The best courses are separated from the rest by a small margin in the top 100 course rankings
There are no unresolved questions and no contentious recounts. But the voting results for golf’s top 100 courses were extremely close. For each new ranking, our magazine’s 120 panelists vote by bucket: 1-3, 4-10, 11-25, 26-50, and so on. Each bucket carries a corresponding point value. When all the votes are in, the scores are averaged to create the final list.
Sounds neat. But this neat system gave way to tiny profits with serious consequences. In fact, there are only decimal points separating seemingly worlds apart courses in public perception. For example, in a recent poll, No. 101 Golf Club (Ohio, designed by Pete Dye) — which just missed the coveted top 100 spot — trailed the course ahead by just 0.3 points.
This is less impact than a single group member changing their opinion could have. Maybe the evaluators didn’t see the course for this cycle and their plans were scuppered by a canceled flight or a period of bad weather. Many factors may come into play.
To break the tie, golf gave the course a greater overall vote advantage, reflecting the broader consensus. Still, profits are razor thin. For architects, owners, and superfans who track results like stock prices, it’s worth remembering: Each ranking is a snapshot, not a conclusion.
When the gap between No. 100 and No. 101 shrinks to a tenth, you start to realize the obvious: There are far more than 100 courses in the world that deserve to be in the top 100.
In the latest episode of the Destination Golf Podcast, GOLF Course Ratings Team Leader Simon Holt discusses the substance of the voting and the statistical nuances behind the rankings. This is part of a conversation dedicated to this year’s close contenders, the courses ranked 101-150 in GOLF’s new World Top 100 Courses, which will be released on November 19th. You can listen to the entire show here and watch a segment dedicated to the vote count in the video above.
