Back in 2007 the European Club was unwittingly the inspiration behind Leadingcourses.com. Fast forward 10 years and Leadingcourses.com have become Europe's #1 golf course review website or the TripAdvisor of golf. What makes Leadingcourses.com special is the Golfer's Choice Rankings which offer the most up-to-date, transparent and independent rankings in the golf industry. Now it is time for Ireland's avid golfers and amazing courses to get the attention they deserve. To facilitate this Irish focus Leadingcourses.com are offering fourball vouchers for the best Irish courses as fortnightly prizes for Irish users.
Leadingcourses.com are to officially launch their website on the Emerald Isle where Managing Director Jeroen Korving found himself playing golf at The European Club in 2007. After paying the very expensive green fees and then going on to lose "a load of golfballs", a local in the clubhouse then decided to inform a soaking wet Korving that he could have played a few other "easier and a whole lot cheaper" courses in the area. This badly timed friendly informative of local knowledge did not exactly lighten the mood, but a result of this frustration and annoyance the shores of Ireland were left with an idea in hand. To set up the TripAdvisor of golf, a platform where golfers can plan their next golfing excursion. Using data and reviews of courses provided by golfers of all abilities, thus leading to fulfilled golfing experiences. Recently nominated for Website of the Year 2017, solid foundations are in place to build upon and Leadingcourses.com wants to include avid Irish golfers and amazing Irish courses.
Irish clubs and courses are about to discover the potential Leadingcourses.com can offer. As a golf tourism destination Ireland is one of the best, especially for Americans, given their lasting infatuation with everything Irish. For Europeans however, Ireland as a golf destination lags behind the sun drenched coastlines of Portugal and Spain. Or so Europe is lead to believe. Ireland may not have the climate of its more southern counterparts but it most certainly has the golf. 2nd only to Scotland in links golf courses, Ireland (with 58 true links courses) offers some of the best coastline golf the planet can offer. Combined with continued investment in the "Wild Atlantic Way" and "Ireland's Ancient East", links golf and golf in general in Ireland is a tourist attraction that has to be seen to be believed.
When it comes to Irish golf participation, the trend is steady. While recovering from a negative trend that admittedly started prior to but was certainly not helped by the economic crisis of 2008, an interesting development of the sport occurred. Golf in Ireland is no longer for the elite, the select few or the upper class. Clubs had to come back to reality after the dizzying heights of Celtic Tiger golf. Annual membership fees and green fees plummeted across the country, and with that a new demographic joined the table. The working class now find themselves in a position where they can afford golf and as the Confederation of Golf in Ireland state in their 2017 report titled "Golf in Ireland: A statistical analysis of participation",
"Expanding golf beyond high socio-economic groups will require marketing and promotion of lower cost opportunities to try the game ."
With this change of golfer populous comes a change in accessibility and distribution. Leadingcourses.com offers information on courses including costs, facility ratings and reviews by golfers - for golfers. Reviews are of the utmost importance to Leadingcourses.com and to make sure the reviews are as accurate as possible we use an algorithm where certain variant scales bear less weight than others. These different weightings allow for more accurate reviews. The sense behind it, as golf's population becomes more diverse, "Value for Money" for example may have a different meaning from one person to the next. The most weight is put into the aspects of greater importance for the many. On what makes our ratings different to the ratings of golf magazines and journalists, Korving says:
“The Leadingcourses.com ratings stand out because they are based on reviews written by actual golfers. These reviews can be consulted online at any time. This makes our course rankings the most up-to-date, transparent and independent in the golf industry.”
To gain this transparency and genuine rating and reviews of courses, Leadingcourses.com utilise their own editorial policy. Each and every review that comes in is checked by a dedicated content team as to ensure the reviews integrity is upheld. Reviews that come in consisting of all 1/10’s or 10/10’s are flagged on the premise that 1/10 means the worst and 10/10 the best on the planet. As very few courses can be held at such high/low regard, the user who made the review is contacted asking for clarification of their review and then when necessary, requested to make a new review.
Follow this link to see just how the best courses in Ireland are rated. Over the coming 14 weeks Leadingcourses.com's Irish campaign will be giving away fourball green fee vouchers for some of the best courses in Ireland. Participating courses/clubs and resorts include Fota Island, Palmerstown House Estate, Powerscourt, Trump International at Doonbeg, Narin & Portnoo and more. Details on how to enter will be shared each fortnight via Leadingcourses.com's social media platforms of Facebook, Instagram & Twitter, where progress of our Irish campaign can be tracked. Leadingcourses.com look forward to helping Irish golfers get the best out of golfing experiences both at home and abroad.
