World Rankings?

One of the great aspects of golf, aside from the tremendous camaraderie, is the sheer diversity of golf courses. Of course, all courses have certain things in common:18 tees, 18 fairways & 18 greens. However, the variety within these parameters is enormous. The locations and surroundings are equally divergent. The conditioning and experience can vary tremendously.It was therefore with great interest that I read the recent article in Golf Digest regarding the Top 100 Courses in the world. This was a poll which had been brought to my attention by various friends and contacts, every one of whom had an opinion on the matter. Yes, each one was a golfer! The ranking of golf courses is as difficult and subjective as selecting your favorite movie or meal. Different golfers place varying emphasis on each of the many components:; shot making, conditioning, routing, surroundings, etc. The list is virtually endless. Rankings are always certain to engage passionate discussions on the best course. Or if you want a sure-fire dialogue, compare one course in your hometown to another. I have discovered that many people like to think their course is the superior because they are members...and as a result downplay anywhere else. I fall uncharacteristically silent when speaking with these characters.So as I read the Golf Digest Top 100 I recognized it as a genuine effort to include as many countries as possible. I do not think it reflects the best courses in the world unless you weight your answers heavily for geographical reasons. I cannot find fault with that. I would, however, question the nature of selection, by that I mean, as primarily a US magazine, Golf Digest should focus on the views and expectations of its core audience. My understanding is that this poll was conducted with input from various golf organizations & administrators located around the world. Fine, but their view of a great course is different from Americans’. Case in point, look at the Top 50 in the British Isles as selected by a UK audience for a UK publication. It varies significantly from the US vision of the same courses. No one is giving the wrong answer, it is just that we all have different perspectives given our background and expectations.I could slice and dice the list that Golf Digest presented’ I certainly disagree with a great number of its honorees when you consider other fine courses elsewhere in the world. But that is the beauty of these polls...we all have our opinions.Bottom line, all polls are great, even ones we may not necessarily agree with or fully understand, because they can raise awareness of...and discussion about a sport for which we all have a passion. So, let’s keep it all in perspective. Our lives are all very good and we are blessed. Golf is a great game and we should always remember that.