What is puzzling is that the high end market has its limits, yet developers keep churning them out.
If this year's Top 18 bears little resemblance to last year's, it's only because 2002 was such a watershed year. Starting now, the Bogey Man's boundaries include exclusive Muskoka and what's interesting is that seven courses are new to the Top 18 and that our top four courses are designed by just two architects: Ron Garl and Doug Carrick.
Since only an eyelash separated each of the top picks this year, The Bogey Man resorted to his last-ditch criterion for the selections - how much pleasure each course expended in the playing.
That's why Taboo, Mike Weir's staggeringly beautiful home club, gets the top nod. But playing a super golf club like Taboo doesn't always make me happy - I was just as happy playing Wooden Sticks and Bigwin Island.
There were some truly impressive low-end (from the standpoint of greens fees) courses as well, with Waterloo's environmentally friendly municipal layout Grey Silo topping that list.
Not to be outdone, Mississauga's infant Britannia Hills, which is already undergoing an expansion, may sit on top of a pile of garbage (Peel's former dump) but its quickly becoming one of the area's more enjoyable courses. In fact, Britannia's new par-3 third hole is one of the GTA"S most exciting shots, but not without its perils. As my shot descended awkwardly into the depths, it seemed like my ball had fallen out of a bogey tree and hit every branch on the way down.
So here's my very different Top 18 for 2003:
