I said it before and I'll say it again, the question is 'WAS THIS REVIEW HELPFUL?' The question is NOT 'Was this rating helpful?' All of you morons that base your thumbs off of a rating, and not the helpfulness of a review need to pay more attention to the point of thumbs being there. Everybody is entitled to an opinion of rating, but if a review is poor, then sure, thumbs it down.
I wholeheartedly agree with this thought. I don't necessarily think that's the case for this particular review but I do believe that many people give a thumbs up or thumbs down solely based on the rating, regardless of the content of the review itself. A review can certainly be helpful to the reader even if the reviewer and reader have differing views on course quality.
Just because Adam only gave a 4.5 out of 5 total for Flip City; he's getting the severe thumbs down treatment. Only thing he said was that there is no water there. I personally, have only given one 5 rating so far; and part of the reason is because water IS IN PLAY on nearly half the holes of a 24 hole layout. Now, I have yet to play Flip City; though, I am hoping to remedy this in 2010...hopefully by meeting a bunch of my fellow DGCR members at a big get together. But, if one is considering a 5 to be perfect....wouldn't water shots have to be included? Thoughts???
I honestly don't think Adam_Valk is getting the severe thumbs down treatment simply because he gave Flip City a 4.5 instead of a 5. You're spot on when you say that the only thing he said was "there was no water." That is the ONLY helpful thing in his review. The review is simply a wrapped up generalization. You could actually apply this review to Renny.
For anyone who hasn't read the review, here it is:
Pros: This course will challenge every shot in your bag. It allows you as a golfer to focus on your shot making ability rather than just plain luck.
Cons: The only thing that keeps this course from being a 5 in my mind is their isn't any water hazards. I know there have been obstacles built to replace the lack of water, but water on this course would make this course even more beautiful.
Other Thoughts: The bugs are a given especially in the hot summer months, but overall a great course.
The Pros section fits Renny perfectly. And I would bet it fits many other courses across the country. I know this pros section could also be applied to Hornets Nest and Nevin.
The Cons section in this review could also be applied to Renny. Renny doesn't have water to contend with either but you certainly have obstacles and mandos to deal with.
As for the Other Thoughts section... Bugs? And in the hot summer months? Really?
At least he was honest enough to state that it was a given. Bugs are a given no matter where you go. I would have probably found it helpful if he would have at least been a little more specific. Different regions of the country are plagued with different kinds of pests. For example Charlotte has tons of yellow jackets. In Austin, where I came from yellow jackets are not nearly as pervasive. Fire ants on the other hand are a major problem.
This review is generic in form. As someone who has never played Flip City, I'm given no information with which to determine the actual difficulty of the course, the general topography of the course or the density of the foliage. All three of those things can be easily summarized without the reviewer having to write a lengthy review.
As a reader of a review it really comes down to personal expectations. For me personally I expect a review to give me a mental picture of what to expect of a course. It doesn't have to include every minute detail; just a simple summarization is sufficient.
And I agree with BrotherDave, a course does not have to have water hazards or every other possible feature to qualify for a 5.