]]>A 1 an de la Ryder Cup 2018 qui se jouera au Golf National dans les Yvelines, Leadingcourses.com qui propose près de 25 000 parcours de golf sur sa plateforme, décide de se développer en France pour offrir aux golfeurs français la possibilité de jouer sur des parcours adaptés à leurs attentes.
Ca y est, c’est officiel : Leadingcourses.com, plateforme communautaire de notation des golfs, se lance en France !
Qu'est-ce que Leadingcourses.com ?
C'est une plateforme communautaire créée en 2007 aux Pays-Bas, après le constat d'un des fondateurs, Jeroen Korving : "j’ai eu cette idée après avoir joué un parcours pendant mes vacances car il n'était pas adapté à mon jeu ni à ce que je recherchais. J'ai réalisé qu'il n'y avait pas de plateformes de golf en ligne donc j'ai lancé ce site au départ aux Pays-Bas de façon ludique avec deux amis fondateurs et aujourd’hui nous sommes la référence en Europe et allons conquérir la France et bien d’autres pays !"
En effet, Leadingcourses.com est devenu rapidement le « TripAdvisor du golf » en Europe. Il existe à ce jour sur la plateforme la totalité des golfs de France répertoriés (633 clubs et parcours).
Le but est de pouvoir s’entraider entre golfeurs en évaluant des parcours de golf partout dans le monde mais également pour donner de la visibilité en ligne aux golfs.
Comment ça marche ?
Vous notez un golf que vous avez joué récemment via un système de notation de 1 à 10 (7 questions total, temps estimé 2 minutes), qui est contrôlé par l’administration du site pour une fiabilité accrue (notes 1.0 et 10.0 par exemple).
Il existe différents paliers sur Leadingcourses.com (débutant ; bronze ; argent ; or) pour permettre aux internautes d’obtenir plus d’avantages golfiques. Plus un golfeur écrit un avis, plus sa note a un poids dans le classement du golf. Parce que Leadingcourses.com est convaincu que quelqu'un qui note de nombreux golfs a une meilleure compréhension de comment noter un golf.
Chaque mois, il y a 350 000 golfeurs qui visitent le site de Leadingcourses.com.
Mais l’entreprise qui fête ses 10 ans cette année va plus loin, car elle propose également de réserver un départ sur sa plateforme, de garder son historique golfique et bien entendu de pouvoir jouer un parcours adapté à son niveau d'après les commentaires d’autres internautes.
Restez connectés !
Ce mois-ci Leadingcourses.com fête ses 10 ans, il y a de nombreux lots à gagner sur le site et les réseaux sociaux. Et l'appli gratuite (Android et iOS) arrive très bientôt… à vos smartphones !
]]>During the KLM Open - on home soil in the Netherlands - Leadingcourses.com has launched a brand new corporate identity. This new identity includes - amongst others - a new logo, new colours, new photography and new fonts. It was a huge task to replace the old logo, both on- and offline but we believe it was well worth it. Our new identity is fresh, crisp and modern and a better fit with what Leadingcourses.com has become since 2007: Europe's largest independent golf course review website.
The early days
Since the introduction of Leadingcourses.com in 2007 the logo has undergone several changes. Some more radical than others. Back in 2007 we started with a logo which was very different from our current one. Our first logo mainly focused on the fact that our website was about golf (hence the flags and the golf ball) and mainly green colour tones were used, with a thin orange line. The tag line was 'golf beyond compare' as -at that time - we believed that we were a golf course comparison website.
With the rise of social media and the use of the favicon (the little icon which you can see in the tab of your browser), we quickly experienced that our first logo was not very good. It was too wide and if we had to crop it, you would not be able to recognize the logo any more. So, that is when we decided to change our logo for the first time. We decided to add the URL in the logo (so not Leadingcourses, but Leadingcourses.com), we wanted a separate icon and the logo had to be readable if you cropped it. The colours stayed the same (orange and green) although the colour orange became more prominent.
The new 'dia'logo
In 2011 new shareholders joined Leadingcourses.com and that was the time that we decided to do a complete overhaul of the website and the logo. That new website was launched April 2011. The design of the pages, the layout and the logo still form the basis of what you see today. The new logo was called a 'dialogo' by the designer, as it is actually a dialogue between two people (two talk clouds). Back in the days we were the first with such a logo. Now, quite some companies (in the review business) have copied us, using identical talk clouds. But we are still proud that we were the first!
