Ratings & Definitions

Where2Golf Course Ratings:

Where2Golf has applied a rating to each golf course visited, based on the personal experiences and views of the Where2Golf team. The course ratings range from 5 highest, to 2 lowest. They attempt to provide an indication of the golfing experience you might expect at the course. The ratings are based on our personal assessment of three things:

• Quality of the golf course design and layout.  
• Course condition and presentation. 
• Scenic attraction of what you see beyond the course. 

The quality of the clubhouse, practice ground and associated facilities beyond the golf course are not factored into the ratings. In each rating category we highlight the top courses with a “plus” sign. In our view a 4+ course offers something in addition to a standard 4-star course, in terms of course design, conditioning or scenery beyond the course.

Course type: Something about the course itself. For example:  

• Links: a course by the sea and usually laid out amongst sand dunes. 
• Cliff top: much of the course is set above the sea on the top of cliffs. 
• Open parkland: inland course, with not too many trees lining the holes. 
• Tree-lined parkland: inland course, with many tree-lined holes. 
• Heathland: inland course, typically on sandy soil with heather or gorse lining the holes. 
• Desert-style: inland course, occupying desert terrain, with desert shrubland lining the holes. 

Course surroundings: Something about what lies beyond the course:

• Residential: proximity to residential housing or a suburban area.
• Rural countryside: away from housing in a natural environment of farmland or ranchland.
• Seaside/oceanside: adjacent to the sea, although this may not guarantee sea views! 
• Lakeside/riverside: a sizeable lake or river provides an additional feature to the course. 
• Desert: desert scrubland or shrubland lies beyond the course. 
• Forest/woodland: most of the course is situated in forest or a wooded area. 

Walking the course: Something about the physical effort needed to get round the course. 

• No effort to walk: relatively flat terrain; perhaps a few gentle gradients to climb. 
• A few slopes to climb: some gradients could feel a bit like hard work. 
• Several slopes to climb: some steeper or longer climbs on the way round. 
• Tough going: hilly and/or long distances from greens to tee. Golf cart generally advisable.

Hotels:

Hotel ratings shown in the Where2Stay section are taken from published hotel guides; they are not the assessment of the Where2Golf team. In line with providing details of the best golf courses, we have attempted to provide details on some of the better hotels in the neighbourhood of the courses.

• 5-star: excellent standard, luxury hotel. 
• 4-star: very good all-round standard. 
• 3-star: covers a wide-range, but should be of good quality.
• 2-star: could be a bit basic in some areas.