How are the top 100 golf course rankings determined? Here is the process

There is only one exception to the voting process in GOLF’s Top 100 Course rankings: the vote, which is constantly changing with new construction, reinstatement and removal if the course’s quality deteriorates.

In our recently released Top 100 US and (coming soon!) Top 100 To Play lists, each panel list was voted on by 609 subjects. Next to the list of subjects were 11 “buckets” or clusters. If our panelists consider a course to be among the top three in the US, they check that first column. If they believe the course is between No.

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Nominees were also free to write in subjects they felt should have been included in the ballot.

Points are awarded for each bucket; to arrive at the average score for each subject, we divide the cumulative score by the number of votes. From those points, lessons are then calculated accordingly. It is a deliberately simple and straightforward process. Why? Because historically it has produced highly commendable results. Like the game itself, there’s no need to complicate things unnecessarily or try to fix something that already works perfectly.

The key to the methodology is the experience and expertise of our panel. Certainly, our process is as good as the panel itself. Hailing from 15 nations (and that counts Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales as one, the United Kingdom), each of our 127 hand-picked panelists has a keen eye for architecture, regionally and globally.

Typing our panel would not be possible, unless they all share the golf swing. More than 55 years separate our youngest artist from the oldest. Playing abilities vary from handicap to low double digits. If 30 panels have seen the course, you are almost guaranteed that each set of tees was used. Many of our panelists have played over 1,000 courses in 20+ countries. In the world of standards, knowledge is important. Communication between panels is improved by keeping a small, tight group.

Browse the ranks of GOLF courses: Top 100 in the World | US Top 100 | Top 100 To Play | Top 100 Value Courses in the US | America’s Best Municipal Studies | America’s Best Courses for $100 or Less | Top 100 in UK and Ireland | Top 100 in Asia-Pacific | Top 100 Short Courses in the World

Because we don’t impose a set method of evaluating courses like other standards do, there is no set opinion — our standard is democratic. Some panelists believe that fun is the ultimate goal, and thus prioritize design features such as width and playing angles, while looking at the need to constantly hunt for tight balls. Other panelists appreciate the challenge and demands of hitting every club in the bag. Still others consider the environment of the course and the general environment of the area as very important, thus emphasizing the preparation and naturalness of the course. Ultimately, allowing raters to freely express their preferences is what produces the eclecticism you want in our Top 100 list.

The integrity of the panel is important. Voters with any ties or associations to relevant subjects should flag such conflicts. Any vote outside the statistical norm is investigated. The panelists know that they shouldn’t let the quality of their playing influence their voting – the same for a premium or clubhouse experience. While the opulence may make for a more memorable trip, that’s not what the range of GOLF courses is about. Our focus is on design and architecture. We learn this lesson, not the things around us.

Our promise to you with each position is that we put forward our best, most honest effort. Ultimately, you are the judge and arbiter of our success.

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