Tech Notes Issue 6

What do Golfers (and Panelists) Value in Course Conditioning?

An Opinion

As I write this article on the eve of The Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Club, USA, mass media attention for the tournament has focused on Tiger Woods. There is little doubt more people will watch this year's Masters Tournament than any other golf tournament in history.

Lost in all the hoopla is the recent ranking of Augusta National as the number one course in America last year in Golf Digest's "America's 100 Greatest Golf Courses/2009-10". It is the oldest and most comprehensive ranking of golf courses in the United States. How a course is ranked is based on 7 categories that 900 panelists use to judge the courses.

One of categories is course condition. The new definition for the 2009-2010 rankings on course condition asks the panelists, "How firm, fast, and rolling were the fairways, and how firm, yet receptive, were the greens on the day you played the course?"

This is different from the old definition that asked, "How would you rate the playing quality of the tees, fairways, and greens quality on the date you last played the course?"

Given that change, it is fascinating to note in the new rankings Augusta National Golf Club supplanted Pine Valley, the perennial ranked number 1 course, at the top of the list. Augusta National Golf Club was previously ranked number 3.

There are probably other factors involved in the change but when you consider that the United States golf industry (USGA, architects, golf course superintendents, etc) as a whole has promoted more environmentally friendly, and less costly management practices - golfers still prefer including the panelists the "green" look of Augusta  National.

The opinion expressed here is solely that of Karl Danneberger.