What is a 'daytrip'?

[Doug Ralston]

Having seen this term is several threads, I came to wonder what kind of definitions others might have.

We have had not problem driving 4-4.5hrs, playing, and driving home, with a meal or so thrown in. What that require for me is a course worth making a long trip to only play once, and someone fun to talk to on the way. If the laughs are plentiful, on the course and in the car, this is a great way to spend a day.

What about you?

Doug

[Sean_A]

Having seen this term is several threads, I came to wonder what kind of definitions others might have.

We have had not problem driving 4-4.5hrs, playing, and driving home, with a meal or so thrown in. What that require for me is a course worth making a long trip to only play once, and someone fun to talk to on the way. If the laughs are plentiful, on the course and in the car, this is a great way to spend a day.

What about you?

Doug

Doug

I generally draw the line at the max amount of wind shield time as roughly equal to the time it takes to play and enjoy drinks afterward.  Call it 5 hours.  Though, to be honest, if I am heading up the M6 (especially on a Sunday) or well down the M25 (any day) I tend to get a little gun shy unless I can really organize good times. 

Ciao

Ciao

[John Mayhugh]

It varies as you can see from this older thread.
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35855.0/

My longest trip in a day was around 400 miles each way. 

[Cory Lewis]

my definition of day trip is similar, although I typically play at least 36 if I'm going to drive over two hours each way, meals are less important to me, as is having somebody with me.  Typically I find a good or great course that is worth the drive and then look for a second course to play that doesn't have to be anything special.  

[ed_getka]

It varies as you can see from this older thread.
http://golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,35855.0/

My longest trip in a day was around 400 miles each way. 

That is about my range for a day trip.

I agree with Doug that having a GCA friend along for the ride adds immeasurably to the day.

[PCCraig]

A daytrip is something that you can wake up at 4am, drive a few hours, play 36, and drive home in time for dinner.

[Bill_McBride]

Messrss Huckaby, Benham and Pieracci scored mega points at the last Kings Putter by driving down from Bay Area to Rustic Canyon, playing a (painfully slow) round, quaffing a few pints, and then driving back home that evening.  That was quite a day trip.

[Matt_Ward]

Doug:

You summed it up very welll -- no doubt it needs to be a course(s) that you can talk about for the entire length of the ride going home. Otherwise, the trip will be self-defeating.

My longest adventure on a day trip was hearing about the new and what was told to me "exciting must play" Devil's Pulpit outside Toronto. The time frame was shortly after the course opened and was in early October.

I wanted a bit of adventure and decided to see if it might be possible to have a daytrip that would be totally conatined within 24 hours but push matters as far as possible on the drive time.

I left from No Jersey around 2 AM and drove straight up to the Toronto area to play the course.

I can remember the guy in the pro shop asking me where I was from -- I said the NYC metro area -- he then asked me if I flew up that morning. I told him I drove -- he then asked me if I had driven the day before. I said no -- I had just finished driving and was psyched to play. He looked at me like I was psychotic !

Played nearly 30 holes that day in high 50's with a pair of shorts on -- the folks there were shaking their heads wondering who is the nutcase in the shorts.

Returned that day just before midnight -- my wife wanted to know would I drive that far for her ?

Loved the course and it brought that particular golf season to a nice conclusion.

A bus driver friend of mine have done many daytrips up and down the northeast corridor -- sadly, one of the more memorable ones happened with a friend of mine (who past away sadly at 40 with a major heart attack) -- drove from No Jersey to Quicksilver in Midway, PA and then that afternoon headed down to the west area of MD for a second round at The Wisp before returning home.

I'll always remember that trip because this friend of mine was a real golf nut but had very limited time but always wanted one special day with me for us to soak in the day.

[Jfaspen]

Back in my college days one of my friends had a summer job up at Arcadia Bluffs (4+ hours away from where I lived at the time).  So I took a day off of work, left early, played 18, drove home, got in and went to work the next day. 

Haven't done anything like that since saddly.  But well worth it.

[Doug Ralston]

Matt;

That's a good story. My regular playing partner and I both love golf courses, chess, politics, and philosophy. Our 40+yr friendship has not worn those topics out at all. The trip hardly seems long, and only when we arrive home does it hit us of being tired. Simply a great way to spend a day.

Doug

[Mark Woodger]

this is a good question and i feel the my desire to play the course dictates the length of drive i am willing to under take. I think my max would be 3hrs.

I used to be a member of 2 clubs in England about an 1.5hrs away from each other. One day we decided to have a match on both courses. 4 players two teams, 4 ball betterball the format. Started at 7am on the front 9 of course 1, then drove and played 18 holes on course two, then returned to course 1 to play the back 9. A great day and it actually came down to the last couple of holes. I will never forget that day.

[Eric Smith]

My regular playing partner and I both love golf courses, chess, politics, and philosophy. Our 40+yr friendship has not worn those topics out at all.

[Richard Hetzel]

For me, no more than 3 hours one way. If I am driving farther than that, I might as well find a second 18 to play while I am there....with a hotel tossed in.]

[John Mayhugh]

Matt Ward,
Cool story. I remember reading it before and enjoying it.  I like the commitment.

How many times have you been back to play there?  I assume you need several more rounds before you are qualified to comment on the course.   

[Tim Bert]

I like to maximize the golf and minimize the drive on the day trip.

Several years ago, we did the 2.5 hour drive each way with 54 holes of golf sandwiched between.

We got to the course too early - before the staff arrived and left at sundown.
I even broke my personal policy of walk whenever possible In order to make sure we could get all 3 rounds in (my un-named friend is a bit lazy!)

[Bruce Wellmon]

My 2 best daytrips:
                          Left home at 530am, alone, drove 5 hrs to Chattanooga. Had lunch at The Honor's Course followed by a round with a member. Drinks. Back by 11.
                          Drove with my father (who is now deceased) the 4 hours to The Ocean Course. Had lunch and played. Stopped for barbeque in Columbia,SC on the way back.
                            Both real good days. 5 hours is my limit.

[Matt_Ward]

John:

I have been back to the Pulpit once since that time. That was when I played the Paintbrush and then went over to the Pulpit.

It's helpful to have multiple visits to a course before really getting to understand it. Sometimes that's possible -- many other times it's not.

I do believe that if one pays attention you can really absorb plenty of elements even during a first time visit. Clearly, the nature of that day must be factored -- such as wind speed / direction, turf quality, green speed, etc, etc.

John -- my buds and I are sort of like the Jack Warden character in the movie, "And Justice for All." If you have not seen it rent it. There's a part in the film where the Jack Warden character has Al Pacino in his helicopter and he insists on maxing out his fuel limit to see how far he can go roundtrip. My friends and I have done that to play certain courses and then return home. We need to avoid the hotel stay overs for a host of reasons -- our wives being among them !

[Doug Wright]

A daytrip is something that you can wake up at 4am, drive a few hours, play 36, and drive home in time for dinner.

This is pretty much my day trip to Ballyneal...

I really enjoy solo driving, so it doesn't get much better than a day like that.

[John Mayhugh]

Matt,
I've seen the movie and had completely forgotten that scene. I can't help but think of the Seinfeld episode where Kramer took a car salesman on a quest to see when a new car would truly run out of gas.