The current redesign - which was officially launched at the KLM Open - is more about nuances that make our logo and identity better than making ground breaking changes. The font has changed and the colors have been updated and switched. The green represents the grass the golfer stands on and the orange shows the Dutch roots of Leadingcourses.com. Not even everybody might even notice it. And there is nothing wrong with that. For us, the new logo combined with a brand guide - provides us solid guidelines on how to use our logo in our communication strategy.
International growth
Nowadays Leadingcourses.com is visited by more than 350.000 golfers per month worldwide and - despite the changes in style and logo - they can still trust on Leadingcourses.com to help them find the right golf course.
With the recent addition of the Italian site - language number 9 - more and more European golfers find their way to the website. The number of golf courses on the website nowadays is close to 25.000 and more than 325.000 reviews can be read. Last month the 50.000th Dutch review was written.
AnniversaryLeadingcourses.com was founded in 2007 by three internet experts with a passion for golf. Together with some friends Managing Director and founder Jeroen Korving played on golf course The European Club in Ireland and found out that the course was too difficult and too expensive for their level of play at the time. The reason why they played that course was because they couldn't find enough information about where they should have played instead. And that is when the idea of Leadingcourses.com was born. Meanwhile it is 2017 and the company will celebrate its 10 year anniversary in October this year. As part of the celebrations, we will also launch a new app in the autumn of 2017, to make it even easier for golfers to find, book and review golf courses.
By golfers, for golfersLeadingcourses.com's mission is to provide golfers with up-to-date information about golf clubs and golf courses. We are the platform which enables golfers to help each other by sharing their reviews online. That is also why we use the tag line 'by golfers, for golfers'. By posting reviews, golfers are not only helping other golfers, they are also educating golf course managers about what is good and what not and - in the process - they are creating their own golf logbook. All courses that are reviewed are plotted on a map and we also store uploaded photos in the right spot.
In marketing campaigns we will probably use a new slogan more often, which is: 'share what you love doing most'. For us it is important that golfers keep sharing their opinions - good and bad - so that we can keep providing other golfers a helping hand in selecting the best golf courses. Whether that is in your own country, or across the border.
]]>Op het KLM Open heeft Leadingcourses.com een vernieuwde merkidentiteit geïntroduceerd die - onder andere - een nieuw logo, nieuwe kleuren en nieuwe lettertypen bevat. De nieuwe stijl zal overal waar leadingcourses.com aanwezig is te zien zijn. Op de website, op social media als Facebook, Twitter en Instagram, bij partners en in offline uitingen. De nieuwe look past beter bij wat Leadingcourses.com sinds 2007 is geworden: Europa’s grootste onafhankelijke golfbaanvergelijker.
In het begin
Sinds de oprichting van Leadingcourses.com in 2007 heeft het logo enkele veranderingen ondergaan. Soms groot, soms minder ingrijpend. In 2007 begon Leadingcourses.com met een logo dat heel anders is dan het huidige logo. Het eerste logo was er vooral op gefocust dat de website over golf ging, vandaar de vlaggen en de golfbal. De tagline was destijds "golf beyond compare" omdat Leadingcourses.com vooral een vergelijkingswebsite was. Met de opkomst van social media en favicons (het icoon dat je in het tabblad van een internetbrowser ziet staan) werd al snel duidelijk dat het eerste logo niet erg goed was. Dat was het eerste moment dat het logo werd aangepast. De url werd in het logo verwerkt en er werd een apart icoon gemaakt. Ook de kleuren werden enigszins aangepast.
Het nieuwe "dialogo"
Toen Leadingcourses.com in 2011 nieuwe aandeelhouders kreeg werd er besloten om de website en het logo compleet te vernieuwen. In maart 2011 werd de nieuwe site gelanceerd. Het ontwerp van de pagina's, de layout en het logo vormen nog steeds de basis van wat je vandaag ziet. Het nieuwe logo werd door de ontwerper een "dialogo" genoemd omdat het een dialoog tussen personen voorstelt.
