Golf rankings
Jim Nugent alerted me to this piece in the Chicago Tribune about Golf Magazine’s and the NGF’s city ranking for great golf.
I won’t pile on about the great Chicago golf market … and its ranking of 46. Ed Sherman and Geoff Shackleford are indignant enough for me. Rather, let me say that the whole ranking thing is suspect.
It always happens. You get a couple of credible outlets with believable ranking criteria - like Golfweek and Golf Digest - and everyone else just has to get into the ranking game. Best golf resorts, best hamburgers, best locker rooms … give me a break. Make up the criteria, insure that it fits your advertising sales goal, and have at it. That’s what these things smell like.
A couple of friends and I bought an auction package recently for $6k: “Chicago trip for 3 players: 7 rounds on Chicago Golf Club, Shore Acres, Olympia Fields, Butler National, Dunes Club, Beverly and Medinah CC.” In spite of the news from Golf Magazine and NGF, I think I’m still headed to the Windy City.
As a 10-year resident of the Greater Chicagoland Area m’friend (for those who live there) I was always surprised to see the weak ranking the city receives.
I would doubt it has much to do with advertising…Austin, Columbus, and Rochester (NY or MN) don’t exactly flood the market with golf packages, at least that I’ve seen.
I’ve thought a lot about this and even blogged about my disgust with this low place on the golf totem pole…but alas mark the date and time…I was wrong. After thinking more about it, Chicago has many good things going for it. Relatively inexpensive public golf in most towns and a true passion for the game.
The problem though comes in two areas. One, the weather bites…period. Secondly, the really high quality public tracks are both expensive and really crowded.
So if objectivity is the true goal, leaving emotion out of the equation, Chicago may not be in the 46th position nationally but for the lidslammer set it’s pretty close.
Your trip avoids the two pitfalls of Chicago golf…sure you will travel in the summer (meaning July)…and the courses on your list will have a combined 50 cars in the parking lots…great lineup, have fun!
Posted by RDH on 12.09.07.