14 Jan 2014

Next month in Australian Golf Digest we publish our biennial ranking of Australia’s Top 100 golf courses. First released in the 1980s, this is a ranking that we have worked hard ever since at improving. There is no doubt that, as with previous years, our 2014 list will generate plenty of hostile criticism and debate. It’s impossible in an exercise like this to please everyone, and disappointment from some quarters is to be expected. That said, our aim with the Top 100 is simply to provide readers with a snapshot of Australia’s elite golf courses – and hopefully provide direction to those either slipping down the list or looking to improve and jump onto it.

In every sense the 2014 ranking has been our most exhaustive. Its compilation essentially started the moment the 2012 list was published, when we evaluated the performance of our previous panel and decide to make adjustments. There are two meaningful ways to improve an exercise like this; you either improve the process or you improve the panel. We tried to do both.

The expectations on the judges at Australian Golf Digest are simple; that they will independently and impartially assess a wide range of golf courses across Australia. It’s essential for the ranking to be worthwhile that they are active, and that collectively we are able to fairly judge every single candidate course in the country. There will always be a degree of inequality but the aim is to ensure that each course has been played or walked by at least 10 judges every two years. The wider the sample, obviously, the more likely the end result will reflect the collective view of our panel.

After the last survey was completed we removed those judges who were unable to visit the requisite number of courses, and invited readers and architecture fans to apply to fill the void. The performance of these new panelists has been very encouraging. Not only are these judges able to rate more courses than in previous years, they do it with a renewed enthusiasm and a genuine passion to visit obscure or out-of-the-way courses. The average number of different courses seen per judge rose from under 35 in 2012 to around 42 in 2014. The average number of visits to each Top 100 course by the panel has also risen. Royal Melbourne (West) and the two Barnbougle courses (Tas) remain our most popular tracks, with more than 70% of judges visiting during the 2012-13 period.

Not only are we confident that we have assembled a more credible panel than in previous years, so too are we sure that the ranking process itself has been improved through an extended period of careful refinement. Previously judges scored any course they had played, but now they must limit their attention to those they have seen during the past two years. This ensures our final list is more up-to-date and better reflects the current state of the industry. Courses who improve are given a fair opportunity to receive an appropriate ranking, immediately. In theory it’s easier for big jumps or falls now, because during each ranking cycle there are new eyes looking at each course afresh.

The actual methodology we use to rate courses has been adopted from our American affiliate, Golf Digest (USA). Golf Digest collate their Top 100 by defining the elements they believe determine a golf course’s quality, and then asking judges to assign a numerical value to each element. Similarly, our judges score each course they play or visit on four criteria; Shot Values, Design Variety, Memorability and Conditioning. Courses are then ranked according to their total score across all criteria.

The Top 100 list we publish next month won’t be reflective of an individual’s own opinion, but instead the consensus viewpoint of a wide group of industry insiders. We take the responsibility of producing this list very seriously; understanding both the disappointment that comes with a drop as well as the boost a favourable ranking can give a struggling membership. We don’t pretend for one moment that our system is flawless, but it is the most comprehensive in this country and our panel is the most active. Great care is taken to ensure the whole process is handled fairly.

There are numerous clubs, at both ends of the Top 100, who will be anxiously awaiting these 2014 results. For some an improved ranking will be seen as validation of course works undertaken since the last rankings were done. For others a poor showing might provide the impetus for change.

While there are fewer new courses under consideration than in previous years, there has been plenty of activity at established clubs. Our judges have been busy scrutinising redesigns at The Grange (East Course) and The Australian, as well as the partly completed overhaul at Bonnie Doon in Sydney. It remains to be seen whether the big dollars spent at The Grange (Greg Norman redesign) and The Australian (Jack Nicklaus greens and bunker changes) are rewarded with improved rankings. The curiosity of Bonnie Doon is compounded by the fact the club dropped entirely off our Top 100 list a number of years ago. If the course does reappear next month it can be expected to climb even higher once the Ogilvy Clayton masterplan has been completed and the remaining holes rebuilt.

Other projects we have kept a close eye on include greens resurfacing programs at NSW Golf Club and The National (Old Course), which appear to have aided course conditioning. There are also two new holes at The Dunes (15th and 16th) in Victoria, which our judges will be assessing for the first time.

As those who follow our Top 100 rankings closely will be aware, there is always far more competition for spots in the bottom half of the list than the top. More than 9 points (out of 50) separate the Top 50 courses, while less than 4 points separate the rest. There are also nearly a dozen courses outside the Top 100 who are only a minor improvement or two away from bumping off an incumbent. Among those pressing hard for inclusion this year will be Fleurieu, Albany, Twin Waters, Noosa Springs and Southern.

Toward the top and Kingston Heath, Barnbougle Dunes and the ultra-private Ellerston will all be trying to knock Royal Melbourne (West) off its No. 1 perch while Lake Karrinyup and Royal Adelaide will be aiming to break back into the Top 10. Of the four newcomers from our 2012 list, it will be interesting to see whether Lost Farm (6) and Hamilton Island (39), in particular, maintain their position or improve the second time around.

As stated earlier, the Australian Golf Digest Top 100 is unlikely to please all readers but it will be the best that an independent panel with divergent viewpoints and preferences can produce. Our judges have scoured the country looking for good golf, and the message to all clubs is that regardless of whether you are a tier-one private establishment or a struggling country club looking for members, if your golf course is good enough we will find it. It may not make the 2014 list, but the 2016 ranking cycle starts next month and any club with room to improve has an opportunity to make that 2016 list.

Darius Oliver, Architecture Editor

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