To appreciate the design and architecture, do you really need to play it?

[William_G]

Having played many courses and walked a couple that I may never play, I don't think so.

[Jaeger Kovich]

In most situations no, you don't NEED to play. In a few situations, I would have missed something if I didn't play. But there are far more courses I've walked, and said I would have missed a ton and would have been disappointed if I played it the first time I saw it... Finally got to play one of those yesterday, I had walked it 2x previously.

[John Kavanaugh]

Most double digit handicaps I have encountered do need to play a course to appreciate the design. One reason they are such poor players is their inability to conceptualize a shot. As with most things in life those who fail at execution never understand cause and effect until it is too late.

[William_G]

yes it may be a question of need and some may not be as needy as others or as fortunate

GCA golf tours coming up, no need for golf clubs

[Jeff_Brauer]

While you might miss something by not playing, you might miss something by being more focused on your playing, shots, etc. 

For my money, no.  For that matter, I think I get the most out of a course without playing, or trying to take photos, just looking and observing.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Without playing you don't get the full appreciation of the greens. There are obvious slopes but speed and subtly are hard to get without rolling a ball.

[Josh Tarble]

Sure, you can appreciate something without participating.  But why?  I understand architects need and want to see great courses, to study and find inspiration.  But if it's not for your profession I just don't see why someone would want to do that.

If you aren't playing you may as well be in a garden. 

[MCirba]

You can get a pretty good idea from walking a course but where I find differences between playing and just observing is in anticipating distances, particularly if a course is well-maintained to allow the ball to roll, particularly on an undulating property.   That's sometimes is difficult to just eyeball on a walk-around. 

[John Kavanaugh]

With roll out resulting from weather conditions varying anywhere from 0 to 30% of flight on a normal trajectory shot how can one play matter? Saying you have to play is all part of "the big con".

[BCowan]

The late Mr Bahto talked about walking Camargo and how tickled he was to be out there just walking the course, but his generation had humility. 

    A friend of mine who has probaby played Oakland Hills 20 plus times said how much he leared by watching a friends match in the OHCC club championship. 

   Watching a tournament, especially one with a small gallery can be the most beneficial to absorbing the most architecture out of a course imo.  Much more so then a garden. 

[Kalen Braley]

Just wait till Pat gets wind of this thread... 


Put me in the camp of no as well.  These days I get almost the same enjoyment of just meandering around a course as actually playing it.  Yes, you might learn more if you actually interfaced it, but I think you can certainly appreciate good work when you take a little time to study it.


P.S.  I know this will be a bit controversial, but even seeing a course in pics and aerials is good enough to know I would probably love it....like Tobacco Road.  I love quirky stuff and I can't imagine I wouldn't be downright giggly when I finally get my shot at it.

[MCirba]

With roll out resulting from weather conditions varying anywhere from 0 to 30% of flight on a normal trajectory shot how can one play matter? Saying you have to play is all part of "the big con".

That's a good point, John.   Perhaps my depth perception is failing with age, but one of the things I've noticed most when I've played courses I had previously seen is that sometimes anticipating where a well-struck shot will end up in terms of distance varies from perception to reality. 

The Lurker doesn't play any longer...he just walks along, yet I'd value his opinion on architecture more than most.

[Mike_Young]

What if the same question was asked about women?       how would you answer that?

[Mark Pritchett]

I can appreciate restaurants (and their food) by watching other people eat rather than dining there myself. 

[John Kavanaugh]

What if the same question was asked about women?       how would you answer that?

The porn industry is alive and going strong. They don't even need a First T program.

[Mark Bourgeois]

If there are enough, pictures are all you really need. Fewer still if there's drone footage.

You can get just about all the appreciation you need for a restaurant by watching it on "Chef's Table."

[Rich Goodale]

I walked Mulrannay, Carne and Enniscrone over 2-3 days 5-10 yeas ago and played them last weekend.  No comparison.  A walk is just a walk, but a game with a club in your hand and thoughts as to how to play your shots in your brain is completely different.


Yes.  To appreciate a course you need to play it.  Including even the Doaks and Coores of the world

[Adrian_Stiff]

Depends on the person, some need to play. Some need multiple plays. Most people can get 90% of it by just a walk. Some will get even more (I am in that category) by walking rather than playing.

[Will MacEwen]

Even if I would gain more appreciation of the course by walking it, I would always prefer to play it.


The reason I find courses interesting is because I love to play golf.

[Tom_Doak]

To appreciate a course you need to play it.  Including even the Doaks and Coores of the world

There may be some nuances of a course you would never notice unless you played it.


But, Rich, if Bill Coore and I can't appreciate a course until we play it, how the heck do you think we can design and build our courses from raw land, without being able to see how the ball lands and bounces?

[Kalen Braley]

Not to go all Shivas on everyone, But the question was "To appreciate the design and architecture.."

It wasn't:
 "to FULLY appreciate...."
or
"to COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND and appreciate..."
or
"to KNOW ALL THE NUANCES and appreciate.."


So in the context of the original question, I would say absolutely no....you don't need to play it to appreciate it...

[Rees Milikin]

I'm a scratch walker

[Tim_Weiman]

While you might miss something by not playing, you might miss something by being more focused on your playing, shots, etc. 

For my money, no.  For that matter, I think I get the most out of a course without playing, or trying to take photos, just looking and observing.

Jeff,


I agree with you one hundred percent. Most golfers want to play well and to play well requires focus.


Studying the golf course's architecture is an entirely different thing, as you suggest.


I will offer one exception: understanding greens. Spend an hour or two putting with someone like Neil Regan at Winged Foot and you will realize that you do need to putt those greens to appreciate the architecture.

[Rees Milikin]

Go appreciate the greens at Lookout Mountain without playing them and tell me how that works out for you.

[Mark Pritchett]

Go appreciate the greens at Lookout Mountain without playing them and tell me how that works out for you.

Eliminates three putts!