Nuance
De huidige aanpassingen zijn vooral nuances die het geheel beter maken. Het lettertype is anders en ook de kleuren zijn aangepast en omgedraaid. Het groen vertegenwoordigt het gras waar je als golfer op staat en het oranje toont de Nederlandse roots van Leadingcourses.com. Het zou maar zo kunnen dat deze veranderingen de golfer niet opvallen. En daar is niks mis mee. Inmiddels bezoeken maandelijks meer dan 350.000 golfers wereldwijd de website en zij kunnen er - ondanks de vernieuwingen - nog steeds op vertrouwen dat Leadingcourses.com hen helpt bij het vinden van de juiste golfbaan.
Internationaal
Met de recente toevoeging van Italiaans als negende taal waarin Leadingcourses.com beschikbaar is, weten steeds meer Europese golfers hun weg naar de website te vinden. Inmiddels staat de teller van het aantal golfbanen op Leadingcourses.com bijna op 25.000 en zijn er (ruim) meer dan 325.000 beoordelingen te vinden. Afgelopen maand werd de 50.000ste Nederlandstalige beoordeling geschreven.
Jubileum & app
In 2007 werd Leadingcourses.com opgericht door drie internetexperts met een passie voor golf. Managing Director - en oprichter - Jeroen Korving speelde met enkele vrienden op golfbaan The European Club in Ierland en kwam er daar achter dat die baan op dat moment eigenlijk té moeilijk en té duur voor ze was. De simpele reden daarvoor was dat er niet genoeg informatie te vinden was over waar het gezelschap beter had kunnen spelen. En zo werd Leadingcourses.com bedacht. Inmiddels is het 2017 en viert het bedrijf in oktober zijn 10-jarig bestaan. Om het jubileum luister bij te zetten zal Leadingcourses in het najaar van 2017 ook een nieuwe app lanceren om het golfers nog makkelijker te maken om een golfbaan te vinden en te beoordelen.
Helpende hand
De missie van Leadingcourses.com is om golfers correcte informatie te verschaffen over golfclubs en golfbanen. Golfers worden gestimuleerd om beoordelingen van golfbanen te plaatsen en om hun eigen foto's toe te voegen. Leadingcourses.com biedt een helpende hand in het selecteren van de beste en mooiste golfbanen. Of dat nou in eigen land is of over de grens.
During the KLM Open - on home soil in the Netherlands - Leadingcourses.com has launched a brand new corporate identity. This new identity includes - amongst others - a new logo, new colours, new photography and new fonts. It was a huge task to replace the old logo, both on- and offline but we believe it was well worth it. Our new identity is fresh, crisp and modern and a better fit with what Leadingcourses.com has become since 2007: Europe's largest independent golf course review website.
The early days
Since the introduction of Leadingcourses.com in 2007 the logo has undergone several changes. Some more radical than others. Back in 2007 we started with a logo which was very different from our current one. Our first logo mainly focused on the fact that our website was about golf (hence the flags and the golf ball) and mainly green colour tones were used, with a thin orange line. The tag line was 'golf beyond compare' as -at that time - we believed that we were a golf course comparison website.
With the rise of social media and the use of the favicon (the little icon which you can see in the tab of your browser), we quickly experienced that our first logo was not very good. It was too wide and if we had to crop it, you would not be able to recognize the logo any more. So, that is when we decided to change our logo for the first time. We decided to add the URL in the logo (so not Leadingcourses, but Leadingcourses.com), we wanted a separate icon and the logo had to be readable if you cropped it. The colours stayed the same (orange and green) although the colour orange became more prominent.
The new 'dia'logo
In 2011 new shareholders joined Leadingcourses.com and that was the time that we decided to do a complete overhaul of the website and the logo. The new website that was launched April 2011. The design of the pages, the layout and the logo still form the basis of what you see today. The new logo was called a 'dialogo' by the designer, as it is actually a dialogue between two people (two talk clouds). Back in the days we were the first with such a logo. Now, quite some companies (in the review business) have copied us, using identical talk clouds. But we are still proud that we were the first!
The current redesign - which was officially launched at the KLM Open - is more about nuances that make our logo and identity better than making ground breaking changes. The font has changed and the colors have been updated and switched. The green represents the grass the golfer stands on and the orange shows the Dutch roots of Leadingcourses.com. Not even everybody might even notice it. And there is nothing wrong with that. For us, the new logo combined with a brand guide - provides us solid guidelines on how to use our logo in our communication strategy.
International growth
Nowadays Leadingcourses.com is visited by more than 350.000 golfers per month worldwide and - despite the changes in style and logo - they can still trust on Leadingcourses.com to help them find the right golf course.
