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This excellent question was posed on another thread that really had nothing to do with this topic......so I took the liberty to start this here.
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Rating 9-holers versus 18-holers
- Thread starter Dave242
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This excellent question was posed on another thread that really had nothing to do with this topic......so I took the liberty to start this here.
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By that logic then no 18 holers could get a 5 since only the 27 holers could....and the 24's and 21's would get slightly less.
But........you have a very valid point I have not figured out. I have seen no one give a good explanation of a method on how to reconcile.
I keep 2 separate lists and make note of that in my reviews. It turns out that the majority of 9-holers are geared at beginners so they average a lower grade even on their own scale.
I enter those ratings here.....and no I have no 5's (except for the lone course I used a different grading method since the course was so darn unique - Campton Hills) and the three 4.5's I have have either been expanded to 18 (Winged Deer & Ashe County/High Country) or gone extinct (Cordelia).
But........you have a very valid point I have not figured out. I have seen no one give a good explanation of a method on how to reconcile.
I keep 2 separate lists and make note of that in my reviews. It turns out that the majority of 9-holers are geared at beginners so they average a lower grade even on their own scale.
I enter those ratings here.....and no I have no 5's (except for the lone course I used a different grading method since the course was so darn unique - Campton Hills) and the three 4.5's I have have either been expanded to 18 (Winged Deer & Ashe County/High Country) or gone extinct (Cordelia).
discpicable
Eagle Member
deja vu.
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A "bad very blah 18 holer."
Seriously, check out the picture for #11. It looks like uncleared woodland, because that's pretty much what it is. Then add that you're tromping through stinky run-off water mud, the various safety hazards, and the fact that the course is unplayable with any sort of park traffic...yeah. I rated it lower than this fairly cool 9-holer.
Seriously, check out the picture for #11. It looks like uncleared woodland, because that's pretty much what it is. Then add that you're tromping through stinky run-off water mud, the various safety hazards, and the fact that the course is unplayable with any sort of park traffic...yeah. I rated it lower than this fairly cool 9-holer.
I wish we had a course sort feature that would allow us to query only 9 holers, or courses with less than 18 holes. Seems that would be more useful than looking for courses with 45+ or 54+ hole courses which you can actually do.
But using the current sort feature, I only found 89 sub-18 hole courses (70 of which had 9 holes or less) at or above 3 discs (this is with a 5 review minimum).
If you raise the bar to 3.5 discs, the number of sub-18's drops to 25 (only 17 with 9 holes or less).
If you raise it to 4 discs, there aren't any.
So yeah, I think nine holers and other courses with less than 18 holes get dinged, just because they aren't 18 holers. I agree with people doing this, because just like their ball golf counterparts, nine holers are a resignation, even if those nine holes are awesome, which they rarely are.
Despite that, I'd much rather play a good 9-holer with multiple pads than a crammed 18-holer any day.
But using the current sort feature, I only found 89 sub-18 hole courses (70 of which had 9 holes or less) at or above 3 discs (this is with a 5 review minimum).
If you raise the bar to 3.5 discs, the number of sub-18's drops to 25 (only 17 with 9 holes or less).
If you raise it to 4 discs, there aren't any.
So yeah, I think nine holers and other courses with less than 18 holes get dinged, just because they aren't 18 holers. I agree with people doing this, because just like their ball golf counterparts, nine holers are a resignation, even if those nine holes are awesome, which they rarely are.
Despite that, I'd much rather play a good 9-holer with multiple pads than a crammed 18-holer any day.
For me, 9 holers have a lower ceiling because they inherently have less challenge and variety. No matter how many holes though, all courses have the potential to get to the lowest end of the rating, I've given a 0 rating to 9 and 18 hole courses. An average 9 hole course to me is better than a crappy 18, and a great 9 hole course is better than an average 18, but even a great 9 hole course hasn't stacked up against a great 18+ hole course in my experience.
Posey Ching
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yeah, that 18-holer looks pretty bad. and I think giving the 9-holer a better rating is justified in that unique situation.
