How photographic is your memory for golf courses?

[Ally Mcintosh]

In my opinion, there are two categories of golfer:

1. Those who are in to the "course" and how the shots they've played relate to the course
2. Those who are in to fine tuning their scoring and therefore love equipment and coaching tips

There are far more of the latter (hence that's what the magazines are about)

But it's always the former who have a great memory of holes. Still, some memories are better than others.

So many of my friends can't even remember the holes when they come directly off a new course. Whereas I find it hard to forget any hole that I've ever played, even if it was a number of years ago.

What about you?

[Scott Warren]

I'm with you, Ally. I guess I will have to see if age wearies my memory, but as it stands I can remember every golf hole I have played - good or bad - since I started to care about golf courses, and probably on 80% of the courses I have ever played I can remember every hole in at least basic form.

I think there is an element who have the memory to be from school 2 that you describe, but they don't remember because they don't consciously look at holes and/or care to remember them.

[Tom_Doak]

Ally:

I used to be considered to have a photographic memory, but that was when I was younger and had fewer other things going on in my life.  There is a saturation point somewhere in the future for you.  But, I do agree with your point that people who are more focused on their score tend not to be able to remember the course as well, because they aren't looking for it.

[Garland Bayley]

...
1. Those who are in to the "course" and how the shots they've played relate to the course
2. Those who are in to fine tuning their scoring and therefore love equipment and coaching tips
...

These are not mutually exclusive. It depends on the situation. I have played leisure rounds where I walk off knowing the holes well. However, when I played the GRUDGE match at Wine Valley, I was into each shot, and have a bunch of disjointed shot rememberances, but not much memory for the individual holes or the routing. So I think not remembering is more about concentrating on the individual shots than about fine tuning scoring and loving equipment and coaching tips.

[Peter Pallotta]

Ally - good topic. I'm not surprised that the architects here (or guys like Scott, who has a lot of experience and writes about courses in detail) have good visual memories -- and I think that's part of a kind of overall visual acuity that I just don't seem to have.  My memory for the written word, for example, is excellent -- especially for works of literature that I love. And yet, try as I might, I can hardly ever remember the looks of more than one or two holes on a golf course that I've just played, if I've just played it once.  It's as if my eyes have 'no context' for what they are seeing.

Peter

[Bill_McBride]

Personally, my ability to remember individual holes of a golf course is pretty much directly proportional to what I perceive the quality of the course to be.

For example I can very clearly remember every hole at Rustic Canyon, but my hole by hole memory of Soule Park is pretty vague.

[Jack_Marr]

I struggle to remember the course, my score or the names of my playing partners.

I can kind of remember the holes, but wouldn't have any idea where they came in the course, unless it was something truly remarkable.

I like the Monty course at Carton House more than the O'Meara (I like them both), but I can remember holes in the O'Meara, but not the Monty.

[Sean_A]

Yes, my memory is great so long as I remember - heavy sigh.  I reckon I am somewhere in the middle.  A good memory for courses, but nothing special, nowhere near photographic.  As Tom suggests, as I get older my memory worsens.  An example, when I last played St Georges Hill I had very little memory for the housing estate!  I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the size and quanity of the houses round the course.  

Ciao  

[Mike Nuzzo]

I'm with Bill
I only remember the very good ones - in part because I'm looking at all the details.
I usually remember all my shots - except for boring putts.

[Kevin_Reilly]

I think it is a natural talent, like being able to sing in tune or hit a major league curve ball.  My wife can walk through five open houses and then later that day describe things ranging from the orientation of a family room to the color tile in a bathroom shower.  I meanwhile only remember walking through five houses.  A friend of mine has the same talent.

On the golf course side, there are posters here that can see things and recall them based on one play.  The Emperor for sure has that talent, and I could name several others.  Me...I'd have to take pictures and notes and would still likely come up short.

But as Peter noted above, my memory for other things is very good...we all have our Rain Man talents.

[Adrian_Stiff]

Great topic and I agree you about the two types, a lot of pro's can struggle to remember the holes every after the weekend, they are that much focused on their  job they dont really notice the architecture, the caddies tell them where to hit it.
My memory is fading now of courses where I have only played the once 30 years ago and I get mixed up with their stroke indexes.

[Mike Cirba]

Ally,

It's a great question.   I've played over 800 courses and up until a few years ago (I'm 52), I could visually recollect about 95% of the holes I'd played.   

I would do some memorization drills that helped.   After each round, I'd first try to go through all of the holes again in my head with no outside assistance.   Then, I'd do it again with the scorecard, or course map, and finally, I'd do it a third time by recalling the holes in Handicap order.

It helped fill time on some long drives, and yes, I did try to keep both hands on the wheel.   