With the recent addition of the Italian site - language number 9 - more and more European golfers find their way to the website. The number of golf courses on the website nowadays is close to 25.000 and more than 325.000 reviews can be read. Last month the 50.000th Dutch review was written.
AnniversaryLeadingcourses.com was founded in 2007 by three internet experts with a passion for golf. Together with some friends Managing Director and founder Jeroen Korving played on golf course The European Club in Ireland and found out that the course was too difficult and too expensive for their level of play at the time. The reason why they played that course was because they couldn't find enough information about where they should have played instead. And that is when the idea of Leadingcourses.com was born. Meanwhile it is 2017 and the company will celebrate its 10 year anniversary in October this year. As part of the celebrations, we will also launch a new app in the autumn of 2017, to make it even easier for golfers to find, book and review golf courses.
By golfers, for golfersLeadingcourses.com's mission is to provide golfers with up-to-date information about golf clubs and golf courses. We are the platform which enables golfers to help each other by sharing their reviews online. That is also why we use the tag line 'by golfers, for golfers'. By posting reviews, golfers are not only helping other golfers, they are also educating golf course managers about what is good and what not and - in the process - they are creating their own golf logbook. All courses that are reviewed are plotted on a map and we also store uploaded photos in the right spot.
In marketing campaigns we will probably use a new slogan more often, which is: 'share what you love doing most'. For us it is important that golfers keep sharing their opinions - good and bad - so that we can keep providing other golfers a helping hand in selecting the best golf courses. Whether that is in your own country, or across the border.
]]>Leadingcourses.com, il portale di recensioni di golf leader in Europa, ha appena lanciato il suo sito in italiano. L’Italia è una nuova destinazione per il golf. Accogliere il Ryder Cup 2022 avrà sicuramente un impatto positivo per il golf italiano, e per l’Italia come destinazione per il golf. Fino a fine agosto, i golfisti italiani possono vincere uno o più green fee. Ce ne sono 73 disponibili, tra 16 campi da golf selezionati in tutta Italia!
Leadingcourses.com aiuta ai golfisti europei a giocare nei migliori campi da golf, in base alle loro ubicazioni, esperienze di golf e tipo di campi, tra altre cose. Le recensioni scritte dai propri golfisti hanno un ruolo importante per orientarsi e decidere dove giocare. Nonostante molti europei non hanno problemi per leggere e scrivere in inglese, ci sono ancora tante persone che preferiscono farlo nella loro lingua madre. Grazie alla traduzione a nuove lingue, Leadingcourses.com vuole giocare un ruolo fondamentale per rompere le barriere tra i golfisti di tutta Europa. Jeroen Korving, Direttore Manager di Leadingcourses.com spiega infatti: “Anche se i giovani italiani parlano inglese abbastanza bene, noi ci impegniamo a dare un buon servizio a tutti i golfisti in Italia, e quindi abbiamo sentito la necessità di offrire il nostro sito anche nella lingua madre di ogni golfista italiano: it.leadingcourses.com. Questo è un altro passo importante nella nostra missione di aiutare ogni golfista europeo a decidere il suo prossimo campo da golf.”
Leadingcourses si espande in Italia
Con il lancio del sito in italiano, più di 4 milioni di golfisti - o il 96% di tutti i golfisti europei - possono ora visitare Leadingcourses.com nella loro lingua madre. Jeroen Korving: "Siamo molto orgogliosi che ora il nostro sito sia disponibile anche in italiano. L’Italia è una nuova destinazione per il golf e accogliere il Ryder Cup 2022 avrà sicuramente un impatto positivo per il golf italiano, e per l’Italia come destinazione per il golf. Leadingcourses.com, come leader di mercato, vuole essere all’avanguardia quando i mercati si stanno aprendo, e ha quindi decido di investire in un sito in italiano”.
I club di golf possono gestire tutte le loro informazioni, come i contatti, i dettagli delle istallazioni, dei corsi e i prezzi dei green fee, attraverso la sezione Partner Extranet di Leadingcourses.com. I club di golf italiani potranno ora usare anche la versione italiana di Partner Extranet, e così si potrà rompere la barriera per tanti club di golf italiani che potranno mantenere aggiornate le loro informazioni.
