The iconic par-3 7th hole at Pebble Beach.
Channing Benjamin
There is only one variable in the voting process for Ranking of the top 100 GOLF courses: the ballot, which is always in flux with new builds, restorations, and even deletions if the quality of the course deteriorates.
For ours Top 100 in the US and (coming soon!) top 100 lists you can play, each panelist was given a ballot consisting of 609 courses. Alongside the list of courses were 11 “buckets” or groupings. If our panelists deemed a course to be among the top three in the US, they marked the first column. If they believed the odds were between numbers 4-10, they checked that column, followed by 11-25, 26-50 and so on up to 250+ and even a column for “remove”.
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Panelists were also free to write in courses they felt should have been included on the ballot.
Points were assigned to each bucket; to arrive at an average score for each course, we divide its overall score by the number of votes. From these point totals, courses are then ranked accordingly. It’s an intentionally simple and straightforward process. Why? Because it has historically produced results that are widely praised. Like the game itself, there’s no need to overcomplicate things or try to fix something that already works so well.
The key to the methodology is the experience and expertise of our panel. Of course, our process is only as good as the panel itself. Hailing from 15 countries (and that’s counting Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales as one, the United Kingdom), each of our 127 carefully selected panelists has a keen eye for architecture, both regionally and even in the global one.
Broadcasting our type panel would be impossible, except to say that they all share a wanderlust for golf. More than 55 years separate our youngest panelist from our oldest. Playing abilities vary from plus handicaps to the low double digits. If 30 panelists have viewed a course, you are almost certain that every set of tees has been used. Many of our panelists have played more than 1,000 courses in over 20 countries. In the ranking world, experience is key. Communication between panelists is enhanced by keeping the group relatively small and tight.
Browse the ranking of GOLF courses: Top 100 in the world | Top 100 in the US | Top 100 you can play | The 100 most valuable courses in the USA | America’s Best Municipal Courses | America’s best courses for $100 or less | Top 100 in the UK and Ireland | Top 100 in Asia-Pacific | The 100 shortest courses in the world
Because we don’t prescribe a set method for evaluating courses like other degrees do, no one opinion carries the day – our degree is a democracy. Some panelists believe that enjoyment is the ultimate goal, and thus prioritize design attributes such as width and playing angles, while frowning on the need to consistently hit balls in thick shape. Other panelists assess the challenge and demands of hitting each club in the bag. Still others consider the environment of a course and the general environment of great importance, thus emphasizing the setting and naturalness of the course. In the end, allowing reviewers to freely express their tastes is what produces the desired eclecticism in our Top 100 lists.
The integrity of the panelists is vital. Voters with any affiliation or association with eligible courses should flag such conflicts. Any vote that falls outside the statistical norm is investigated. The panelists know not to let the quality of their game influence their vote – the same for a luxury or club experience. While wealth can make for a more memorable outing, that’s not what golf course listings do. Our focus is on design and architecture. We study the course, not the trappings around it.
Our promise to you with every order is that we will give our best and most diligent efforts. After all, you are the judge and jury of our success.
