What's the REAL best course poll

[jtreadwell]

Reading the "glaring ommission in the top 10" thread, Giles stated that it would be cool to see everyone's top 10 list. I figured that needed to be arranged as it's a good idea. This is a dual purpose thread. First off, I've taken the current top 25 rated courses and arranged them as a poll. Vote for your favorite and we'll see how much the list gets shaken up. While nothing's stopping you from voting for courses you haven't played, it would be better if you didn't. Second unofficial poll in this thread involved posting your personal top 5 courses (not 10 because that will force a lot of newer to int. players who have played less than 20 courses to pick less than stellar choices). Once the poll closes in a week, I'll compile the results of the "write in campaign" and we can compare it to the poll. Lets vote!:hfive:

 

[bradharris]

How many people have actually played enough of these courses to objectively decide? I'm worried it will just be a popularity contest, whatever courses get played the most will get the most votes.

Edit: For example, I've only played Maple Hill and Casitas. So it's really a poll of which of those two I think is the best. Some of the others may be better, but I have no way of rating them fairly.

FWIW, my number 1 isn't even on this list...

 

[jtreadwell]

How many people have actually played enough of these courses to objectively decide? I'm worried it will just be a popularity contest, whatever courses get played the most will get the most votes.

Isn't it always? I figure this is about 5% less biased but that's also why I included the write in campaign.

 

[bradharris]

Isn't it always? I figure this is about 5% less biased but that's also why I included the write in campaign.

The current system is based on a scaled average while this is simply a quantity count. In the site's top 10, a course with 20 5.0 ratings is ranked just the same as a course with 100 5.0 ratings.

 

[jtreadwell]

The current system is based on a scaled average while this is simply a quantity count. In the site's top 10, a course with 20 5.0 ratings is ranked just the same as a course with 100 5.0 ratings.

True, but a course that gets 100 perfect ratings is more impressive and much more rare than a course that gets 20, no?

 

[scarpfish]

How many people have actually played enough of these courses to objectively decide? I'm worried it will just be a popularity contest.

Winner.

Isn't it always?

Yes, and that's precisely the problem.

I figure this is about 5% less biased.

How so? Through the review process, I can grade each course that I've played, and I to some extent have to justify my rating. Through your poll, I have to only click a radio button, and only get to get to click one option. 22 of the 25 options on the list I've never played.

This is just needless and poorly optioned DGCR poll #389378934. A poll started for sake of starting a poll because someone thinks the poll feature is cool.

True, but a course that gets 100 perfect ratings is more impressive and much more rare than a course that gets 20, no?

Not necessarily. The one with 100 perfect ratings may have just been around longer for 100 people to go play it.

 

[BirdmanCR]

One of my faves is greenbriar state park in VA friggn SICK!!!!!!!

 

[jtreadwell]

Winner.


Yes, and that's precisely the problem.



How so? Through the review process, I can grade each course that I've played, and I to some extent have to justify my rating. Through your poll, I have to only click a radio button, and only get to get to click one option. 22 of the 25 options on the list I've never played.

This is just needless and poorly optioned DGCR poll #389378934. A poll started for sake of starting a poll because someone thinks the poll feature is cool.


Not necessarily. The one with 100 perfect ratings may have just been around longer for 100 people to go play it.

Yeah but 100 perfect ratings? That's obscenely good and much harder to obtain than 20 perfect ratings. Even one of the Selah Ranch courses has gotten a 4.5 and it hasn't hit 20 yet, and those courses are considered really good!

 

[Cgkdisc]

I've played only 11 out of the 25 on the list even though I've played over 600 courses. Flyboy isn't on the list and haven't played Selah Ranch yet but maybe it would be my top course if I had? Although just like having a dozen children, you might like them all for different reasons without a clear favorite.

 

[bikinjack]

I've played two of those. I voted for Sugaree.

 

[giles]

1.Selah Ranch Lakeside - Talco, TX
Circle R Meadow - Wimberley, TX (rip)
2. Lake Bistineau State Park - Doyline, LA
3. Roy G - Austin, TX
4. Water Works - Kansas CIty, MO
5. Sipapu - Vadito, NM
Fountain Hill Park - Phoenix, AZ

Selah & Circle R get points for having other great course on site.
Circle R has a lot of great memories from Am world doubles and TX teams and camping on property with hundreds of other golfers.

Fountain Hills gets an honorable mention but only when thought of in regards to playing The Memorial NT event.

not sure why I put WaterWorks on my list... oh well

 

[jasonc]

I have only played Coyote Point and Water Works from that list. Looking forward to the rest one of these days! :thmbup:


Here is my current top 5:

Stafford Lake County Park
Brian Head Resort DGC
Coyote Point DGC
DeLaveaga Park
Water Works Park

 

[DSCJNKY]

FWIW, my number 1 isn't even on this list...

Mine either. Not sure how this is going to work.

But, of the courses you have up there, and that I have played... here's my ranking:
- Idlewild
- Milo McIver
- Maple Hill
- Bud Hill
- Sugaree
- Ashe County
- Brakewell Steel
- Tyler (I did not get to play it in the Championship layout though)
- Lake Casitas
- Whistler's Bend
- Sky High

Not on your list:
- Harmon Hills (My Personal #1)
- Iron Hill
- Winthrop Gold (with the ropes up)
- Stafford Lake
- Area 74 (RIP)

Probably some others too...
DSCJNKY

 

[DSCJNKY]

...Although just like having a dozen children, you might like them all for different reasons without a clear favorite.

I strongly agree with this. It's very hard to compare a private property farm course in Tennessee, with a city park course in Delaware, with a state park in Pennsylvania, with a county park in the Bay Area of California.
DSCJNKY

 

[prerube]

How many people have even played 10 on that list?

Also I will write in FLYBOY

 

[jtreadwell]

There were definitely more scientific ways to do this. Maybe next I should do a poll of "The best way to poll the top 10 courses". At the risk of derailing my own thread, what would be the best way to decide this? Should there be a nomination thread first to determine what to vote on, then voting? Would that still be a popularity contest? Is it even possible to do this subjectively or are the standards too undefined to determine what the best course is?

 

[freakinwizzz]

i've only play 2 of the courses...why isn't dela on here?

 

[Cgkdisc]

To determine the best anything, all of the potential voters should have been exposed to all potential candidates that could be considered. That's not the case here so no "best" vote makes sense. Even the current top 10 is not really the 10 "best" courses but simply a listing of the ten courses that have the highest rating averages on the site with at least 20 reviews.

 

[ian1]

Well I have only played Horning's on that list but I can tell you for a fact it is better than all those other courses.

 

[discNDav]

for the last 5 years I thought Flip City was the best (played it 8 times in 3 trips) followed by Sabattus in Maine (only been there once) but after playing Maple Hill 10 days ago (for the 2nd time in 6 years) I'm voting for Maple!

Flip might be the most scenic fun, Idlewild (played 4 times) might be the best manicured along with Burchfield in Michigan but Maple Hill has everything that these do.