Campagna speciale focalizzata sui golfisti italiani
Leadingcourses.com si è associato con 16 golf club in Italia per promozionare il lancio del suo nuovo sito in italiano. Ruben van der Zaag, Marketing Manager di Leadingcourses.com: “Crediamo fortemente nella necessità di lavorare insieme ai golf club italiani. Abbiamo selezionato 16 campi in tutta Italia, così ogni golfista italiano può vincere green fee nella sua provincia. Ogni golfista italiano che scriva una recensione tra luglio e agosto 2017 avrà automaticamente la possibilità di vincere uno o più tra i 73 green fee disponibili.” Il lancio del sito in italiano è stato comunicato su Google, Twitter, Instagram e Facebook, e in vari portali di golf in Italia.
È stato creato un sito speciale per la campagna, per spiegare come possono partecipare i golfisti italiani e quali green fee sono disponibili.
Leadingcourses.com, the leading golf review portal in Europe, has just launched its Italian website. Italy is an upcoming golf destination. Hosting the Ryder Cup 2022 will most likely have a positive impact on golf in Italy and Italy as a golf destination. Untill the end of August, Italian golfers can win one or more of the 73 green fees from 16 selected golf courses scattered throughout Italy!
Leadingcourses.com focuses on European golfers and helps them to play on the finest golf courses, based on - amongst other things - their location, golfing experience and type of golf course. Reviews written by actual golfers play an important role in the orientation and decision-making process of golfers when deciding where to play. Although a lot of Europeans have no problems with reading and writing in English, there are still a lot of people who prefer to read and write in their mother tongue. By adding new languages, Leadingcourses.com wants to play an active role in lowering barriers for golfers in and around Europe. Jeroen Korving, co-Founder and Managing Director of Leadingcourses.com expains: "Although young Italians speak English quite well, we strive to serve every golfer in Italy and to do so, we felt the need to make our website available in the mother tongue of every Italian golfer: it.leadingcourses.com. This is another important step in our mission to help every golfer in Europe figure out where to play golf next."
Leadingcourses expands into Italy
With the addition of the Italian website, more than 4.000.000 golfers - or 96% of all European golfers - can now visit Leadingcourses.com in their mother tongue. Jeroen Korving: "We are very proud that our website is now also available in Italian, our ninth language. Italy is an upcoming golf destination and hosting the Ryder Cup 2022 will most likely have a positive impact on golf in Italy and Italy as a golf destination. Leadingcourses.com - as a market leader - wants to be in the forefront when markets are opening up and has thus invested in an Italian website."
Golf clubs can manage all their information - like contact details, club details, course details and green fee prices - via the Partner Extranet of Leadingcourses.com. Italian golf clubs will now also be able to use the Italian version of this Partner Extranet, which will lower the barrier for a lot of Italian golf clubs to keep their information up-to-date.
Special campaign focused on Italian golfers
Leadingcourses.com has partnered with 16 golf clubs in Italy to promote the launch of its Italian website. Ruben van der Zaag, Marketing Manager at Leadingcourses.com: "We strongly believe in working together with Italian golf clubs. We have selected 16 golf courses throughout Italy so that every Italian golfer can win green fees in their own region. Every Italian golfer who writes a review in July and August 2017 will automatically have a chance at winning one or more of the 73 available green fees." The launch of the Italian website is being communicated via Google, Twitter, Instagram and Facebook and various golf portals in Italy.
A special campaign website has been created to explain how Italian golfers can participate and which green fees are available.
At the end of each year, Leadingcourses.com creates unique Golfers' Choice rankings for each country that has gathered enough reviews in that year. In 2017, The Golfers' Choice rankings have been created for thirteen countries on three continents.
Golfers' Choice rankings, most up to date and transparent
Every year numerous rankings circulate, announcing the best golf courses in a specific country. The Leadingcourses.com Golfers' Choice rankings stand out because they are based on reviews written by actual golfers. These reviews can be consulted online at any time. This makes these rankings the most up-to-date, transparent and independent in the golf industry. When a golf club has gathered sufficient reviews they are eligible to qualify for the Golfers' Choice Rankings. To make sure that ratings stay relevant, reviews are devalued over time. In 2017, Leadingcourses.com rankings have been published in 13 countries,.
The winners
In all thirteen countries, the winners were very happy to accept their Golfers' Choice Award for Best Golf Club. In some countries, Golfers' Choice Awards were also handed out for sub categories like Best Golf Course, Best Hospitality and Best Price-Quality. All Golfers' Choice Rankings can be found on Leadingcourses.com, or by clicking the link at the end of this press release. Below is a list of the winners of Best Golf Club per country.
