How To Review Private Courses

[Mando]

I don't know. If a private course owner lists his course on a site that critiques courses, I think he's acceding to critiques.

If the owner didn't want the course listed but someone else listed it, that's another issue.

The point I'm trying to make is that the vast majority of NC backyard private course owners (a large subset of private courses in NC) want nothing to do with being critiqued on DGCR and the added exposure.

 

[DavidSauls]

The point I'm trying to make is that the vast majority of NC backyard private course owners (a large subset of private courses in NC) want nothing to do with being critiqued on DGCR and the added exposure.

Understood. And I certainly understand that sentiment.

I was thinking more towards the subject of this thread, which is private courses that are listed; and Chuck's opinion that they shouldn't be rated, with some of the comments that follow.

 

[magictenor1]

The name of this site has review in it. I see no reason you shouldn't review a private course listed here

 

[Rastnav]

Just my opinion, but I think most reviewers on DGCR (particularly the more prolific reviewers) are more objective than what I've seen on U-Disc or DG Scene, and that the site is more responsible about recognizing the course owner, and respecting their wishes to not have a course listed.

Not that this is necessarily the thread, but I guess it goes to how DGCR's review culture functions.

I think that uDisc ratings are not a review of the course in any comparative sense. They mostly are a function of whether the person enjoyed playing at the course. The top rating doesn't even mean that it's the most enjoyable course you've ever played, just that you didn't really find anything that severely affected your enjoyment.

There is also no real possibility of creating a culture around reviews on uDisc. The absence of active forums that have well known personalities that care about how reviews are conducted means that no one is going to apply any real pressure on reviews to conform to some standard.

The conversation in this thread won't ever happen on uDisc.

I've never used DG Scene, but I imagine that there is much the same issue there.

 

[Mando]

There is also no real possibility of creating a culture around reviews on uDisc. The absence of active forums that have well known personalities that care about how reviews are conducted means that no one is going to apply any real pressure on reviews to conform

Yep, and that's a good thing.

 

[Billipo]

I am a course designer but have I never wrote a rating for a course. If asked, I offer my honest opinion directly to the designer. More often than not they appreciate my feedback. I get asked a lot to do design walks or get asked to help resolve course conundrums.

If I ever chose to write posted reviews, I would do them for public courses, but doubt very much if I would ever for a private course.

 

[nothinbuttree]

If an owner is OK with their course being listed, then by all means rate it--and no special criteria just because it is someone's labor of love in their backyard. But IF an owner has stated they do not want it listed (J. Gill, J.Sias), then no reviews, even if it is mistakenly listed. If we do not respect private course owners' wishes, those courses will simply close even to those who know they exist. Especially the nice ones.

The issue, as relayed to me by two such owners, is that once a course is listed, players tend to 'ignore' the private/contact owner first statements. Now you have random people walking literally through your backyard, etc. A vast majority of DG players are fine, but we have all seen courses where a few bad seeds have no respect.

Flip City/Harmon Hills/etc are pay to play and private, yes, but they typically have an entrance area that is manned a good chunk of the time. They are also busy enough so it is understood the course will always have players on it.

Truly commercial DG venues like Maple Hill, Highbridge, Selah (RIP, never got to play), and Eagles definitely are a different breed, they want to be listed and publicized.

The few truly private courses we have played, that don't want to be public, are typically empty. Usually with the owner playing the course with us. Those I will not review here. Though I would love to because they are usually great!