Systems for collecting user rating information for golf courses and methods for providing information about golf courses

Abstract

Systems, methods, devices and computing system applications for collecting information about golf courses as provided by users of the golf courses. Embodiments include a mobile application providing a questionnaire about one or more golf course characteristics. A golfer may provide responses which are sent to reporting service. The reporting service can aggregate responses and report results to the golf course.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . A method for rating golf courses, comprising:
 providing a golf course rating and review interface for use with a computing device of a golfer, the golf course rating and review interface including at least a review component and a rating component;   receiving selection of at least one golf course, wherein receiving selection of the at least one golf course is in response to the golfer selecting the at least one golf course through the golf course rating and review interface;   providing to the computing device of the golfer, through review component of the golf course rating and review interface, at least an overall rating of the selected at least one golf course, that overall rating being based on reviews from other golfers; and   providing to the computing device of the golfer, through the rating component of the golf course rating and review interface, one or more input options requesting rating information for one or more distinguishable golf course characteristics.   
     
     
         13 . The method recited in  claim 12 , wherein providing a golf course rating and review interface includes providing a golf course rating and review interface configured for use specifically with a mobile computing device. 
     
     
         14 . The method recited in  claim 12 , wherein receiving selection of at least one golf course includes receiving selection of the at least one golf course in response to the golfer selecting the at least one golf course through the golf course rating and review interface available on a smart phone. 
     
     
         15 . The method recited in  claim 12 , wherein providing the one or more input options includes providing one or more input options associated with: greens; fairways; tees; bunkers; service; aesthetics; staff; GPS; pro shops; speed of play; difficulty; facilities; food; practice facilities; or lessons. 
     
     
         16 . The method recited in  claim 15 , wherein providing the one or more input options includes providing four or more input options, each of the four or more input options being associated with a separate one of: greens; fairways; tees; bunkers; service; aesthetics; staff; GPS; pro shops; speed of play; difficulty; facilities; food; practice facilities; or lessons. 
     
     
         17 . The method recited in  claim 12 , further comprising:
 receiving rating information about the one or more distinguishable golf course characteristics in response to input by the golfer using the rating component of the golf course rating and review interface.   
     
     
         18 . The method recited in  claim 17 , further comprising:
 aggregating received rating information about the one or more distinguishable golf course characteristics with rating information received from one or more additional golfers.   
     
     
         19 . A golf course rating system, comprising:
 computer-readable media comprising computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to display a course rating and review interface to a golfer, the course review interface including:
 a review component providing at least an overall rating of a particular golf course based on reviews from other golfers; and 
 a rating component providing the golfer with an interface to rate the particular golf course in accordance with one or more distinguishable golf course characteristics. 
   
     
     
         20 . The golf course rating system of  claim 20 , wherein the course rating and review interface is configured for display on a mobile computing device. 
     
     
         21 . The golf course rating system of  claim 20 , wherein the mobile computing device is a smart phone. 
     
     
         22 . The golf course rating system of  claim 19 , wherein the computer-readable media include computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the computing system to:
 transmit rating information received through the rating component to an aggregator of rating information.   
     
     
         23 . The golf course rating system of  claim 19 , wherein the one or more distinguishable golf course characteristics include any combination of one or more of: greens; fairways; tees; bunkers; service; aesthetics; staff; GPS; pro shops; speed of play; difficulty; facilities; food; practice facilities; or lessons. 
     
     
         24 . The golf course rating system of  claim 19 , further comprising:
 the one or more processors.   
     
     
         25 . A method for providing golf course rating information to a golf course, comprising:
 maintaining a golf course rating system adapted to receive ratings of one or more golf courses from amateur golfers using the one or more golf courses;   aggregating ratings related to the one or more golf courses as received from a plurality of amateur golfers; and   providing to a particular golf course of the one or more golf course an analysis of the particular golf course relative to other of the one or more golf courses, the analysis being based on the ratings for the one or more golf courses received through the golf course rating system.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 charging a fee for provision of the analysis of the particular golf course.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein providing to the particular golf course of the one or more golf courses an analysis of the particular golf course includes providing multiple analyses on a periodic basis or upon-request basis. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein the analysis includes rating information relative to the other of the one or more golf courses, for each of one or more distinguishable golf course characteristics. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more distinguishable golf course characteristics include one or more of: greens; fairways; tees; bunkers; service; aesthetics; staff; GPS; pro shops; speed of play; difficulty; facilities; food; practice facilities; or lessons. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the one or more distinguishable golf course characteristics include at least four of: greens; fairways; tees; bunkers; service; aesthetics; staff; GPS; pro shops; speed of play; difficulty; facilities; food; practice facilities; or lessons. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25 , wherein maintaining the golf course rating system includes: providing a mobile application available to mobile computing devices, the mobile application including an interface for receive ratings of the particular golf course from amateur golfers, and sending the received ratings to a remote server via a communication network connected to the mobile device.