When I’m looking for a new restaurant or evaluating a company for potential services, I almost always rely on a mix of Yelp and Google Reviews. It makes the decision to choose a possible solution much less stressful.
I do the same with movies. If you’re a movie nerd like me, you can use Letterboxd or IMDB to rate the movies you watch. I then share those reviews online and with my friends and family to make sure everyone has the opportunity to share in my experience.
Wouldn’t it be great if there was an app with an easy-to-use interface focused strictly on golf courses? I’m not talking about GPS apps that let you rate courses and record rounds. I’m talking cutting edge design focused on every aspect a golfer cares about for their next round.
After considering this, I was pleased to meet Zico Gaeffke, the mastermind behind Course Vaults.
What is Course Vaults?
Course Vaults is the revision-driven golfer’s dream.
I logged in, created a quick profile, and was prompted to select seven golf courses I’ve played. I haven’t played many bucket list courses so I had to manually search for mine. I started with my home courses in Utah and Virginia.
For each course, I’ve added an overall score, a quick review, and some photos from the specific course. My score and review are then added to the mix of players who have also played and reviewed the same course. Basically, Letterboxd or Yelp for golfers!
Features I liked
One of the most interesting features was the leaderboard section.
The first tab is highlighted by the world’s top rated courses with Tara Iti in Mangawhai, Northland, New Zealand currently taking the cake. Each course is rated out of 10 and gives you the opportunity to read other reviews and what makes each respective course so great.
The rest of the tabs are more focused on the users at the top of the leaderboard. These sections are highlighted by rounds played, followers, photos added and captions written. If you’re a competitive person hoping to prove yourself to the golf community, you’ll be all for this section.
Every golfer is unique. Some care about pace of play, while others are focused on high-level conditions on the course.
Course Vaults takes this into consideration with the “Under-Ratings” category that breaks down every imaginable aspect of playing a new golf course. Pace of play may be the most important thing to you, and if that’s the case, Course Vaults has a category for you.
You don’t have to guess if it’s in the Course Vaults.
Final thoughts
I’ve recorded 98 movies on Letterboxd and feel a little queasy every time I do.
There is something empowering about sharing your unbiased opinion. It’s mine and mine alone. Having this technology in the world of golf is not only fun, but extremely useful for golfers looking for their next golf course.
These reviews based on user experiences benefit golfers who lean toward the adventurous side of the scale. At the very least, it gives the local player an opportunity to rave about the home course they love so much.
If you’re like me and like to review things, you should give Course Vaults a try. Feel free to send me a friend request to send some courses of my choice!
