Rater program
The Loop
BogeyMap's course rater panel. A vetted group of golfers who play the course, walk it with a critical eye, and file field reports that feed LooperScore and Access Intel.
Play with a purpose
Claim courses in your region, walk them, and record what a visiting golfer actually needs to know before they book.
File a field report
Raters get extra structured fields: conditions, routing, pace, bunker and green quality, staff and facilities, and value for the fee.
Move the rankings
Rater reports are an input to LooperScore, BogeyMap's own ranking. We never republish another outlet's rankings.
Requirements
The Loop is open application — anyone eligible can apply, and BogeyMap selects the panel by hand. There is no nomination requirement today.
Active Looper Pro membership
The Loop is a Pro program. If your membership lapses, your rater status pauses until it's active again.
Handicap index of 15.0 or better
You need enough game to judge a course from the tees it was designed to be played from. We verify on request.
At least 10 new courses a year
Ten first-hand rounds at courses you haven't already reported on, filed within 30 days of playing.
18 or older, United States account
BogeyMap accounts are US-only right now, so the panel is too.
You played it — no exceptions
No reports from a range session, a cart tour, a drive-by, or someone else's round. This is the rule we remove people for.
Full disclosure of anything comped
Comped rounds, hosted stays, member invites, media days — disclose them on the report. Undisclosed perks end your accreditation.
How rating works
- 1
Play the course from a fair set of tees
Walk it if you can. Note the date — conditions are half the story and readers weigh a report differently in April than in August.
- 2
Score the seven categories
Routing and variety, green complexes, bunkering and hazards, conditioning, setting and walkability, facilities and service, and value for the fee. Each is scored 1–10 with a written justification. A score without a reason gets sent back.
- 3
Write the field report
150–400 words of specifics: how the greens rolled, what the sand was like, tee-box wear, pace on the day, how the starter and pro shop handled a visitor.
- 4
Add Access Intel if you have it
How you got on, lead time, whether a hotel or member connection was needed, and what it actually cost. Facts only — never a guarantee that someone else will get on.
- 5
Submission and screening
Every report is screened before it publishes. Approved reports carry the rater badge, publish under your name, and become eligible for the featured reviews page.
Code of conduct
- Never present yourself as a BogeyMap employee, and never ask a club for access, discounted golf, or a comped stay on BogeyMap's behalf.
- Never trade a favorable rating for anything. A single instance ends accreditation permanently.
- Rate the golf course, not the people. No claims about named staff, members, or other golfers.
- Respect the club: follow their photography, phone, and guest rules while you're on property.
- Score independently. Don't coordinate ratings with other raters before filing.
Full rules live in the review guidelines, which apply to raters with the additions above.
What raters get
- A rater badge on every published report, and your name on the byline.
- The structured field-report tools, including the Access Intel fields.
- Eligibility for the featured reviews page.
- BogeyMap swag after your first 10 published reports.
What raters do not get
The Loop is unpaid, and BogeyMap does not arrange access, tee times, comped rounds, or travel for raters. You get on courses the same way any golfer does. If BogeyMap later offers paid course evaluations, we will invite raters first and the terms will be agreed in writing.