course did the baskets from Sugaree get sent to?