This is exciting news. The 2022 Golf Course Guide has announced its ranking of the top 100 Australian golf courses – and has placed St John at 46 and The Henley at 68.
This great result is testament to the hard work and dedication of our two Superintendents, Jordan and Jason, and our Head Mechanic, Warren and their teams.
The Golf Course Guide ranking puts Heritage with some of the best and most impressive golf courses in Australia.
Here is a link to the rankings: 2022 GOLF Course Guide rankings
Here is a link if you’d like to buy the book: 2022 GOLF Course Guide – Delivered in Australia – ausgolf
The Golf Course Guide
The GOLF Course Guide established a numerical course ranking system in 1998 and was the first Australian publication to do that.
The Guide’s criteria are
Course Design (40% weighting): How each hole presents an enjoyable, interesting challenge to golfers of all abilities from scratch markers to high handicappers and shorter hitters. The variety of different holes that make up the course, and the variety of shots that they require to test every facet of your game. How well the course exploits the ‘best’ set and sequence of holes the land offers, and how well the routing takes the golfer on a journey of discovery. The strategic design of each hole – where hazards come into play, reward for risk takers of an easier subsequent shot, with a more difficult shot or possibly an additional stroke for those who choose to play safely.
Courses that offer higher handicappers a manageable test (from appropriate tees) will find themselves ranked better in this Guide, and courses that are really only playable by low markers will be ranked lower. Courses with two separate 18s considered as two courses; where 27 holes available, the “best” 18 selected.
Course Conditions (40% weighting): Year round playing conditions (from best to worst season) and course maintenance of greens (greatest weighting), fairways, tees, roughs and hazards.
Course Aesthetics (20% weighting): The obvious beauty of the setting and also that very subjective quality of ambience and tranquility that allows the golfer to lose himself in his environment.
Judges scores are mathematically adjusted to account for any particular harshness or leniency and spurious results are eliminated. Panelists were asked to score only courses they had played. Colleagues who play certain courses frequently were consulted to more accurately assess year round conditions. The judging period was from October 2019 to September 2021 (two years since previous ranking due to COVID 19).
Where the Golf Course Guide really delivers in on their objective to ‘guide’ readers to courses they will enjoy – by publishing three distinct lists; rankings by Design, Conditions and Aesthetics. This allows readers to effectively select their own criteria and weightings. For some golfers, the thrill of playing golf in a stunning environment can far outweigh lack-lustre design strategy, and even mediocre fairway conditions. For these players, the allocation of only 20 per cent weighting would be inadequate, and they would seek out courses from the Best Aesthetics list, rather than the overall rankings.
