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Jeff Schley

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Re: Experience changes perception.
« Reply #25 on: September 22, 2023, 06:24:45 AM »
While I certainly enjoy the architecture, I would much rather play a course over walking it.  Playing golf is fun for me which allows to appreciate the architecture while doing it.  Most of my plays lately have been one and done.  We all have lives, jobs, family etc.  It is hard enough to find resources and time to play an architecturally significant course, I wouldn't even think of just walking a course for allowing my amateur eye to look at architecture. 


I still respect all opinions of a course whether it was played only once vs multiple.  In a vacuum it would be great to play the top 100 ten times each, but it isn't feasible.  Thus we have to collectively contribute our views which in the aggregate gives us a good insight I think.  The Confidential Guide I believe ranked quite a few of single plays by the 4 contributors.  Good insights.
"To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice your gifts."
- Steve Prefontaine

Tim Gavrich

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Experience changes perception.
« Reply #26 on: September 22, 2023, 09:32:18 AM »

In a golf life, it's important to be honest with yourself about your goals. Which is more important - gaining a deep understanding of what makes great courses great, or the quest to see/play as many courses as possible (sometimes called "belt-notching" around here)?

There's no wrong answer, but it is important to note that these priorities are more or less opposed to one another. Most golfers opt for the second goal, whether by choice or by default.


I'd wager that 90+% of golf trips are of the sort where groups play a handful of courses once, rather than playing a couple/few courses multiple times each. Wanting to see as many different golf courses as possible in an area is an understandable impulse, but in many cases it's not the best way to cultivate a deep understanding of any particular course. You can glimpse it, but it's hard to fully grasp the excellence of a great course in one round.


A press trip to southwest Ireland in 2018 really crystallized this. The first two courses we played were Lahinch, then Doonbeg. Between Doonbeg's Americanized feel and its inferior design, I came away sure that I would much rather play Lahinch twice than each course once, because it'd be more worthwhile to me as a golfer to get to know Lahinch better, to play it with different hole locations and weather conditions, etc.


The other three courses we played were Dooks, Killarney (Killeen) and Tralee. I liked Killarney and Tralee plenty, but would I rather play them once each again on a future trip, or would I rather hang at Dooks for a few days and get to know that golf course and club better? Granting that I'm benefitting from hindsight, that one is a no-brainer.
Senior Writer, GolfPass

Ira Fishman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Experience changes perception.
« Reply #27 on: September 22, 2023, 04:12:55 PM »
Doug,


I have played all of those courses except for Tralee, and I agree with with your post. I am making my third trip to Ireland next year, and it is quite intentionally anchored on a return visit to Lahinch which is my favorite course even though I have been fortunate to have played a bunch of great courses since my visit to Lahinch in 2013.


Ira


PS Two plays at Waterville lead me to the conclusion that this site undervalues it.




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