The Netherlands: Koninklijke Haagsche G&CC
Belgium: Golf Club d'Hulencourt
Germany: Hamburger Golfclub e.V. Falkenstein
France: Terre Blanche Hotel Spa Golf Resort
Spain: Real Club Valderrama
Portugal: Monte Rei Golf & Country Club
Sweden: Katrineholms Golfklubb
Wales: The Celtic Manor Resort
Scotland: Loch Lomond Golf Club
Turkey: The Montgomerie Maxx Royal
Cyprus: Eléa Estate
United Arab Emirates: Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Morocco: Noria Golf Club
Above all, golfers want an unforgettable experience
When looking at the best golf clubs according to golfers in Europe, it's evident that the price for a green fee is correlated with the overall rating. For instance, the green fee at Club de Golf Valderrama, the number 1 in Spain, starts at €350. And, the number 1 in Portugal, Monte Rei Golf & Country Club, charges €220 for a round of golf. People rather pay a bit more and play at an outstanding course, than pay a considerable amount of money for a mediocre course. However, the price must provide the golfer with an unforgettable experience, the service must be impeccable and the course challenging and well-maintained.
High reliability
At the end of 2016 more than 350,000 reviews about golf courses (in nine different languages) were available on Leadingcourses.com. All reviews on Leadingcourses.com are verified and manually approved by a dedicated content team. Golfers who review multiple golf clubs receive a higher status and his or her review will therefore have more weight (and thus more impact) in the overall score of a club. To avoid any manipulation of the rating, various checks and balances are in place to track and signal questionable conduct by users.
About Leadingcourses.com
Leadingcourses.com's aim is to help golfers to play on the best golf courses available, based on their handicap, demands and location. For instance, golfers can quickly see how other players with a similar handicap value a certain club or course. Obviously they can also view the overall rating, based on all opinions. The site was founded in 2007 and has an active golf community. At the end of 2016 more than 20,500 golf clubs and 24,500 golf courses were mapped in more than 130 countries. As Leadingcourses.com values cultural differences, the site is available in nine different languages.
Golfers have awarded Yas Links Abu Dhabi with the title of Best Golf Club United Arab Emirates 2017, with an average rating of 8,67. The Golfers' Choice rankings are compiled based on 350,000 reviews from golfers across Europe on Leadingcourses.com.
Second win for Yas LInks
Over 300,000 golfers visit Leadingcourses.com each month. Based on their rankings, Yas Links Abu Dhabi - with an average rating of 8,17 - has been voted Best Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates in 2017 in the Golfers' Choice Rankings. The rankings for best golf club are compiled based on numerous aspects influencing the quality of the golf club, such as the golf course itself, the overall impression of the club, maintenance, facilities such as practice facilities, clubhouse and the perceived value for money.
Yas Links is the first true links golf course in the Middle East. The golf course was designed by renowned architect Kyle Phillips . The course is a 6812 meters long par-72, with all eighteen holes benefiting from coastal views. The Andalucía clubhouse features a sports bar, fine dining restaurant, luxury locker rooms, a pro shop, as well as an outdoor pool and croquet lawn with spectacular coastal views.
'For the past two years, we have made an extra effort to improve further on our guest experience, and receipt of this award is a reward for all the hard work the team at Yas Links has put into this area. As a team, we are all extremely proud that our efforts have been recognized by the users of Leadingcourses.com.' Howie Roberts - General Manager Yas Links.
Last years number one - Saadiyat Beach Golf Club - is now the runner-up in the ranking of Best Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates. Designed by golfing legend Gary Player, Saadiyat Beach Golf Club is the Gulf’s first beach front golf course. One-third of this Abu Dhabi-based course provides spectacular views of the Gulf’s glittering, crystal blue waters fringed by pristine white sands. Users rate the club with an 8,60. Just like last year, Abu Dhabi Golf Club comes in third place. The 27 hole championship course is home to the European Tour's Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship. Their rating is an 8,54.
Best Golf Clubs in the United Arab Emirates
Golfers' Choice rankings, most up to date and transparent
Every year numerous rankings circulate, announcing the best golf courses in a specific country. The Leadingcourses.com Golfers' Choice rankings stand out because they are based on reviews written by actual golfers. These reviews can be consulted online at any time. This makes these rankings the most up-to-date, transparent and independent in the golf industry. When a golf club has gathered sufficient reviews they are eligible to qualify for the Golfers' Choice Rankings. To make sure that ratings stay relevant, reviews are devalued over time. In 2017, Leadingcourses.com rankings have been published in 13 countries, Wales included.
