How many rounds of golf

[Joel Zuckerman]

Did you play in 2009?  It seems an appropriate question, given its the "polling" time of year.  (IE--GCA'er equipment thread is curently running strong.)

2 comments in advance:

1)  I think the NGF, or some such ruling body, defines an "avid golfer" as someone playing 25+ rounds of golf annually.  Something tells me that number is ridiculously low on this board.

2)  That said, I'm curious if there are some seriously high numbers out there.  It seems many regular DG posters are either youngish men with growing families and demanding jobs, which would limit their time on the GC.  Or conversely, some who are getting older, and maybe beset by maladies or nagging injuries that keep them off the GC more than they'd like.

Anyway---for those who have counted and care to share, what's the scoop?

[Dale Jackson]

76

[A.G._Crockett]

Well, Joel, it just so happens that I am an obsessive record keeper about these things, in part because my former club insisted on trying to charge me for cart fees when I had walked.  So, for 2009:

I played 141 eighteen hole rounds, walking 102 and riding 39.  The vast majority of the riding was done at facilities or times where walking was not an option.

Just to highlight my OCD record-keeping, I only played 9 holes three times all year, but I went to the range 41 times; apparently, I'd rather practice than play 9 holes.  

So, yeah, 25+ rounds seems to be a bit low to me.  That may say more about the poor state of my mental health than the way the NGF categorizes golfers, though.

[Ian Andrew]

43 rounds - It's the most golf I've played in 20 years.

The difference was I had the time to travel and play this year.
I made three major golf trips totaling 28 rounds.

15 in Australia (November)
12 in the US (March and April)
1 in Western Canada (April)

From April 15th to November 1st (our golf season)
14 rounds in Ontario, Quebec and Alberta

I generally average around 25 to 30 rounds a year.

[Jud_T]

64

[Greg Krueger]

I too keep records of when I play, mostly to make sure I am getting my $ worth!

18 Hole Rounds 33

9 Hole Rounds 57

Most of my play is during the week, hence the larger # of 9 hole rounds that are played after 6 PM.

[Chip Gaskins]

28 Rounds
17 States
1 Major Golf Trip (8 rounds in 3 states)
2 Rounds in my home area of Washington DC
0 Range trips

[Jin Kim]

~40.  Never enough. 

[Scott Warren]

44, all played between Feb 13 and Nov 3.

27 courses
4 countries

[Ronald Montesano]

I'll go with 30 complete rounds of 18 and about 30 9 hole rounds (similar to Chip, except that mine come during the week with the two high school teams I coach.)  I guess that would be 45-ish.  HOWEVER, God willing, as the kids get older, I hope to play more rounds for the walking and the spiritual cleansing.

[JeffTodd]

38 eighteen hole rounds, 13 nine hole rounds, on twenty-four courses. My 18 vs 9 hole split for the last five years is:

2009: 38-13
2008: 39-19
2007: 28-13
2006: 38-19
2005: 38-11

Unintentionally it seems to play out similarly every year.

[John Handley]

2009 was a bit unusual because I had more free time. 
120 rounds

usually I am around 75.

[Bill_McBride]

I don't keep track but expect about 80-90.

15 rounds in "official" GCA events.

40 with my wife and another couple on Sunday afternoons.

A scattering of other games.

No where near enough practice, index up from 10.9 to 12.7 during the year.

Only 7 rounds on UK links courses,  

[Andy Troeger]

28 Rounds
17 States
1 Major Golf Trip (8 rounds in 3 states)
2 Rounds in my home area of Washington DC
0 Range trips

Chip,
You sound like me. I probably played about 40 rounds in 9 states with I think 3 of those rounds being in and around Albuquerque.

[Wade Whitehead]

In 2009, I played 35 rounds in five states.

I didn't include ten or twelve Sunday afternoons with my ten-year-old son and/or seven-year-old daughter.

WW

[Ryan Admussen]

75 or so

7 in California
6 in Oregon
4 in Nevada
10 in British Columbia
30 at my home course
the rest at various courses in Alberta

[Kalen Braley]

Probably between 30- 40 as I don't keep strict count either.

[Matt Bosela]

I guess I fall into the 'youngish with growing family category' at 36 with a one year old at home.

So, not surprisingly, my rounds played in 2009 were down 15% from 2008 but I still got in 58 18-hole rounds and five 9-holers.

I played 15 different courses overall on the year, 8 of them for the first time (Burlington GCC, Otter Creek, Devil's Pulpit, Royal Colwood, Bear Mountain (Mountain), Sagebrush, Tobiano and Westmount GCC).  Also played partial rounds at St. Thomas GCC and Tarandowah GC for the first time but got flooded out at the former and an oncoming funnel cloud (!!) ran us off the course at the latter.

Pretty much just Saturday and Sunday early morning for me, with a few midweek rounds sprinkled in if I take a couple vacation days during the summer.

Taking a couple golf trips in 2010 (took no golf-specific trips in '09) so I'm expecting this number to creep back into the mid-60s next year.

[Tom_Doak]

41 for me.

25 different courses, including 8 of my own.
5 countries only, USA, Bermuda, Scotland, Spain and Japan.  Visited a bunch of countries where I didn't play, sadly.
6 rounds at Crystal Downs, or $250 per round for my dues.

I only played 4 courses where I had not played before ... El Saler was the only one on my list of "courses to play."  But I did see a bunch of courses I had never seen, and some of my best days were without clubs, at St. Andrews and De Pan and Eastward Ho!

I also did routings for 7 new 18-hole courses this year.  I hope we get to build some of them in 2010.  An unbuilt golf course is no fun at all.

[PCCraig]

I posted 52 rounds this year...but overall for 2009 I think I was closer to 56. Not bad for a primarily weekend golfer. My total was helped by trying to play 36 as often as possible and a couple nice summer golf getaways where 45-54 holes a day were the norm.

[JC Jones]

I didnt play many rounds but I did get to play with some great people from GCA.

[Bruce Katona]

1 round and about 8 trips to the range. Our daughter is 12 and plays fastpitch softball.  I coach the team , so there goes the free time.  I vow to do at least 100% better in rounds played in 2010.

[Phil Benedict]

About 10.  Way down from past 5 years.  Missed it some but like all the free time I have.  Never feel rushed on weekends.

[Greg Ohlendorf]

115, about average for the last three seasons.

[Tony Weiler]

49, and lowest in years.  2010 will hopefully be better.