Posey Ching
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So would you ever give a 9-holer a 5-disc rating and put it on the same level as an 18-holer with a 5-disc rating?
I wouldn't say it's impossible, but it's very unlikely. The courses I've given 5 discs to are fantastic courses with variety and a ton of challenge, and it's hard to imagine a 9 holer with the same fun factor and the same challenge.
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This is a really good point. From a very simplistic look: If you count the basic variations available of straight/right-turning/left-turning with up/down/flat you get 9 holes. This leaves no other holes to vary the amount of turn or elevation or where in the hole those changes happen. And.....this analysis does not even take into account tight vs open or grass vs wooded varieties.
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I just checked your played list and I cannot believe you have not played Campton Hills (St Charles) yet! It had the fun factor and uniqueness and beauty down pat.....the challenge part came with playing it just with a putter with everything as a par-2 (yes, I did get one birdie!), so that's what I did to be able to rate it a 5 (the one course I went off of my normal method of rating).
Beware that it is very crowded.....but great/fun courses SHOULD be crowded!
I just checked your played list and I cannot believe you have not played Campton Hills (St Charles) yet! It had the fun factor and uniqueness and beauty down pat.....the challenge part came with playing it just with a putter with everything as a par-2 (yes, I did get one birdie!), so that's what I did to be able to rate it a 5 (the one course I went off of my normal method of rating).
Beware that it is very crowded.....but great/fun courses SHOULD be crowded!
Check out my wishlist, that's the one little cluster of chicagoland courses I still need to play. As soon as my gf's knee heals from a recent rollerblading accident, I'll get out there to play it, I'm looking forward to it. From the description, it sounds like a fun super class course, I might play it with just a zephyr.
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I see what you and Mashnut are saying.
Devils advocate: Let's imagine the most awesome 9-holer possible. It has all the amenities, all the variations Dave mentions above, is very difficult yet fun, and has a high replayability factor. It is never crowded, free, clean, and has your favorite type of baskets. What would you rate this "perfect" 9-holer?
I'd rate it at least a 4.5 with a real struggle over that last .5.
Posey Ching
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pssshhhh but you'd have to wait awhile before you could smoke any of that growing wacky tobaccy. the only pro with that course would be that your disc would have a more "sticky" grip after throwing it into the rough.
I could see a hypothetical 9 holer like that getting 5 discs, but it would have to be pretty much perfect.
i rate the course for the course not because its a 9 or 18 holer. i would rather play an awesome 9 holer than a crappy 18
Posey Ching
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I could see a 5-disc rating in that situation too. But does it exist...
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Okay, just wondering. I agree that it would have to be out of this world to even consider it for a 5, obviously. I just wanted to see if you could conceive of giving a 5 for the perfect 9-holer.
Wouldn't a con be "missing 9 holes?"
Ultimately, I think the pinnacle 9-hole course can get four discs, since there is simply so much more inherently missing rather than what you'd typically see in 18 holes.
18 versus 27 isn't a good argument because 18 is the standard to which all things are compared. 27 holes is simply an 18 hole course with a bonus.
Ultimately, I think the pinnacle 9-hole course can get four discs, since there is simply so much more inherently missing rather than what you'd typically see in 18 holes.
18 versus 27 isn't a good argument because 18 is the standard to which all things are compared. 27 holes is simply an 18 hole course with a bonus.
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This is something I had been chewing on as well. I guess I've just come to the conclusion that with 9 holers I'll rate it on a 4 disc scale as opposed to the 5 disc scale. Where a 4 star 9 holer is equal to a 5 star 18 hole course. 9 hole courses are usually designed based on limitations. Land, Money, availability, etc... I've played some fantastic 9 hole courses, but they aren't anything like the 18 hole counterparts. So That's how I do it. I think we are all of the same mindset, if we see a 9 hole course with three stars, then we'll know that it's one that is worth checking out. Then again, this is just my opinion.
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