Lifetime Course List

[Joel Zuckerman]

I searched a bit for this thread, but if I used the wrong keywords in doing so, please forgive and redundancy from the past.
I'm curious as to the lifetime accumulated course list of dedicated GCA'ers.  I am approaching 600 myself, which is Everest-like in the wider golf world, but I suspect nothing but a grassy knoll for many of the regulars on this website.   For those of you who keep track of this minutiae--How many courses have you played in your lifetime?

And on another, related subject--while the NGF and other governing bodies can comment on the average handicap, number of rounds played per year, etc, I've never heard/read anything regarding the average number of golf courses a player will play in their lifetime.  Anyone have a clue to that type of information?

[Andrew Summerell]

Joel,

I think this was asked before, but I wouldn't worry. A lot of people have probably joined the site since then.

I counted the number of courses I have played a few years back, so by now I'm somewhere approaching , or just over, 700 different courses these days. They are spread out over 10 different countries.

[John Moore II]

Perhaps someone could post a poll?
--I am quite probably one of the least traveled people on this site, somewhere near 75 courses.

[Mike_Cirba]

783 as of yesterday with Wyoming Valley, which is tremendous fun quirk.

Most on the list have more in common with Cobbs Creek than Merion but I've found something to love on most all of them.

[Jim Colton]

Very impressive numbers.  I'm currently at 281 but only adding about 10 or so new ones per year.  The problem is I've played just about every public course in my area, so it's getting harder and harder to add new ones.  I doubt I'll ever get to 500.

[John Kavanaugh]

This is the type of thread that makes me wish for $6 gas.

[Mike_Cirba]

Good one, John.

[Adam_Messix]

John--

Heck, we'd pay $7-$8 a gallon for gas to play golf in Britain so I don't see what the issue is.....

[Richard Choi]

If you guys want a website that keeps track of all the courses that you have visited, I might be interested in creating one.

What features would you like (other than a list of courses)?

[John Kavanaugh]

John--

Heck, we'd pay $7-$8 a gallon for gas to play golf in Britain so I don't see what the issue is.....

Exactly...Having a golfing public that stays home and plays leads to more interesting architecture and charming club cultures. 

[Mike Benham]

How many courses have you played?

[Tim Leahy]

age 47, played since age 16, played near 400 courses in Calif. and about 100 outside of Cali.

[JohnV]

Including duplicates:

435 courses played
148 courses where I've officiated tournaments
140 courses where I've done a USGA Course Rating
14 courses where I've attended professional golf tournaments

For a total of 530 courses where I've spent at least the amount of time required to play a round on the course.

16 countries - 14 in Europe, US and Mexico (counting the Scotland, Northern Ireland and England as separate countries)
34 states (three biggest: PA, OR, CA with CA gaining)

It is actually one more than that, but there is a course I played in Georgia in 1986 the name of which I can't remember.

The list will go up on my blog soon when I can get wordpress to take a file that big.

[Garland Bayley]

This is the type of thread that makes me wish for $6 gas.

I understand beano can solve your gas problem.

[Phil_the_Author]

Joel,

I believe in QUALITY over quantity...

In other words, I'm jealous as all hell of you guys! 

[Joel Zuckerman]

I'm surprised there haven't been more people chiming in on this subject with their lifetime totals...particularly some of the veterans with thousands of postings.  Perhaps it's just the obsessive few (such as myself) who actually keep track of this statistic.  But I would've guessed there would have been at least a few people claiming numbers approaching, even into four figures.

[Jim Nugent]

John--

Heck, we'd pay $7-$8 a gallon for gas to play golf in Britain so I don't see what the issue is.....

Exactly...Having a golfing public that stays home and plays leads to more interesting architecture and charming club cultures. 

My instinct says the opposite about architecture.  Would be interesting to learn more. 

[RichMacafee]

My total is a meagre 147, I have some serious work to do to feel worthy amongst others here.

120 in Australia
25 in the UK
1 in USA
1 in South Korea

[Doug Siebert]

I'm just amazed that all you guys know the exact total!  I have no clue whatsoever, let alone have any hope of naming more than half of them.  I'd guess the number to be in the low 100s, that's the closest I can come.  I suppose most of my pleasure travel is not for golf trips like many here and I don't bring the clubs along if I'd only have time for one round, or there's only one course worth playing (like a place such as Aruba)

I know some people who bring their clubs on a trip "just in case", I can't fathom that as they are a big pain to drag around so its only worth it to me for multiple rounds.  I guess fewer people will do that now that the airlines are going to ding you for both the second bag and the oversize luggage charges.

I can't even be sure that six is the right number of countries, as I might have forgot some island where I played a round...and while I was writing that I realized the number is seven, I forgot that the first time I went to Acapulco I brought my clubs so that adds Mexico.

[Kevin Pallier]

I just recently cracked the 500 barrier but have tended to focus on quality over quantity in my later years.

Around 300 in Australia / 200 in GB&I / 10 in Nth America.....hope to add to the later next year - if I can get a leave pass from my wife 

[Andy Troeger]

253 courses played, 20 states and only 1 outside the USA.

103 in Indiana, 25 each in New Mexico and Arizona, 22 in Michigan.

[Ash Towe]

I would have played a small number compared to many others on this site.

112 in total
46 in New Zealand
27 in Britain
25 in Australia
14 in America

[Tom Huckaby]

I'm surprised there haven't been more people chiming in on this subject with their lifetime totals...particularly some of the veterans with thousands of postings.  Perhaps it's just the obsessive few (such as myself) who actually keep track of this statistic.  But I would've guessed there would have been at least a few people claiming numbers approaching, even into four figures.

I started playing the game at age 8 and it was likely 25 years before the thought occurred to me to catalouge where I've played.  It's impossible to go back.  I really have to believe I've played quite a few different courses... I just have no clue how many.  I believe this is the case with quite a few regulars here.

TH

[John Goodman]

I am like you Huck.  I didn't start thinking about where I had played until I started traveling to play, which was maybe ten years ago.  If I had to guess I'd say I've maybe played 200 courses, most of them in Alabama and Virginia, with a moderate dose of GB&I.

[JohnV]

I started thinking about it a few years ago.  What I did was go to Golfweb's course search facility and put in the counties around the Bay Area which let me find most of the courses I'd played growing up.  Then I tried to figure out where I had traveled to over the years and what courses. 

It wasn't that hard, but most of the golf I couldn't remember was around San Jose as a kid.  I also got a book of the courses in Oregon and made sure I didn't forget any of the little obscure ones I'd rated.

I'd have a hard time describing a lot of those courses, but I do know if I played them.