GCA Guilty Pleasures

[Kalen Braley]

Not sure if we've done one of these in awhile...but what is your GCA guilty pleasure?  Something that is deemed lesser than, criticized, or at times even mocked by the treehouse... but you love it anyways.


I'll go first, I'll admit I'm a bunker slut. 


I love bunkers in all shapes and sizes and in general the more hairy or wild looking the better. I love looking at em,  studying em, and checking em out in general.  Fairway bunkers, greenside bunkers, top shot bunkers, middle of the fairway 50 yards short of the green bunkers, i love em all.Not surprisingly the only thing I don't like about them is getting in them, with a few exceptions.

P.S.  And one of the benefits of being a high capper is, you can build em pretty much anywhere and they are always in play! []

[Peter Pallotta]

I feel guilty that, years ago when I was just starting to play and wasn't any good I hated perched greens with no options for running the ball up and on, but that now as a better golfer who can sometimes hit those high aerial shots pretty well I love perched greens and want to see & play more of them, and I don't care very much about beginning golfers or high handicappers who can't hit and don't like perched greens. I think: why should *my* game be less interesting, challenging and fun because of *their* limitations? That's what I think -- but then I feel a little guilty about it and a bit ashamed and so keep it to myself.
This has been very liberating, thank you.
 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I love to play a hole and think, "I've never seen that before." I even love playing a hole and thinking, "That was a dumb hole." I hate playing a hole that I've seen in a dozen iterations, like a cape right to left par four 18th hole.

[Joe Bausch]

The only yardage markers being bushes at 150 yards on the edges of the fairway.  Well, I don't really like it now, but when I do see them I crack a smile b/c it brings back memories of most courses I grew up on.

[Sean_A]

I guess my guilty pleasure is Princes 

No, seriously is it Ballybunion Cashen.  As a course it is a mess, but just to hit some cool shots in a great setting while out enjoying the conditions, it is a sublime experience.

Ciao

[MCirba]

The only yardage markers being bushes at 150 yards on the edges of the fairway.  Well, I don't really like it now, but when I do see them I crack a smile b/c it brings back memories of most courses I grew up on.

+1

[BHoover]

I like fast putting surfaces and green grass.

[Tommy Williamsen]

I guess my guilty pleasure is Princes 

No, seriously is it Ballybunion Cashen.  As a course it is a mess, but just to hit some cool shots in a great setting while out enjoying the conditions, it is a sublime experience.

Ciao

Fascinating to hear your thoughts on Cashen. I admit I liked it a lot as well. It's pretty narrow in spots but it does have some really fun and interesting shots.

[Scott Warren]

My guilty pleasure, living in Sydney, has always been Concord GC.


It’s tight and hilly with boundary issues, too many trees, clay soil and kikuyu from fence to fence.


Yet, I’ve always really enjoyed playing there. Despite the above factors, (maybe because of them!) it’s a fun place to test yourself and the club is very good.


Now that Tom Doak is working there, he will probably stuff all of that up and make it a really good golf course... 

[Ira Fishman]

Toss up: (1) riding in a cart just because I am feeling lazy and (2) using the word “golf” as a verb.


Ira

[James Brown]

Fairway landing areas that are sloped softly and slightly downhill.  Not enough of them. 

[Garland Bayley]

Not sure if we've done one of these in awhile...but what is your GCA guilty pleasure?  Something that is deemed lesser than, criticized, or at times even mocked by the treehouse... but you love it anyways.


I'll go first, I'll admit I'm a bunker slut. 


I love bunkers in all shapes and sizes and in general the more hairy or wild looking the better. I love looking at em,  studying em, and checking em out in general.  Fairway bunkers, greenside bunkers, top shot bunkers, middle of the fairway 50 yards short of the green bunkers, i love em all.Not surprisingly the only thing I don't like about them is getting in them, with a few exceptions.

P.S.  And one of the benefits of being a high capper is, you can build em pretty much anywhere and they are always in play! []

Now that's funny SANDMAN!

