GolfPass hits major milestone, surpassing 2 million reviews

For a decade, I've watched this GolfPass thing grow.

What started out as an idea has matured into something meaningful for golfers everywhere. It's with great pride that we announce that GolfPass just surpassed 2 million reviews since its launch as Golf Advisor in late 2013.

GolfPass, which launched in 2019 and absorbed Golf Advisor in 2020, has morphed beyond being just a golf course review platform. We now offer every golfer the chance to Play More and Play Better - our driving principles - in several ways.

Every day, thousands of golfers use GolfPass to research golf courses and ultimately book tee times based off of recommendations from fair and honest reviews. GolfPass members also explore our vast and ever-growing library of instructional videos to help them maximize their potential and shoot their lowest scores ever.

We complement all this with top-notch reporting and writing about things all golfers care about - rules, news, equipment, travel, fashion, trends, etc. - and a growing golf package business that makes it easy to book your next golf vacation.

It took us roughly six years to hit the first million reviews, so it's even more impressive that we hit the 2-million mark in almost half that time - roughly three years and three months.

Part of that success can be attributed to the popularity of golf following the pandemic, but it's also a testament to how GolfPass has become a trusted and reliable source for course reviews and information. Our comprehensive online course guide (representing virtually every course in the world) and U.S. resort guide (featuring the 800-plus resorts around the country) are one-of-a-kind free resources for all golfers. Every year, our Golfers' Choice awards powered by your reviews honor hundreds of courses with state-by-state 'best of' lists and a national top 50, along with subcategory top-25 lists ranking top courses by value, friendliness, pace of play, layout, conditions and amenities.

Thanks to the golf boom following the pandemic, the game sits in the strongest position for steady, continuous growth since I started writing about the game in 1999. It was clear the Tiger boom wasn't sustainable, but this one feels like it's on solid ground. Golf is becoming more inclusive and dumping its conservative, sometimes racist past. More women, children and minorities are interested in golf than ever before.

There are more defined pathways leading directly to getting into golf, whether it's Topgolf, First Tee, Youth On Course, Get Golf Ready clinics from the PGA of America; Drive, Chip and Putt thanks to Augusta National's involvement or its biggest stars investing in the game. Both Tiger Woods (Popstroke) and Rory McIlroy (Puttery) are involved in new mini-golf (putt-putt) businesses as well as TMRW Sports. This new TMRW Sports concept - where pros play competitive tournaments on golf simulators - could connect an outdoor game played on green grass to the online world of the video game generation.

As the game passes the torch from Baby Boomers to younger, more wired golfers, building strong communities online is critical for the game's sustainability.

As much as I think you would enjoy being a member of GolfPass, you don't have to be to one to review a golf course on our platform. It's open for all. And that's why I think getting to 2 million reviews is so cool. Reviews come from all types of income brackets and handicaps. Our first review sent to GolfNow in 2012 was of Collins Hill, a public course in Georgia. I love that our 2-millionth review brought things full circle. It featured a 27-hole military course called Gordon Lakes just miles from Augusta National in Georgia as well. The review was critical of the facility but also noted its potential.

Reviewing products online sometimes brings out the worst in people - they complain about the most obscure things, whether it's about how many water jugs are on the course to the buttons on the toaster they just bought. Our golf reviews reveal plenty of complaining, but we also see many reviews where golfers truly want to share their passion for the game with others. They might submit a review because they want to brag about where they just played, how well they played or why they loved the course (or didn't).

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How to write a great course review on GolfPass

July 1, 2019

From comparing the course to its peers to describing design and value, here are some tips for writing a helpful golf course review.

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And with the ongoing proliferation of smartphone camera technology, we're getting better and better photography sent to us with these reviews. Seeing how a course looks every day in photos, whether it's a scenery shot from an elevated tee or a close up of a poorly maintained green, is a great service to one's fellow golfers. Every month, we put together the best of these pictures into our "photos of the month" gallery like the one below. I've discovered some new courses I want to play just based on the pictures I've seen. I bet you will, too.

