Post by XRangerD on Feb 12, 2015 0:51:40 GMT -5
Firstly, let me say that I am not bringing this up because I feel slightd by a review. I was actually quite surprised my course received 4/5. I worked hard on playability and on not multiplying difficulties by having overly narrow landing areas + extreme pealties + unrealistic fairway side-slopes + complex greens + very fast and very firm greens. While such difficulty multiplication creates a fantastic game improvement environment, it plays as fantasy and as trickery to make a course unrealisticly difficult. Trying to create a difficult, complex , unique but realistic and fair course is a great challenge that few will master. And achieving that game-play mastery while presenting a beautiful appearance truly shows that design to be exceptional.
That being said, I believe that the 5 Star award is overused. Too often, the courses are seeming to have lost playability in favor of visual appeal. I am not, by any means, suggesting that reviws are stilted or biased. But they are subjective, strongly and naturally so. All of us are naturally going to favor the features we most enjoy. I am also quite aware of the workload issue and of the scarcity of reviewers.
I suggest that some balance be introduced by instuting some review moderating changes.
1. No Designer may review, or influence a review of, a Course he or she has created
2. In order to achieve a 5 Star review, two staff reviewers must agree on the appropriateness of the award. Should two staff reviewers not be available, one staff reviewer and no less than two amateur reviewers, not associated with the designer in any way, must agree on the award. Amateur reviewers must use full TGCT Course Review Guidelines in their review. Should the presiding staff reviewer determine the amateur reviewer has not met Guideline requirements, the review shall not stand as a supporting review for the 5 Star award.
3. Courses reviewed by one staff reviewer, or one staff reviewer and one acceptable amateur reviewer, will be awarded a 5 Star Course Candidate status. Such Courses will be forum higlighted until they have received a second review from a staff reviewer or two acceptable reviews from amateur reviewers.
4. When a 5 Star Course Candidate recieves its' second staff review, or its' second and third acceptable amateur review, it shall either be confirmed as a 5 Star Course or receive its' final score. Where two staff reviwers disagree, the Course shall receive the median average score of the two staff reviewers rounded upward to the nearest 0.25 points but not to 5.00. Where one staff reviewer and two acceptable amateur revwers disagree, the score will be weighted toward the staff reviewer by averaging the two acceptable amateur reviews. The amateur review average will be multiplied by two, added to three times the staff reviewer score and the resulting sum divided by five. Thus giving the staff review three-fifths weight on the Course score. As above, the resulting weighted average shall be rounded upward to the nearest 0.25 points but not to 5.00.
5. Courses currently awarded 5 Stars shall not be re-evaluated unless the community petitions The Administration with just and reasonable argument. The Administration reserves the right to confirm, deny or table such petitions.
It is my hope that the above modification will help remove some subjectivity from reviews, encourage members to become involved in course reviews, and reserve the 5 Star award for those designs that are truly superlative creations.
That being said, I believe that the 5 Star award is overused. Too often, the courses are seeming to have lost playability in favor of visual appeal. I am not, by any means, suggesting that reviws are stilted or biased. But they are subjective, strongly and naturally so. All of us are naturally going to favor the features we most enjoy. I am also quite aware of the workload issue and of the scarcity of reviewers.
I suggest that some balance be introduced by instuting some review moderating changes.
1. No Designer may review, or influence a review of, a Course he or she has created
2. In order to achieve a 5 Star review, two staff reviewers must agree on the appropriateness of the award. Should two staff reviewers not be available, one staff reviewer and no less than two amateur reviewers, not associated with the designer in any way, must agree on the award. Amateur reviewers must use full TGCT Course Review Guidelines in their review. Should the presiding staff reviewer determine the amateur reviewer has not met Guideline requirements, the review shall not stand as a supporting review for the 5 Star award.
3. Courses reviewed by one staff reviewer, or one staff reviewer and one acceptable amateur reviewer, will be awarded a 5 Star Course Candidate status. Such Courses will be forum higlighted until they have received a second review from a staff reviewer or two acceptable reviews from amateur reviewers.
4. When a 5 Star Course Candidate recieves its' second staff review, or its' second and third acceptable amateur review, it shall either be confirmed as a 5 Star Course or receive its' final score. Where two staff reviwers disagree, the Course shall receive the median average score of the two staff reviewers rounded upward to the nearest 0.25 points but not to 5.00. Where one staff reviewer and two acceptable amateur revwers disagree, the score will be weighted toward the staff reviewer by averaging the two acceptable amateur reviews. The amateur review average will be multiplied by two, added to three times the staff reviewer score and the resulting sum divided by five. Thus giving the staff review three-fifths weight on the Course score. As above, the resulting weighted average shall be rounded upward to the nearest 0.25 points but not to 5.00.
5. Courses currently awarded 5 Stars shall not be re-evaluated unless the community petitions The Administration with just and reasonable argument. The Administration reserves the right to confirm, deny or table such petitions.
It is my hope that the above modification will help remove some subjectivity from reviews, encourage members to become involved in course reviews, and reserve the 5 Star award for those designs that are truly superlative creations.
