An average course for me is a 3.0, a touch higher than some others. This is due to the fact that I rarely give out 0's and .5's. If a course that bad exists, it usually doesn't warrant a review and/or it is torn out of the ground shortly after inception. The other thing to consider is, there is a BIG gap between 3.5's and 4's. It takes a lot to get anything 4 or higher from me and there are a lot of courses that simply fall short in one way or another, thus you'll notice a lot of 3.5's.
I also look for well rounded layouts when I rate a course. Sure some of those premier courses are excellent to play, but if 18 out of 18 holes are tight wooded shots, you won't get a perfect score from me. I think the perfect course will have a good variety of wooded/open holes to challenge all aspects of a players game.
When I rate a course, after contemplating the layout, I take a hard look at the details. How are the amenities, the tee pads, the signage, the benches? A course can have a good layout and poor amenities and suffer from it, and vice-versa. You'll need all the trimmings to get a perfect score from me.
I also tend to value the overall atmosphere and experience of a course more than others it seems. I'll tack on an extra .5 if I felt the atmosphere cultivated good vibes. Conversely, if there were environmental detractors, I could let that negatively affect the rating as well. A lot of disc golf is not only the challenge and competition, but simply the fact that you had fun, and that aspect is sometimes reflected in my reviews.
I hope you'll gather some useful information from the reviews I provide and if you would like additional insight feel free to inquire.
Current Top 10:
1. Lake Marshall - (Montross, VA)
2. Selah Ranch - Lakeside (Talco, TX)
3. Hawk Hollow (Spotsylvannia, VA)
4. Harmon Hills (Fall Branch, TN)
5. W.R. Jackson (Appling, GA)
6. Deer Lakes Park (Tarentum, PA)
7. Mayflower Hills (Roanoke, VA)
8. Greenfield DGC (Troutville, VA)
9. Lake Claiborne - Whitetail (Homer, LA)
10. Ashe County Park (Jefferson, NC)