BATAVIA, Ohio – Golfweek Magazine has been rating golf courses for nearly three decades.

• Program now has around 700 members
• Course raters for Golfweek started in the mid-1990's
• Golfers pay to be members of rating panel

What started as a few dozen raters across the U.S. now boasts around 700 members.

Raters are avid golfers all across the U.S. (and a few global participants) who use a uniform ranking system to provide scores for golf courses both modern (built after 1960) and classic.

Cincinnatian Albert Canters is an original member.

“We've gone from self-selecting to getting people who have the time to do it,” Canters told Spectrum News 1 after a recent round of golf. “And have the interest.”

Golfweek's raters are not employees and they're not paid for their time. They actually pay Golfweek a fee to be members of the panel. They're also expected to pay for their own travel and greens fees.

“There are people that play a lot of different golf courses and have the ability to travel. Because we don't need you to play the same golf courses in your area all the time. And we really don't need people to go to Augusta National, or Pine Valley, or Chicago Golf Club, we need them to see golf courses that are off the beaten path. To see if there are golf courses we don't know about.”

A golfers score at a particular course does not factor into their course ratings. Raters are looking at a variety of elements on a course, such as layout, shot selection, landscaping, variety and memorability of holes, shaping, and perhaps the most important – did they enjoy their time at the course.

Golfweek raters have a variety of handicaps and skill levels. The only true requirements are travel, a fairly regular golfing schedule, abiding by a code-of-conduct, and attending group rater events every few years.

“The whole reason for doing the raters list is to give our readership some idea of what a good golf course is and to give them some idea of how a golf course should be designed, and things of that nature,” Canters said.

Golfweek selects courses each year for its raters to target. But raters can also visit other clubs, both public and private, to provide scores. Golfweek then publishes its top lists each year.