I played new courses this year at about the same rate I post on the website… Very few, and far between.
However there was one notable highlight, just a couple of weeks ago: Played Congaree Club in Ridgeland South Carolina. It's a beautiful, bunker-addled Tom Fazio design, not five mile off of I-95, yet deep in the woods, on a 3000 acre property with quail hunting, deer hunting, etc. There are no members per se, just ambassadors, well under a hundred in total, who are tasked with devoting time, effort or financial assistance to those less fortunate.
The day was beautiful, it was a great surprise to run into GCA colleague Joe Fairey, and spend the lunch hour with one of the most accomplished club professionals you might never have heard of, John McNeely. But despite all that serendipity, those are not the reasons why I'm posting.
First of all, there are no tee markers. Second of all, there are no hole signs. Third of all, there was no scorecard, at least not one that was offered to us. When the assistant pro who was our course guide asked what length course we wanted to play, he led us to a certain spot on each of the long, snaking tee boxes. The caddy would instruct us to hit left of a fairway bunker or aim at a tree in the distance, and within an hours time we were completely lost in the moment. Before long, my buddy and I didn't know if we were on the fifth hole, or the eighth, 12th or 15th… we didn't ask and we didn't care!
For someone who has had a lifelong attachment to the scorecard, always knows when we'll be making the turn, etc. this 'dream state' of walking, hitting, and walking some more was literally a once-in-a-lifetime experience.