How our ranking system works
We welcome you to Chicagoland Golf's public course rating system.
It has been heralded by our readers as the most accurate of all systems used to rank Chicagoland courses. It gets heavy use not only by local golfers, but those planning a business or recreational trip to our locale that includes golf.
Our unique rating system incorporates a “Five Star” rating structure, with five stars being the highest rating.
In 2002 it replaced our biennial "Top 50 Public Courses in Chicagoland'' list. This because we felt the old “Top 50" ranking system no longer could provide an honest reflection of the relative quality of a course when compared to others on the list because a plethora of high quality courses were built here during the 15-year golf boom that started in 1991 .
That was the biggest problem with the old ranking system, and we think with most other course ranking systems employed today. For example, nearly any course listed in the middle to the end of a numeric list might have been rated only a few hundredths of a rating point apart. This was painfully evident when we still ranked the top 50 courses in 10 groups of five. While there was – and still is today – a significant points differential (more than 3.0 points) between the top three or four courses in the area, the points differential between No. 11 (66.8) and No. 35 (66.1) was miniscule, a virtual tie when rounded to one decimal point.
So listing a course with 66.8 points 24 places ahead of a course with 66.1 points is not exactly a true indicator of relative quality.
Our new five-star system allows us to more accurately (and fairly) group courses of equal quality, based upon our ratings. It also allowed us to include courses on the periphery of the Chicago market that pull a significant amount of their revenue (about 50 percent or more) from Chicago-area golfers – courses like The General at Eagle Ridge (Galena), The TPC at Deere Run (Quad Cities), Blackthorn and the Warren Course in South Bend, Whistling Straits and the Irish Course in Haven, Wis., the two courses at Blackwolf Run, and WeaverRidge in Peoria.
We didn’t previously include courses like those under the Top 50 system — because 20 years ago when we began with a Top 20 list, quite frankly very few courses were worth a two- or three-hour drive to play. Today, all that has changed. The playing options are better, and therefore today’s golfers are more mobile.
Panelists remain anonymous when they rate a course. They pay their own green fee and upon completing their round, assign values in ten areas (listed below) — experiencing each course as any paying customer would. We required a minimum of 20 panelists to visit and rate each course for it to be considered. That, we feel, gives a reasonably fair consensus.
We constantly update this list, so ratings will be more “fluid” than “static”. Ratings are based both on opinion and observation — within the framework of a point evaluation process kept as tightly objective as possible. Panelists can assign from zero to ten points (to one decimal place) in each of the rating categories. They are:
- Conditioning – reflects the overall physical condition and appearance of the course, grounds and parking lots, with an eye toward neatness and upkeep. Also includes on-course factors such as consistency of roll on greens, proper drainage, definition between fairway and rough, maintenance of sand in bunkers, fairway-to-green yardage markings, etc.;
- Degree of Difficulty from back tees – the "challenge factor,'' with the architecture and course setup both key and interrelated points. Rank the shot values for the skilled player. Is the course tough but fair, or tough and unfair? Will you use all 14 clubs during an average round and a variety of shots? Does the course design and setup give a single-digit player a challenge while offering a less punishing avenue for higher handicappers in the same group, and so on;
- Playability from each remaining set of tees – rank
the shot values for the average player. Is the course tough but fair,
or tough and unfair? Will you use all 14 clubs during an average round
and a variety of shots? Does the architect force you to try to
accomplish the impossible, by forcing you to make heroic shots without
safer alternatives?
- Memorability – how easy is it to remember holes and/or the routing after you play? Months later?
- Fee Justification – reflects whether the green fee charged is consistent with the overall golf experience. Period.
- Treatment by Staff – employee treatment
of players (i.e. did they shut off the mower motor while you were
making a shot, were you made to feel welcome and do they act like they
would like you to return?)
- Ambience – this rating element reflects the overall flavor of visiting the course, including but not limited to factors like intrinsic beauty, starting time allotment system smoothness, transition ease from arrival to first tee, length of time to play, course overcrowding, You get the picture.
- Golf Amenities (practice facilities, etc.) – includes quality and availability of practice range and green, food quality and pricing, availability of water on course, cleanliness and availability of restrooms (men' s and women's) on the course, etc.
- Facility/clubhouse Quality – pro shop and clubhouse facilities, amenities, parking, etc.
- Enjoyment Factor –
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