Ranking Methodology | The Golf List

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 five published lists:

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

2. Average

For each course, we calculate the mean rank across every list that includes it. Lower is better. A course that appears on only one list keeps that list's position unchanged — so a single-list #9 can outrank a course averaging #10 across three lists.

3. Final Ranking

Courses are sorted by their consensus average. The home page shows the top 20; the full list includes every course any source ranks.

Tie-Break Rules

When two courses share the same consensus average:

The course appearing on more lists ranks higher.
If still tied, the course with the best single-list position wins.
If still tied, alphabetical order by slug decides display order.

Tied courses share the same displayed rank (e.g. T8, T8, then 10).

Why This Method Matters

For golfers: A balanced view that avoids any single panel's bias.
For clubs: Recognition grounded in collective judgment.
For everyone: Full transparency — every source position is visible.

The Golf List — A Curated Standard of Excellence