[Peter Pallotta]

Ira, James - thank you. This thread is very liberating for me.
I too sometimes like to ride in a cart while golfing, from a raised tee box along the gentle but steadily downhill slope of a beautifully manicured fairway
to where my tee ball rests on a perfect lie, right next to the 100 yard stake and with only a brand new Cleveland 53 degree wedge left to a fast, perched green surrounded by bunkers that is making my high(er) handicap playing partners ever more nervous, confident that within a few moments I'll be reaching into my back pocket for my card and pencil to chalk up yet another all important "4" in my 18 hole medal play round, and hopeful that today for the first time I might achieve that most meaningful of all objectives - breaking par, on a Par 72 golf course, ideally one that measures over 7,000 yards from the tips and has a slope rating of 148, in keeping with the Greg Norman design that it is, with nary a thought about the exorbitantly expensive green fees in my mind given that a friend is covering the whole day through some complex and barely legal corporate maneuver! 
Thank you again. It feels good to get that off my chest 

[Pete_Pittock]

using 26-1c (ii) to my advantage

[jeffwarne]

Gnarly Greenside rough

[Tom_Doak]

My guilty pleasure, living in Sydney, has always been Concord GC.

It’s tight and hilly with boundary issues, too many trees, clay soil and kikuyu from fence to fence.

Now that Tom Doak is working there, he will probably stuff all of that up and make it a really good golf course... 

We can't fix the tight, the hilly, the clay, or the kikuyu [except around the greens].  But we've tried to address the boundary issues and the too many trees.  Along with the greens and bunkers.

[Kalen Braley]

Garland,


Sometimes we admire most the things that we have little to no control over!!   


P.S.  While I can normally get out of most green-side bunkers in Ok fashion, its the fairway bunkers.. aka those 50 yards or so further from the green... that give me the most trouble

[Bill Brightly]

No, seriously is it Ballybunion Cashen.  As a course it is a mess, but just to hit some cool shots in a great setting while out enjoying the conditions, it is a sublime experience.

Ciao

Thanks for that explanation, Sean. I have to say that raised an eyebrow when I saw it on your Yanks Top 50 GB & I list...

[Thomas Dai]

No, seriously is it Ballybunion Cashen.  As a course it is a mess, but just to hit some cool shots in a great setting while out enjoying the conditions, it is a sublime experience.
Ciao

Thanks for that explanation, Sean. I have to say that raised an eyebrow when I saw it on your Yanks Top 50 GB & I list...

Happy to admit that I like the Cashen. Lots of good stuff and not long on the card either which despite the severe terrain allows playability if the 15th club is used. But jeez, take a buggy, some of the green to next tee walks are long and tough.
I recall a comment a while back that all the greens on the Cashen (the Old’s been done) were going to be re-done. Has this happened and if so is anyone able to comment on the outcome?
Atb

[John Connolly]

Medinah #3. Repetitive looking par 3's over water? Yup. Tree lined fairways? Check. Too green. Hmhmm. Would play it every week.

[Peter Pallotta]

I wonder how different our Top 10 Guilty-Courses list would be from our Socially Conditioned-Courses list; and, granting that all such judgements are subjective, which of those lists would include the better golf courses.
Wait - did I just say 'better'? Sorry, strike that. That should read 'more fun'...

[Ken Fry]

Hills.  Lots of hills.

There are great courses on flat land.  I prefer hills almost every time.  Throw in a hilly course with mountain views and I'm good.

Ken

[Terry Lavin]

Medinah #3. Repetitive looking par 3's over water? Yup. Tree lined fairways? Check. Too green. Hmhmm. Would play it every week.

Great Chitown selection, my friend. I feel the same way and it’s fun to bring a gca purist out there and see the guilty glee in their eye over cocktails in the Oasis bar after #3 reaffirmed the fact that sometimes monotonous and difficult can be a pleasurable combo platter.

[Randy Thompson]

My guilty pleasure, living in Sydney, has always been Concord GC.

It’s tight and hilly with boundary issues, too many trees, clay soil and kikuyu from fence to fence.

Now that Tom Doak is working there, he will probably stuff all of that up and make it a really good golf course... 

We can't fix the tight, the hilly, the clay, or the kikuyu [except around the greens].  But we've tried to address the boundary issues and the too many trees.  Along with the greens and bunkers.

Were controlling kikuyu en Chile in two clubs. Let me know if your interested and I can pass you the program.

[MCirba]

After years as a traditional equipment holdout playing 1988 TaylorMade blades for decades and 1998 Mizuno blades the past 2-3 years, I absolutely enjoyed doing a comprehensive club fitting at Sittler's Golf in Kutztown, PA (with Rick Kline) this fall and even better, I love as I'm turning 60 in 2018 being able to hit 150 yard Titleist AP3 8-irons and 165-170 yard 7 irons again, picking up a full 15 - 20 yards per club in distance with a better, lower, consistent trajectory.   

I don't care that the lofts are strengthened and the shafts are longer.    I've led from behind long enough and no one followed.