Life is too short to play bad courses

[Joe_Tucholski]

In the recent “last 10 played” thread it was said “life is too short to play bad courses.”

As it turns out, it appears the “life is too short” sentiment is one many subscribe to on this site and most golf is not played on average courses, based on those who posted on the “last 10 played” thread.  Of the 18 individuals who listed their last 10 with a Doak score, the average course score is 6.0 (I excluded myself – the score would have dropped .1 if I was included).  If everyone had listed their Doak score for the courses they played, I feel confident the avg score would have been higher.  To my surprise a few people played great courses but over a lengthy period of time.

So now comes the questions:
1) Do you subscribe to the life is too short to play bad courses?
2) If you subscribe to the life is too short to play bad courses did it take you more than four months to play your last ten courses?
3) If yes to 1 and 2 why don’t you play more courses and/or more golf?
4) For everyone if given the following two options which would you choose and why
     a. Playing a Doak 3 as often as you wanted and any other course once per year
     b. Playing whatever course you wanted one time per month (can be a different course each month if desired)

[Alex Miller]

1. no, not yet. But someday maybe.

2. i've played 15 different courses in the last two months, but everyone has their own restrictions.

3. I'll answer anyway, and you can probably relate to what I'm about to say. Access matters. Options matter. Being a public golfer in SoCal is not ideal. I'm often forced to play a Doak 3 (barely) regularly because I'm not gonna drive through hours of traffic to play on another course that is a little better and just as slow (i.e. 5:30+ hour rounds).

4. Well see this depends again on how enjoyable that 3 is. I think what these questions are really getting at is "how does the doak scale measure enjoyability?" I'm basically stalling cause I don't know how I'd answer your question, though I expect many on here would say the special 12.

[A.G._Crockett]

1. Life is too short not to play golf when the opportunity presents itself; besides, I've NEVER played a course that made me regret playing golf, not once.  Might not go back, but not play?  Hasn't happened yet.

2. N/A

3. N/A

4. my choice is a, and it isn't close.  I own a copy of the Confidential Guide, and I get the scale.  But that is much more about architecture than about the fun of playing the game of golf. 

[Mark Pearce]

1.  No.  I've been lucky this year.  I'm playing this afternoon at Bamburgh Castle, one of TD's "Dumb Blondes".
4.  Definitely a).  Given the choice of a great course or a weak one I'll play the great course but I'm a golfer first and an architectural anorak second.  I'm also keen to see as many courses of interest as possible so given the choice between a Doak 4 I hadn't yet played but which was of interest and a 6 which I'd played before, I might choose the 4.

[Cory Lewis]

1. No, but the course has to be at least a doak 3 if I'm going to drive more than an hour.  The doak 0 or 1's that I play are typically the second course of the day.

4. A- I play too much to be able to only play one course a month. 

[Scott Warren]

1) Do you subscribe to the life is too short to play bad courses?

No. I'll play anywhere. Playing with mates at a dud course can still be a great day out.

4) For everyone if given the following two options which would you choose and why
     a. Playing a Doak 3 as often as you wanted and any other course once per year
     b. Playing whatever course you wanted one time per month (can be a different course each month if desired)

I wouldn't be happy with either of those options.

[John Kavanaugh]

Life is too short to play golf alone.  If this is something you enjoy doing it is time to evaluate your relationships.

[Cory Lewis]

Life is too short to play golf alone.  If this is something you enjoy doing it is time to evaluate your relationships.

I could not disagree more. Being on the golf course by yourself with nobody around is one of the best experiences in the world!

[John Kavanaugh]

Life is too short to play golf alone.  If this is something you enjoy doing it is time to evaluate your relationships.

I could not disagree more. Being on the golf course by yourself with nobody around is one of the best experiences in the world!

Then why do you play so damn quickly?

[Cory Lewis]

Life is too short to play golf alone.  If this is something you enjoy doing it is time to evaluate your relationships.

I could not disagree more. Being on the golf course by yourself with nobody around is one of the best experiences in the world!

Then why do you play so damn quickly?

Good point!  It's the only way I know how to play.  Being alone with nobody in front of you on an empty golf course is probably a better experience for me then most people given my prefered pace

[Anthony Gray]

  I never want to play a bad course. That simple. If I take time off from work to travel I want to play a premier course.

