I have some ideas for the lists, such as eliminating drive-bys from the rating if a course has more than X amount of reviews and a few other things. It's something I'll probably experiment with in the coming months.
THat's a very good idea. There are a few courses and reviews that are basic outliers, and nearly all are the drive by reviewer.
It really really bothers me one one review by one person drags down the average and negatively reflects a course perception. Especially when that reviewer has logged one once to bash that course and never ever posted or reviewed another course before or since.
A specific example would be Iron Hill, 65 reviews and 2 very serious outliers, one 1.5 and one 2.0 - nothing else under 3.0 (and most of those were in the first year and outdated a bit now as well).
The 1.5 reviewer of Iron Hill logged on ONCE to DGCR, bashed Iron Hill with a very low rating and has never ever logged on since. I mean really, we are going to count that in the average?
The other 2.0 actually had a few rating, but by the look of them and knowing the courses had no sense of evaluating and just rating it on how he played 9 homes in the rain... Maybe this review stays as he dig review other courses, and had played a few so he wouldn't be a drive by. But come on, play the course at least?
These 2 single reviews bring down the statistical average for a great course from 4.35 (which is still very under rated) to a 4.25 and is no where near accurate IMO. I've played 4.7+ courses that are not nearly as well designed or as well maintained. But hey, they had nice views....
Simply removing the one time log on to bash the course would improve this one courses rating by .04ish overall. Not much of a move, but another course nearby has 3 drive by reviews, and those are 3 of the 7 lowest reviews as well.... That course would move up by .12, and in the grand scheme of things both these courses are underrated currently partially due to statistical bashing drive bys....
Yes the ratings is very very subjective, but these outlier drive bys could be eliminated to give a more accurate impression of the average.
I love this idea.