Ranking, rating, whatever!

I see that the one of SA Golf Digest or Compleat Golfer has issued their latest course rankings (or both, I don't know as yet) and I have written something up on what they have to say (its quite not finished yet), the problem as I see it with these systems is that they don't give all the much attention to the total experience of playing a given course - if a course is magnificent from an aesthetic perspective but the staff treat you terribly, are you going to go back? I've seen many (wealthy) golfers who are incredibly loyal to their local track, even if they have played (and paid for) one of the better courses in the country, purely because they where not made to feel welcome.

The other thing that ratings systems don't take into account is the relative affordability of courses within the ranking - how many people actually get an invite to play River Club (I wasn't all that impressed) or can afford to travel to and stay at Fancourt just to play the links (and don't get me started on the R1300 + hotel bill it takes to play Leopard Creek, even though it is probably the best course I have ever played)

To edit Dale Hayes a bit (Compleat Golfer, September 2006): 'for example, after enjoying an afternoon at [..], you leave the club thinking, "Boy, I enjoyed that!" and yet find it difficult to explain exactly why. There's that intangible magic that makes certain golf experiences stand out from the rest - and everybody can rate that.'

From the same column: 'Ultimately, there is no need to get technical when rating a golf course. Simply ask yourself - is it pretty? Is it an enjoyable walk? Does the course have its own unique character and does it blend in with its natural surroundings? Does the club have all the facilities necessary for overall enjoyment?

I truly believe it's the overall experience that counts when it comes to the decision of whether you want to return for another try on any golf course - and I firmly believe that rating this sort of experience is of more value than ranking the technical aspects of a golf course.'

Thanks Dale, couldn't have said it better if I tried!