  Anthony

[John Foley]

When I went through the thread on the last 10 I couldn't get through this year and last to get 10 - looks like other priorities right now other than chasing down the interesting courses I want to see.

1) No - life is too short period - just set your priorities & live by them
2) My last 10 took me back to fall 2009 - would love to see more, but right now
3) Too busy with family, friends and work. Playing more golf since I joined a place, but less chasing the next course. Enjoying summer at home more than anything.
4) b would be the obvious but who I get to play with on the Doak 3 makes a difference.

[Tim Bert]

1) Do you subscribe to the life is too short to play bad courses?
Doesn't have anything to do with life being short as much as it does not having enough time, which may sound similar but the former is a broader life philosophy  while the latter is a point in time assessment that may change over time. Anyway, for me every round needs to be about who I am playing with (good friends, kids) in which case it doesn't matter where I am playing or where I'm playing (not necessarily highly ranked but somewhere I love to play).  When I get both good people and a good course, that puts it off the charts, which is why I have invested so much time at Kingsley Club this year.

2) If you subscribe to the life is too short to play bad courses did it take you more than four months to play your last ten courses?
I think that even the average golfer that doesn't play the highly rated courses appearing in this thread takes more than four months to play four courses for one of two reasons - 1) many people tend to play the same course repeatedly, even if they aren't a member and 2) the typical golfer doesn't play 10 rounds in 4 months time.

3) If yes to 1 and 2 why don’t you play more courses and/or more golf?
I don't play more golf because I have a wife and young kids who have other interests, and I have a job which requires ms to work. If I were single, unemployed, and wealthy I'd play both more courses and more golf.

4) For everyone if given the following two options which would you choose and why
     a. Playing a Doak 3 as often as you wanted and any other course once per year
     b. Playing whatever course you wanted one time per month (can be a different course each month if desired)

b) is an easy answer if you already don't have the time to play all the golf you want. I'd actually prefer c) which is a local round once a month or so to keep the dust off couple with three long weekends jam packed full of golf with great people at a course you love.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Joe,

In my house, we have it both ways.

My 24 year old son prefers to play the home club over and over, just play.

I prefer playing something new (to me) and good far less often.

He has turned me down for trips to TOC, Pebble, Bandon, and others saying "why go so far to play golf?"

I guess polling this bunch about playing preferences might not be representative.  Most of us "architecture snobs" play more for the architecture than to just play.  At least, I do. I don't give a damn what I shoot, I want the "experience" of great architecture.  I think I (we) are in a big minority.

[Tony Ristola]

You can learn a lot playing a bad/poor golf course.

[rjsimper]

Life's too short to turn your nose up at a course because it's "bad".

Golf is better than no golf.

Plus there's always the chance that I play out of my mind and throw up a 68....and no matter how bad the course, it would immediately go down as one of the best golf moments of my life.

[George Pazin]

Tim Bert pretty much nailed everything I was going to say.

My last ten was actually played over the last 6 years. I've played more rounds than that due to repeat plays, but I think those were my last ten courses. What can I say, I'm at a weird stage in my life. But I'd guess I'm closer to the mythical "average golfer" than most people on here.

[Mike Hendren]

I have to admit it is.  As I posted earlier this week my game has deteriorated to the point that I play golf for the architecture more than the game.  As much as I have loved the game throughout my life, that sounds pathetic, even to me.  It is embarrassing to admit that I lack both the motivation and discipline to rehabilitate my game, which once was reflected in a 4 handicap.   I no longer get frustrated on the course, but I often am embarrassed by my play, most recently at the Kings Putter (Ask Alex Miller, Rich Goodale and Mike Benham about my tee shot at Bandon Trail's 15th - I remain pained by the memory).  

As for Barney's  opinion of solo golf, I played 90% of my rounds alone growing up as no other teens played and the men at the club weren't altogether welcoming.  To this day I prefer to play by myself though I do enjoy the company of kindred spirits.  