High reliability
At the end of 2016 more than 350,000 reviews about golf courses (in nine different languages) were available on Leadingcourses.com. All reviews on Leadingcourses.com are verified and manually approved by a dedicated content team. Golfers who review multiple golf clubs receive a higher status and his or her review will therefore have more weight (and thus more impact) in the overall score of a club. To avoid any manipulation of the rating, various checks and balances are in place to track and signal questionable conduct by users.
About Leadingcourses.com
Leadingcourses.com's aim is to help golfers to play on the best golf courses available, based on their handicap, demands and location. For instance, golfers can quickly see how other players with a similar handicap value a certain club or course. Obviously they can also view the overall rating, based on all opinions. The site was founded in 2007 and has an active golf community. At the end of 2016 it had over 350,000 reviews, more than 20,500 golf clubs and 24,500 golf courses were mapped in more than 130 countries. As Leadingcourses.com values cultural differences, the site is available in nine different languages.
Golfers have awarded Eléa Estate with the title of best golf club of Cyprus in 2017, with an average rating of 8,17. The Golfers' Choice rankings are compiled based on 350,000 reviews from golfers across Europe on Leadingcourses.com.
Two in a row for Eléa Estate
Over 300,000 golfers visit Leadingcourses.com each month. Based on their rankings, Eléa Estate - with an average rating of 8,17 - has been voted Best Golf Club in Cyrus in 2017 in the Golfers' Choice Rankings. The rankings for best golf club are compiled based on numerous aspects influencing the quality of the golf club, such as the golf course itself, the overall impression of the club, maintenance, facilities such as practice facilities, clubhouse and the perceived value for money.
Situated at the heart of the prestigious Eléa Estate in Cyprus, Eléa Golf Club offers world-class golf in a stunning setting. The challenging par-71 course, designed by the legendary Sir Nick Faldo, incorporates numerous natural features and boasts stunning views of the Mediterranean. Golfers praise the maintenance of the course and the stunning club house. It's the second year in a row that Eléa Estate is rated as the best golf club in Cyprus.
'Firstly thank you to everyone who voted on Leadingcourses to give Eléa the recognition of ‘Best Golf Club in Cyprus’. We strive each day to ensure that the expectations of every member and visitor are exceeded and to provide them a wonderful experience at Eléa. We are honored to receive this Golfer’s Choice Award for 2017.' Andrew McGregor, Golf Operations Manager.
The Secret Valley Golf Club is the runner-up in the ranking of Best Golf Club in Cyprus with an average rating of 8,13. The club, situated in a scenic valley by Petra tou Romiou, is often praised for its stunning setting, and friendly, relaxed atmosphere, as well as sheer playability. The Minthis Hills Golf Club completes the top 3 with an average rating of 8,01.
Best Golf Clubs in Cyprus 2017
Golfers' Choice rankings, most up to date and transparent
Every year numerous rankings circulate, announcing the best golf courses in a specific country. The Leadingcourses.com Golfers' Choice rankings stand out because they are based on reviews written by actual golfers. These reviews can be consulted online at any time. This makes these rankings the most up-to-date, transparent and independent in the golf industry. When a golf club has gathered sufficient reviews they are eligible to qualify for the Golfers' Choice Rankings. To make sure that ratings stay relevant, reviews are devalued over time. In 2017, Leadingcourses.com rankings have been published in 13 countries, Wales included.
High reliability
At the end of 2016 more than 350,000 reviews about golf courses (in nine different languages) were available on Leadingcourses.com. All reviews on Leadingcourses.com are verified and manually approved by a dedicated content team. Golfers who review multiple golf clubs receive a higher status and his or her review will therefore have more weight (and thus more impact) in the overall score of a club. To avoid any manipulation of the rating, various checks and balances are in place to track and signal questionable conduct by users.
About Leadingcourses.com
Leadingcourses.com's aim is to help golfers to play on the best golf courses available, based on their handicap, demands and location. For instance, golfers can quickly see how other players with a similar handicap value a certain club or course. Obviously they can also view the overall rating, based on all opinions. The site was founded in 2007 and has an active golf community. At the end of 2016 it had over 350,000 reviews, more than 20,500 golf clubs and 24,500 golf courses were mapped in more than 130 countries. As Leadingcourses.com values cultural differences, the site is available in nine different languages.