Peter,
Not too long ago, when I lost 70 pounds and had no strength, I couldn't hit the ball very far and I had a great deal of difficulty getting any, let alone adequate, trajectory.
Yet, I loved to play even more.
I had to think and tack my way around the features that I otherwise would have discarded.
While my scores soared, so did the joy of playing the golf course along with the challenge of interfacing with almost every feature on it.
To hit a big low draw/hook around a fronting bunker instead of merely flying it was fun, and when I succeeded, I was ecstatic.
And when I failed, I paid the price I was meant to pay.
I've always loved the process of observing, analyzing, planning, creating and executing. It probably provides the greatest thrills for me.
Not long ago, on the 2nd hole at Seminole, into a good wind, I hit my drive into the front right fairway bunker. I was about 180 yards from the green.
I took a 3-wood, choked it up, punch-cut it up the left side, into the left side opening where it ran up onto the green, not far from the hole.
I did the same thing with a 3-iron on # 11, a 3-wood on # 15 and # 18.
I got far more joy out of those crazy shots than I did when I hit a normal 3-wood 20 feet from the hole on the par 5 3rd hole. Maybe, if I'd have one putted instead of three putting I would have liked that shot better
There's more, far more, to golf than scoring, and, I like to score well, but I really love to think up and execute crazy shots to counter or defeat the architectural features. That remains one of my greatest joys on the golf course.