Bogey

[Bill Seitz]

For me I think the answer would depend on a lot of factors.  I can see how people who have kids and other activities would limit their golf to really good courses.  They have other, often more important things to do than spend five hours on a course that's less than stellar.  As for me, I'm mid-30s, single, no-kids, so I'll pretty much play anytime, anywhere if I'm not at work, or if I can get the day or afternoon off.  My other passion/hobby is going to concerts (I'll see a lot more bands than golf courses this year), and those are mostly all at night, save for the different festivals here and there, so the two don't interfere. 

My general philosophy is that I'll play anywhere once.  If I don't like a course, I may go back depending on the group of people playing.  I'm not a member at any club, so I prefer having a game set up, even at a less than ideal course, over trying to walk on somewhere as a single.  We're fortunate to have a lot of "good enough" public courses in Chicago such that it's pretty rare to get stuck at a course you don't like. 

But I absolutely will not go back to Coyote Run. 

[Carl Johnson]

Life is too short to play golf alone.  If this is something you enjoy doing it is time to evaluate your relationships.

Agreed 100 percent.  But I've also learned that life is too short for me to play with golfers with whom I am not compatible.  Between the latter and playing alone, I'd "settle" for playing alone.  Playing with good friends on wonderful courses -- who wouldn't prefer that?  Notwithstanding the "good/bad courses and architectural issues," for me golf is about play the game -- a contest not against the course, which always wins, but against another golfer(s).  I need to play against someone "on the course" for the true experience.  Each to his own.

[Joel Zuckerman]

Life is too short to play golf alone.  If this is something you enjoy doing it is time to evaluate your relationships.

I also strongly disagree with this statement.  If you love to play golf, you love to play golf....with your buds, by yourself, playing for stakes, playing for pride...whatever.  Though a solo outing (with an Ipod, ideally,) is much more enjoyable if the course is clear ahead of you.

A single behind stacked foursomes = no fun!

[Ian Andrew]

1) Do you subscribe to the life is too short to play bad courses?
No

2) did it take you more than four months to play your last ten courses?
It did, but that’s a lack of time. I play primarily when I travel or work far away from home. I have 13 rounds this year, 10 in Ireland, 1 at Highlands Links and 2 at home. It comes with the business.

3) why don’t you play more courses and/or more golf?
Time is the single reason (work and family come before playing golf)

4) which would you choose and why
     a. Playing a Doak 3 as often as you wanted and any other course once per year
     b. Playing whatever course you wanted one time per month (can be a different course each month if desired)
Play the course I’d want to see – I would rather learn something new than work on my game. I love the art more than the sport. Even re-discovering my game changed nothing

[JR Potts]

What kind of elitist really believes that "Life is too short to play bad couses."  I get when one uses the comment in jest - but to really stand by it.....that's crazy.

If the course is the predominant dictator of your enjoyment of a round of golf, I think a new motto is necessary:  "Life is too short to have shitty friends."

I'll play anywhere - and I mean anywhere - given the right mix of playing companions.

[Steve Kline]

I will take playing golf over not playing golf every single time. Half of my rounds at my home club are played by myself. I am forunate to be in the position of being in my mid '30s and owning my own business that affords me quite a bit of time to play golf. My friends aren't in that same position so when I play during the week it is typically at lunch time and they can't get off work. A lot of times I make this decision at the lsat minute depending on meetings and weather. I end up playing alone most of those days. And the course is usually pretty empty.This way I get home before I would if I stayed at work and my wife can't complain.

When it comes to traveling for golf that is more likely to be when the architecture factor kicks in. I'm not traveling (it's expensive, it's time away from family, and I don't like being molested) to play a course I don't think I will enjoy. Sure, one may get thrown in to fill out the trip but I'm going for the course that I really want to see.

I'd rather play many times a month at my club, which is nothing special, than limit myself to one round a month - even if that one round a month rotated between Augusta, PV, CPC, Oakmont, NGLA, etc. I love playing to much to be sitting inside looking at beautiful weather daydreaming about playing golf when I could actually be playing golf. There's always the chance that my next round will be my best ever, that there will be that one shot that clicks. I would play every day, all day if I didn't have the restraints of family and work.

[Kalen Braley]

Perhaps the same people who chimed in on the other thread haven't chimed in here yet...

..but there seems to be at least a little bit of contradiction here.  All the responses here are basically, "anytime, anywhere, with anyone"...but I guess these rules are suspended when ones goes on a golf trip and limits the action to just one or two very selective venues.