DGCR v UDisc Rating

[DavidSauls]

I 100% understand that, but for me, and I am guessing a vast majority of users, it is just a Forum.

I don't know about just a forum. I use the course directory if I'm thinking of playing a new course, but the forum when I want to chat about disc golf. So I use the forum a lot more, but that doesn't detract from the value of the directory (for me).

 

[nothinbuttree]

What kind of change do you think? Something to get exposure, like advertising? Or something structurally in how reviews are done on DGCR?

The main thing I would advocate for is a way, using the app, to do a 'quickie' review perhaps even while still on the course, like Udisc does. I have had to stop doing reviews on this site simply because each one was taking me quite some time, and my work has been slamming me to the wall this year (self employed so thats a good thing). A quick review could simply mention things not brought up, focus on more important items to the reviewer, etc. No need to rehash most of the basics--tee type, basket type, # holes, etc, unless they have changed.

Udisc will never offer the depth of reviews found here. I think most would agree with that. So if I had to pick one or the other app to use, I am going DGCR all day. But it just seems that for reviewing purposes, many more folks are using Udisc these days, they are integrating themselves directly with the PDGA, top level events, etc. They will only continue to grow.

All I know is I do NOT want to see folks stop reviewing here, or even rating courses, but 339 to 1 for Eagles Crossing really jumped out at me!

 

[nothinbuttree]

Exposure/advertising definitely.

The main course I play has a sign on the #1 tee that asks the players to use uDisc and has one of those scannable codes (QR code?) to get the app.

uDisc also got the upperhand on DGCR because it was used in tournaments to keep score. Players needed to download it so they could keep score. It also helped in finding your starting hole during shotgun starts. Add to that the other features and you have an app that is useful to players. DGCR might be great for reviews of courses.....but can it get you to your starting hole? Can it get you to the next hole on the course if the location isn't easy to spot? Can it be used to keep score? How many apps should I have to use for disc golf? uDisc pretty much covers everything....only issue is that sanctioned tournaments have gone away from uDisc and use the PDGA live scoring instead - but that is a website and not an app (for now).

For me, a usable disc golf app needs to:
1. give me directions to the course
2. let me keep score
3. show me where the holes are
4. let me compare my rounds
5. show me the distance of my throws (and/or my lie's distance from the tee pad and to the basket).

You can keep score with DGCR, it even estimates a round rating for you, something Udisc does not. You can compare rounds as well. There are also directions to the courses, so really all we are missing is #3 and #5. The biggest reason I DON'T use DGCR while playing is the interactive GPS which shows me where I am in relation to hole 1 and subsequent holes for new courses. Great feature, Udisc.

 

[bigreddog]

Back to the original reason for this thread. Why are DGCR and uDisc ratings of a course different? This is my opinion on the topic.....

The users. Period.

When I started playing, I heard about uDisc from other players.
I only found out about DGCR when I did a search to find an answer to a disc golf question.

Basically, any/every disc golfer knows about and uses uDisc - from a first timer to a long-timer. How a course is rated will differ between a newbie and a long-timer.

DGCR isn't well known. Yes, there are newbies to disc golf on it....heck, there's a part of the forum just for them. But (IMO) it is the players who have been around a while who have found DGCR. Those players are more familiar with different course and can better rate them.

If DGCR were more widely known, I think the course ratings would become comparable to uDisc. But for now, I think DGCR is more accurate due to the experience of the members doing the ratings.

It is also easier to do ratings on uDisc since it asks for it after you finish the round....and it is easy to rate a course low if you just had a bad round...or high if your round was great. With DGCR, the rater is going to the site after the round and they have had time to think about what the course was like for them....so it would be a more accurate rating.

uDisc rating: "knee jerk"/at the moment.
DGCR rating: "thought out"/after the round.

I agree with most of this, but 8-10 years ago I think DGCR was more widely known. It was THE place to get information about courses of any kind because apps (or at least disc golf apps) weren't really a thing yet. This is definitely why now it's mostly more seasoned players that still use DGCR. I could be wrong, but I don't think the ratings on DGCR were significantly higher back then. I'm not sure how much of it has to do with being knee-jerk vs thought out, and how much has to do with the way DGCR gives a brief descriptor of each rating like "excellent" for 4.0 and "phenomenal" for 4.5 and "best of the best" for 5.0 that maybe help guide people who haven't played as many courses, which doesn't exist at all on UDisc. People are used to giving 5 star ratings for apps and stuff where the vast majority are either 5-star or 1-star and that's just not how it should be for disc golf courses.

 

[sidewinder22]

I originally came to DGCR for the disc reviews.

 

[nothinbuttree]

I'm not sure how much of it has to do with being knee-jerk vs thought out, and how much has to do with the way DGCR gives a brief descriptor of each rating like "excellent" for 4.0 and "phenomenal" for 4.5 and "best of the best" for 5.0 that maybe help guide people who haven't played as many courses, which doesn't exist at all on UDisc. People are used to giving 5 star ratings for apps and stuff where the vast majority are either 5-star or 1-star and that's just not how it should be for disc golf courses.

This is a solid point that certainly could lead to quite a difference in ratings. If one looks at app or product reviews, would we 'expect' a normal distribution? We might, but we never see that. Many are very skewed, and there is usually nothing like a the bell curve normal distribution mathematics states we ought to see. There is also 'reviewer bias'--those that are really mad or really love something are much more likely to take time to post a review. When is the last time any of us took time out to rate a product, service, or restaurant 3 out of 5 stars? I wonder if Udisc ratings are the same? Not knowing what each of the ratings is supposed to mean only makes this more pronounced.

 

[Ahildy13]

This is a solid point that certainly could lead to quite a difference in ratings. If one looks at app or product reviews, would we 'expect' a normal distribution? We might, but we never see that. Many are very skewed, and there is usually nothing like a the bell curve normal distribution mathematics states we ought to see. There is also 'reviewer bias'--those that are really mad or really love something are much more likely to take time to post a review. When is the last time any of us took time out to rate a product, service, or restaurant 3 out of 5 stars? I wonder if Udisc ratings are the same? Not knowing what each of the ratings is supposed to mean only makes this more pronounced.

They're reviews, not test scores. There is no reason to expect a "normal" distribution.

 

[Mando]

The biggest flaw with DGCR, imo, is there are not enough reviews to override the outdated ones when courses undergo a significant change, for better or for worse. Then there are the vindictive reviews. So a course like Maple Hill can get bumped out of the top ten just because two guys had a beef with the staff two years ago. If I'm not mistaken, there are far less folks reiviewing today than 5-10 years ago on DGCR.

 

[Mando]

Case in point; the number one rated course on DGCR, Jarva has a grand total of 23 reviews with zero in the last two years. That's not happening on Udisc.

 

[nothinbuttree]

If I'm not mistaken, there are far less folks reiviewing today than 5-10 years ago on DGCR.

I've noticed this as well--I was surprised when I started reviewing how many courses had not been reviewed in years.

I do wonder if part of the reason for this is the same reason many LIKE the review function so well--that is the ability to up or down vote reviews. I have seen many short reviews by folks with just a few reviews under their belts get predominately down-voted, because they don't meet the in-depth requirements that most users seem to have. I love the many great reviews on this site, and greatly appreciate the many many hours the major contributors have given. But I also appreciate the quick note type of reviews, when they add something either current to the course, or something not covered in other reviews.

That is why I would like to see a 'quick-review' option, maybe even with no up/down voting ability--and add that functionality to the app. NOT to replace the existing review model, but simply to supplement it. We may be discouraging newer reviewers who aren't up to diamond reviewer standards by down-voting their short reviews so much.

Just my $.02, keep in mind I am still fairly new to the site, so I may have a newbie perspective still.

 

[Mando]

It's amusing to me, to have DGCR folks casting stones at inflated Udisc ratings, when
Jarva-#1 rated course has half of it's reviews coming from folks with one course played and one reviewed. Think about it.
Two trusted reviewers gave it an average 4.5. Hardly a #1 course.

 

[BogeyNoMore]

to rate a course on DGCR its take a little bit of effort and thought, on udisc you click a star rating with very little effort. i trust reviews her more than there but i believe the population as a whole uses udisc more than DGCR.

We'd like to think that, but that's not really the case. Most of the negative votes I've doled out are for reviews that really don't say much.