March 2023: GolfPass Photos of the Month

Elevation changes are surely a challenge at Church Stretton Golf Club. It's one of the highest courses in England. Courtesy of 'u314163540898'

The 9-hole Cruiser Course at Navy Golf Seal Beach is ideal for a leisurely round accompanied by a multi-million-dollar clubhouse. Courtesy of 'erniejuarez'

Situated next to the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, golfers can expect lots of airplane traffic overhead at Rolling Hills Golf Course, which is aptly named for its subtle elevation changes. Courtesy of 'QuantumGolfx'

Sewailo Golf Club, meaning "flower land," is one of Tucson's best layouts. It is owned by the Pascua Yaqui Tribe and features an island green on the third hole reminiscent of the famous 17th at TPC Sawgrass. Courtesy of 'u000005499574'

Tierra Rejada Golf Club is a par 72 designed by Robert E. Cupp in the foothills of eastern Ventura County in California. Courtesy of 'Andre1879710'

Face the challenge of Oak Quarry's signature downhill par-3 called the "Spinel Slide" back-dropped by a sheer white rock formation. Courtesy of 'u000003271885'

Tenby Golf Club is where you'll find a links course at its most natural. It's the oldest golf club in Wales. Courtesy of 'apk101'

Play between the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains at Maggie Valley Club, a stay-and-play track in North Carolina. Courtesy of 'u000004637188'

The 15th hole at Mauna Lani Resort's South Course is one of the most photographed over-the-water golf holes in the world. Courtesy of 'u000005365056'

Hidden Valley Golf Club is a favorite in Southern California, catering to golfers of every skill level with a picturesque setting. Courtesy of 'u4292118'

Sequoyah National Golf Club is a public mountain golf experience designed by Robert Trent Jones II in Whittier, N.C. Courtesy of 'jdad777'

The mature oak-lined fairways of Harbor Hills Country Club make you forget you're in Florida during your round. Courtesy of 'ChrisW5226'

LakeRidge Golf Course is one of the oldest in Reno and features a big-drop 15th hole with an island green. Courtesy of 'u560848740'

One of our members tees up his shot at Redhawk Golf Club, a California public course known for its flora. Courtesy of 'joey1872'

Aptly named, Studley Wood Golf Club makes full use of its trees in the layout and boasts immaculate greens year-round. Courtesy of 'shannon0823'

The Nicklaus Design Course at Vidanta Puerto Penasco is a uniquely challenging par-72 layout situated on a two-mile peninsula with nine oceanside holes. Courtesy of 'u000003351677'

Arrowsmith Golf & Country Club is a challenging executive course in British Columbia and one of the most popular in the area. Courtesy of 'tagoodle'

Princeville Makai Golf Club is a Robert Trent Jones Jr. design that features newly introduced Paspalum turf grass to all fairways for a spectacular playing surface. Courtesy of 'u868407234'

Meanwhile, the majority of course operators seem to take criticisms shared in reviews in stride and work hard, along with their staff, to correct the issues. I had one general manager share a story how some poor GolfPass reviews inspired changes in the outdoor staff. The result? Maryland's The Links at Perry Cabin finished second among the 2023 Golfers' Choice rankings of "friendliest golf courses in the United States," a change for good that might not have happened without everyday golfers using GolfPass.

Reviews provide a give and take between golfers and course owners and operators. The more communication and dialogue about what's going well - and what's not - the better for everybody involved. It helps to build stronger relationships.

Golf courses are part of our communities, like our libraries, movie theaters and restaurants. Every resident wants to live in a community they can be proud of, just as every golfer wants their home course to be the best it can be. So keep sending us those reviews, and we'll all keep the game moving forward toward a better future.

Write a Golf Course Review

April 17, 2019

Join our community of golfers by rating a golf course you've played. Select from our global golf course database of over 38,000 golf courses in more than 200 countries. You can review with a simple star rating or rate up to seven categories and add photos and videos to your review.