Best Courses of 2008

[tom04]

Blue Ribbon and Bryant Lake in Minnesota will be in the top 20 in a couple years

[cc0049]

I'll take you up on that offer when I get a chance. I teach, so maybe I'll be able to take a road trip this summer. I'm not disputing that there are a ton of courses out there that are superior to Bear Creek or Lake Lewisville. I just took offense to the use of the term "joke". I don't like my babies called that. They are still great courses, even if there are some out there that are prettier.
I really appreciate the reviews you do on this site, especially given your expertise and the large amount of courses that you have played!

"So again, I'm not hating on Bear Creek or Lake Lewisville -- or Texas golf -- I just know the odds, and am willing to bet that once you've played 100 more courses, you'll have seen enough courses that you won't expect those two in the top 50 either...

If you're ever up this way (VA/MD/PA/DC/WV/DE), let me know and I'll introduce you to some amazing courses -- it would be a great time.[/QUOTE]"

[Donovan]

Bear Creek/Lake Lewisville TX subject:

Well then I guess it is a matter of the Dallas/FortWorth area people doing lots of promoting of this site. Otherwise, they would probably not be on the list.

Since some of us still drop off the business cards at the courses we play at and get new people to this site, it only makes sense that those courses made it to the top 50 in 2008. As time goes on, other areas will join here and promote their stuff. The fact is, these courses made the top 50 due to local people loving the course...and out of towner's by the reviewers. So it does not only make sense that they made the list in the early stages of this site, but it was inevitable.

That is how I see it.

[t i m]

Originally Posted by cc0049

I'll take you up on that offer when I get a chance. I teach, so maybe I'll be able to take a road trip this summer. I'm not disputing that there are a ton of courses out there that are superior to Bear Creek or Lake Lewisville. I just took offense to the use of the term "joke". I don't like my babies called that. They are still great courses, even if there are some out there that are prettier.
I really appreciate the reviews you do on this site, especially given your expertise and the large amount of courses that you have played!

"So again, I'm not hating on Bear Creek or Lake Lewisville -- or Texas golf -- I just know the odds, and am willing to bet that once you've played 100 more courses, you'll have seen enough courses that you won't expect those two in the top 50 either...

If you're ever up this way (VA/MD/PA/DC/WV/DE), let me know and I'll introduce you to some amazing courses -- it would be a great time.

"[/QUOTE]

Thanks. No intention to offend -- "joke" was probably overly harsh for Lake Lewisville and Bear Creek... I hope your travels have time for a roadtrip up this way. In a couple of weeks, you could plan a trip that would hit ~30 courses in VA/WV/MD/PA/NY/NJ/DE, most of which I would rate 4.0 or better (and I consider myself a pretty conservative reviewer in most cases)...
Here's a rough map of a ~1000 mile loop that includes New York City, Pittsburgh, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia as possible airports for someone who was flying in... and this loop would hit:

Paw Paw, WV - Woodshed and Whipping Post
Spotsylvania, VA - The Grange (2 courses), Hawk Hollow, Loriella
Also in VA - VA - Giles Run, Bluemont, Signal View
Pittsburgh, PA - Moraine, Knob Hill, Deer Lakes
Allentown, PA - Jordan Creek, Nockamixon, Lehigh Valley, Unami.
Also in PA - PA - Tyler State Park, Pinchot (2 courses), Codorus (2 courses), Whispering Falls
DE - Iron Hill, Brandywine
NY - Warwick
NJ - Campgaw
MD - Seneca, Patapsco, Rockburn

There are other courses on the way, of course, but those come to mind quickly. Oh, what a roadtrip can be had up this way. :-) I encourage anyone who has a few weeks free this summer to plan a trip up this way. If you have time, add in a southern loop, which would double the length of the trip, but that would include NC/SC, which would add another dozen world-class courses...

[magictenor1]

The list will certainly change as more and more players join and more reviews are posted. It's all pretty subjective anyway. At least it gives us something to aspire to, to play more of the (supposedly) top courses.

[timg]

The list already has changed a good amount since I initially posted the top 50. I wouldn't be surprised if half the courses on the 2008 list don't make it to the 2009 one.

[t i m]

Originally Posted by timg

The list already has changed a good amount since I initially posted the top 50. I wouldn't be surprised if half the courses on the 2008 list don't make it to the 2009 one.

Is there a way to add a "minimum number of reviews" to the course search engine so we can run our own lists and tweak our own variables for the search. Thanks.

[swatso]

I'd be interested in seeing two variants of this list, if calculating it wouldn't be too difficult.

Variant #1: Only use Trusted Reviewers' scores. Would be interested to see how this might differ from the general populace.

Variant #2: Only use scores where the writeup has received a certain minimal number of positive scores, or at least more positive than negative scores. I've seen a writeup where the author (more or less) simply wrote "This is the best!", and gave it a '5', but nobody voted that the writeup was useful, while about twelve have voted "not useful". I'd like to see how the results would change if scores associated with woeful writeups were removed.

FYI, if you happen to be in/visiting central Maryland, make a point to play Seneca, Patapsco, and Rockburn. While not perfect (e.g. signage and tee areas need improvement to various degrees), you'll find the courses fun, varied, and challenging!

[timg]

Originally Posted by t i m

Is there a way to add a "minimum number of reviews" to the course search engine so we can run our own lists and tweak our own variables for the search. Thanks.

No, there isn't unfortuantely.

Originally Posted by swatso

I'd be interested in seeing two variants of this list, if calculating it wouldn't be too difficult.

Variant #1: Only use Trusted Reviewers' scores. Would be interested to see how this might differ from the general populace.

Variant #2: Only use scores where the writeup has received a certain minimal number of positive scores, or at least more positive than negative scores. I've seen a writeup where the author (more or less) simply wrote "This is the best!", and gave it a '5', but nobody voted that the writeup was useful, while about twelve have voted "not useful". I'd like to see how the results would change if scores associated with woeful writeups were removed.

Sorry I didn't respond to your PM, I was meaning to but haven't checked my inbox after reading it. Those lists would require actual coding rather than just a sql query so they probably won't happen.

Regarding #1, using the current criteria I don't think any courses would make the list. I'd have to bump the minimum reviews down to 2 and even then the list would be short.

For #2, many courses would drop off the list. I really should start doing something about stuff like that where a review has 1 helpful and 25 unhelpfuls.

[bazkitcase5]

I agree with his #2

#1 would have to be a more of a curious kind of thing until enough trusted reviews are collected