How Voting and Rankings Work
Top 22 Picks uses a limited-vote system to create clearer rankings than unlimited likes or star ratings.
- You get a set number of votes
- You apply those votes to courses you'd actually pick
- The leaderboard reflects the crowd's collective choices
What a Vote Means
A vote is not a review. It's a preference signal.
When you vote for a course, you're essentially saying:
"This course belongs in the Top 22 conversation."
Because votes are limited, they carry more weight than a casual like.
Why Limited Votes Create Better Rankings
Unlimited likes tend to measure popularity and marketing reach. Limited votes force prioritization.
That improves ranking quality by:
- reducing low-intent noise
- creating sharper separation between top courses
- increasing the value of repeated, consistent support over time
How Rankings Are Calculated
Rankings are based on votes, using a weighted total that reflects user participation.
Your vote weight is determined by how complete your My Picks list is:
- General (0 courses in My Picks) → 1x
- Contributor (1–10 courses) → 2x
- Insider (11–21 courses) → 3x
- Evaluator (22+ courses) → 5x
A vote from a General user adds 1 to a course's total. A vote from an Evaluator adds 5. Leaderboard order is determined by each course's weighted vote total.
Your tier is earned separately in each state, based on your My Picks list for that state. You'll see your tier badge next to your name in the header and on your My Picks page.
Nominations
Nominations help surface courses that deserve to be part of the Top 22 conversation.
- A nomination adds a course to a state watch list
- Once a course reaches enough unique nominations, it's added for voting
Nomination threshold:
25 unique nominations in a state → added to the candidate list
Keeping Rankings Fair
- Vote weighting based on participation
- Rate limits on voting behavior
- Bot prevention and account verification
- Monitoring for unusual patterns
- Removing fraudulent votes when detected
The goal is simple: a leaderboard shaped by real golfers.