You don't have to say much to write a review on DGCR. It's just that if you do write an extremely short, semi-useless review, you'll simply get a boatload of :thmbdown:'s and your review kinda gets buried.

The difference between the UDisc and DGCR is the feedback mechanism for reviews.

 

[Mando]

I know that Jarva is too far away to be a good example, so let's look at the most reviewed course on DGCR, Flip City.
225 total reviews, but only 5 in the last two years with an average rating under 4, yet it is this 4th rated course on DGCR...

 

[BogeyNoMore]

I know that Jarva is too far away to be a good example, so let's look at the most reviewed course on DGCR, Flip City.
225 total reviews, but only 5 in the last two years with an average rating under 4, yet it is this 4th rated course on DGCR...

So what's your solution?

 

[nothinbuttree]

The difference between the UDisc and DGCR is the feedback mechanism for reviews.

I would agree that is one big difference, another is the platform for doing the reviews, which has been mentioned in other threads. Udisc is app-based, getting the more tech-savvy players, often younger as well. The 'do it fast' crowd. DGCR reviews have to be done on a computer, via a website (who uses those anymore he asks facetiously). The 'do it right' crowd. We get a more mature crowd, probably more experienced DG'ers as well.

I am actually comfortable with both computers and apps on phones, but prefer the former. I don't do facebook, instagram, or twitter. Never even have an account on two of them.

Final thought--I, like others, take notes on courses before writing a review. I still have reviews to write on about 15 courses that I haven't had time to do yet. Slowly, I am sure some finer points about those courses are slipping out of my mind. Most likely will not get written unless I play the course again, many of which are out of town. The bad part about that is not even my rating of the course will get registered, since we can't just do a rating. That is another thing I would allow--a quick rating, with optional review later.

 

[nothinbuttree]

So what's your solution?

I think the solution is already here. We can filter reviews by date pretty easily. For anyone who just wants more recent reviews, just a few clicks gets it.

This only works course by course, but I think it works well. The site even provides an updated rating based JUST upon the filtered reviews. You can also filter by trusted reviewers only, certain experience levels, # of reviews, and # times played.

 

[dreadlock86]

I know that Jarva is too far away to be a good example, so let's look at the most reviewed course on DGCR, Flip City.
225 total reviews, but only 5 in the last two years with an average rating under 4, yet it is this 4th rated course on DGCR...

So what's your solution?

solution? first you need to find a problem and i'm not seeing one.

why should we be surprised that courses in the middle of nowhere have few recent reviews? and why should either factor matter when looking at the top 10 (or 50)?

 

[DavidSauls]

Why should the Top 10 matter, at all? It's a sideline, a curiosity, something just for kicks, sorting out courses by hundredths of a point of subjective reviews. If this site is more than just reviews, it's a lot more than just a way of calculating a "top 10".

Still, there's a high probability that a 4.5-rated course is better than a 3.0-rated one, which is better than a 1.5. These ratings tell us something. I find that something to be more helpful in choosing a new course to play, than sorting through UDisc's pile of 4.7s.

 

[DatRedDude]

We'd like to think that, but that's not really the case. Most of the negative votes I've doled out are for reviews that really don't say much.

You don't have to say much to write a review on DGCR. It's just that if you do write an extremely short, semi-useless review, you'll simply get a boatload of :thmbdown:'s and your review kinda gets buried.

The difference between the UDisc and DGCR is the feedback mechanism for reviews.

you are correct, i should have said to write a useful review.

i use udisc to find a course, i use DGCR to find out about the course. But i also used this site when i started and its familiar to me. Most new players use Udisc and have no idea of this site, or their idea of this site is as someone mentioned above "a forum".

 

[chevis]

Why should the Top 10 matter, at all? It's a sideline, a curiosity, something just for kicks, sorting out courses by hundredths of a point of subjective reviews. If this site is more than just reviews, it's a lot more than just a way of calculating a "top 10".

the top 10 does matter. if your course gets there, i guarantee you would have an uptick in visitors. a course in this area totes 'come play one of the top 10 courses in the world' because they made the list. i would like to see the top 10 change more here, especially for those on the list that have changed or are seasonal (only excellent/playable certain parts of the year). you know where top10 does change... udisc.