The Golf List Ranking Method

Purpose

Golf rankings differ depending on who you ask.
Our mission is to provide a fair, unbiased consensus by combining respected rankings
into a single, transparent, and curated standard of excellence.

How It Works

1. Collect

We gather rankings from respected sources such as:

  • Golf Digest
  • Golf Australia
  • Top100GolfCourses.com

Each uses different criteria, but all are regarded as credible in the golf world.

2. Normalize

Since each list can be a different length, we convert positions into a percentile score:

percentile = (rank - 0.5) / N

where N is the total number of courses ranked.
This ensures every list is treated fairly, regardless of size.

3. Average

For each course, we calculate the average percentile across all sources where it appears.
This produces a baseline consensus score.

4. Apply Coverage Multiplier

Not all courses appear in every source. To keep things fair, we adjust scores based on how many lists a course is on:

  • Appears in 3+ sources → × 1.00 (no penalty)
  • Appears in 2 sources → × 1.06
  • Appears in 1 source only → × 1.18

This way, consistent recognition is rewarded, and single-source inclusions are acknowledged
without outweighing broader consensus.

5. Final Ranking

We sort courses by their adjusted consensus score (lower = better).

Tie-Break Rules

If two courses tie:

  1. The course with more source appearances ranks higher.
  2. If still tied, the course with the best individual rank wins.
  3. If still tied, alphabetical order decides.

Why This Method Matters

  • For Golfers: A trustworthy, balanced list that avoids bias.
  • For Clubs: Recognition grounded in collective judgment, not just one panel.
  • For Everyone: A transparent, elegant standard that highlights golf's true excellence.

The Golf List — A Curated Standard of Excellence

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