Evidently, whatever area of the brain all that got stored in has been purged in recent years, however.   These days, I'm probably able to recollect about 40% of all the holes I've ever played.   

I'm hoping that I simply now have more space to bring in new courses and holes, but it's likely that my brain facility has simply shrunk over time.       

[Mark McKeever]

I tend to not remember courses as well when I was playing tournament golf.  I think its because I was in a different mindset at the time.  Now that my golf is primarily for liesure, I can remember and embrace the golf courses more.

Mark

[Joe Bausch]

I'm hoping that I simply now have more space to bring in new courses and holes, but it's likely that my brain facility has simply shrunk over time.       

Dear Mike,

     We agree.

Sincerely,
David and Tom
--------------------------

[Bradley Anderson]

I was at the doctor's office with my boy the other day and they asked me his birthday and I couldn't remember it - the nurse was shocked. I tired to explain that I have 7 kids but she looked at me like I was the worst father in the world.

But I can remember every hole of every course I have played - not that I have played hundreds but go figure.

[Michael Herrmann]

While I would likely put myself in the second group, I think a couple of factors can help contribute to either easily remembering or not remembering each hole on a course.

First, if I am playing it for the first time in some sort of match or in some sort of client/customer golf situation, I would tend to be more focused on score or my own social networking skills for the day.

The other factor that could come into play is being able to walk versus riding.  I feel walking gives one a little more time and ability to take in all the aspects of a course. 

For me personally, I'd say it typically takes about 3 rounds at an individual course for me to get to a point where I can remember all the holes.

[Mike Cirba]

Dear Mike,

     We agree.

Sincerely,
David and Tom
--------------------------

Joe,

That would be the first time they were both absolutely correct.   

[Scott Warren]

Kevin Reilly:

My wife can walk through five open houses and then later that day describe things ranging from the orientation of a family room to the color tile in a bathroom shower.

My missus has a similar strange ability with memory: she can remember what she has worn every day of her life. Ridiculous, but I have tested her using pics from our holidays and pics from her childhood. She is 100% at remembering. Even days on our travels where she has changed clothes three times... she remembers each outfit and at what point she changed. Crazy!

[Craig Van Egmond]

I fall somewhere in the middle of your two choices as I do not keep score but have a hard time remembering individual holes on courses I played less than 3 times.

Once I have played a course 3 or 4 times I can remember the holes but only if I go through them incrementally in my head starting at 1 or 10.

[Tim Bert]

Personally, my ability to remember individual holes of a golf course is pretty much directly proportional to what I perceive the quality of the course to be.

For example I can very clearly remember every hole at Rustic Canyon, but my hole by hole memory of Soule Park is pretty vague.

Funny - I was going to say the same thing except the one example you chose proves that statement wrong for me.  I loved Rustic Canyon and played it twice but I couldn't walk through the course hole by hole without photos without a big struggle.  I think because at Rustic some features were pretty subtle, but I'm not sure if that's the case.   For the most part, if I'm focused on the course and I enjoy the quality, I can go through the holes no problem.

I have a good friend, who happens to be a member of GCA, that pretty much remembers not only every hole at every course but also just about every shot I have hit of every round I've ever played with him (and some where I didn't play with him but he recalls my stories better than I).

[Bill_McBride]

Kevin Reilly:

My wife can walk through five open houses and then later that day describe things ranging from the orientation of a family room to the color tile in a bathroom shower.

My missus has a similar strange ability with memory: she can remember what she has worn every day of her life. Ridiculous, but I have tested her using pics from our holidays and pics from her childhood. She is 100% at remembering. Even days on our travels where she has changed clothes three times... she remembers each outfit and at what point she changed. Crazy!

This memory of hers could be a long term problem for you, as she is likely to remember some crazy ass thing you say that you were pretty sure would blow over in time but she throws at you 10 years later.   

How do I know?  42 years of wedded bliss. 

[C. Squier]

I don't have the best memory in the world, especially for small details.  I take pics of everything I play and every now and then I'll grab a drink and put them all on a random slideshow on my Apple TV.  Good fun guessing where they are and what hole #. 

[Marty Bonnar]

I am a classic MBTI ISTJ. I can frikkin remember individual shots from playing golf at least twenty, maybe thirty and some forty years ago. Doesn't make me a good or bad person, just indicates my brain wiring, I guess.
I will say that I think the best pictures, like listening to the radio, come from the imagination. Until, that is, you get to actually stand on the 16th tee at CPC, of course! Now, there's an eclipsing epiphany.
FBD.

[Mike Hendren]

Generally, when I return home I draw a stick routing of each course but occasionally get stumped

Bogey

[Sean Leary]

Generally, when I return home I draw a stick routing of each course but occasionally get stumped

Bogey

You truly are a dork.