Golf Club Atlas
GolfClubAtlas.com => Golf Course Architecture Discussion Group => Topic started by: Jason Thurman on June 17, 2021, 08:53:45 AM
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Fairly often around here - most recently in the DECADE vs Architecture thread - a conversation reveals that different people play golf for entirely different reasons. Ostensibly, the objective of the game is to shoot as low a score as possible. But it's definitely not JUST about shooting a low score, and for some guys it's hardly about scoring at all.
Where does your joy come from when you play? How much is about scoring? How much is about hitting different shots, or pulling off one really great and improbably one? How much is about "interacting with the architecture" or whatever? What about your playing partners, good weather, scenery, etc? What factors matter very little at all to you, even if they matter a lot to others?
No right or wrong answers. I'm just interested in exploring how different people think about the game.
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Personally, I play golf for companionship, for fresh air, for exercise, and for the pleasure I get when I hit a decent shot. Companionship can be quite competitive -- I enjoy playing a match against my friends, and some of my best memories of my dad are of needle matches on the golf course. I can't remember the last time I kept a medal scorecard: usually it's either matchplay or Stableford points, or just hitting a ball for the hell of it.
I think focusing on score becomes more important the better a golfer you are. If your best round is 68 then doing a 67 is a real achievement. But with the best will in the world, if your best score is 93 then a 92 is so what?
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A recent personal example:
I've been playing about the best golf of my life lately, at least until a back injury last weekend shut me down. Obviously I'm now convinced I'll never find the magic again, but man was I hitting some pretty shots before that shit happened. Lift with your knees everybody.
This stretch of strong play has coincided with a new shot I've added to my arsenal. At my last lesson, my coach got me working on a "never miss left" cut shot. My home course is full of OB left, I'd been fighting a pull off and on all year, and I wanted to be able to eliminate the left side when needed as well as a 10 handicap can reasonably hope.
The "never miss left" cut isn't an especially sexy shot most of the time. When I really hit it well, it's pretty. But when I hit an average one, it's more of a pull-slice that doesn't go very far. But it misses in a predictable place, and it seems to be really accurate in general. I feel more comfortable hitting my draw, but I rarely play it off the tee anymore, and I increasingly find myself hitting the cut on approaches because it just offers so much control.
I last played about a week ago, and on my final approach, I felt like cutting a gap wedge was the right play. But it wasn't the play I WANTED to make. I had hit a bunch of cuts already that day, and the shot I WANTED to hit was a little draw... especially with a wedge. There's nothing joyful about a cutty wedge. I'm proud of myself for committing to the shot and getting a "good miss" from it (I'm less proud of leaving the birdie putt 3 feet short, but proud of making the par putt). But enjoyment definitely isn't JUST about making the right decisions and scoring well for me. I like the variety of hitting different shots, and even if I could turn into a scratch player just by hitting that cut shot all day, I don't know if I would love the game more than I do as a 10 handicapper (down to 8.5!) who hits a variety of shots in a round.
Then again, I get a lot of lasting satisfaction from a good score. So even if each individual shot that got me there isn't maximized for fun delivery, the end result of a disciplined round where I choose the right play rather than the fun one is highly rewarding.
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My love of golf stems largely from that it takes me to an otherworldly place in the sense that I almost never think about family, work, money, or other real world issues. Some of that transporting is a function of being outside on courses that never are the same twice no matter how many times you play them. And over the past 15 years I have really enjoyed learning about and experiencing architecture. But much of it is the fact that I am playing a very difficult sport against myself. I do not take the results seriously perhaps because I am not good enough that they mean anything, but I do embrace the challenge in a way that forces other issues out of my consciousness. On my golf bag, “Be the Ball” is inscribed; I just ordered a second one with “Shivas Irons” inscribed.
Ira
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I think focusing on score becomes more important the better a golfer you are. If your best round is 68 then doing a 67 is a real achievement. But with the best will in the world, if your best score is 93 then a 92 is so what?
This is interesting to me. It makes me think about playing with my cousins. I do that fairly often, and the two I play with most frequently are basically novice golfers but both working to improve and making real strides.
A huge difference between my mindset and theirs is that they're almost entirely focused on trying to hit good shots as often as possible, and trying to make birdies, pars, and even bogeys. Whereas my focus at this point is almost entirely on trying to improve my misses, and avoiding mistakes, and trusting the math to add up to a satisfactory number at the end of the round.
I can't imagine catching the golf bug by trying to learn to avoid 10s, then 9s, then 8s. You have to chase the dragon of the great shot and great individual hole scores for a while. But it seems like you then have to train yourself out of that mindset and learn to hit good misses to really improve. It took me almost 20 years of avid play before I finally accepted that. I've never loved golf more, but I can definitely understand the guy who doesn't love that kind of humble grind as much as he loves pursuing the enthralling highlight.
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Being outside and doing something physical. If I'm playing with a friend or acquaintance, all the better.
Nowadays, I'm more excited to see wildlife than I am shooting a great score.
Years ago, I was upset that I stopped being "competitive." That feeling has waned.
I enjoy golf now more than ever.
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"It comes from my blank and it blanks from my blank" ;D ;D ;D https://youtu.be/NanA8PQ1-1w?t=197
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I enjoy playing with companions or my wife, but I think I enjoy playing alone the most. It is quiet and most of the time golf courses are in pretty places. But I think what I enjoy most is hitting the shot the way I envisioned it. It is like hitting a baseball in the middle of the bat. It is an otherworldly experience. Score used to be the most important thing. Not as much anymore. My skills have deteriorated, but once in a while I can find some magic. I love practicing the short game and when I am playing getting up and down from difficult spots. When I play alone I will take a mulligan periodically.
Two years ago I took a lesson, but the pro made too many changes in my swing and it messed me up for a year. I have been swinging a club for 70 years and making wholesale changes won't work.
I enjoy showing someone none of my clubs and making new friends. There is something about golfers that attracts really nice folks. I have friends all over the country.
When I travel, I will drop in on a club and drink in the atmosphere. I just love being at a golf course.
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When I play alone I will take a mulligan periodically.
Tom-Did you get clearance in perpetuity for such brazen acts or does each offense require it’s own special dispensation? I guess what I’m asking is how do you square it on high?
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Mashing one off the sweet spot in a nice setting.
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Personally, I play golf for companionship, for fresh air, for exercise, and for the pleasure I get when I hit a decent shot. Companionship can be quite competitive -- I enjoy playing a match against my friends, and some of my best memories of my dad are of needle matches on the golf course. I can't remember the last time I kept a medal scorecard: usually it's either matchplay or Stableford points, or just hitting a ball for the hell of it.
I think focusing on score becomes more important the better a golfer you are. If your best round is 68 then doing a 67 is a real achievement. But with the best will in the world, if your best score is 93 then a 92 is so what?
Yeah, but if that 92 was an 89, it would be pretty exciting for most golfers. The score is always a part of it, it's the nature of the game. But NGF studies always show camaraderie, outdoor experience, and maybe friendly competition (i.e., the $1 wager) ar e what drive fun for average golfers. I also suspect that score goes up as a fun driver as handicap goes down.
I have never been motivated by score. I never get to where I want to go. But, I am motivated by individual successful shots and like many here, might hit a statistically lower probability of success bump and run just to try it, even if my score goes up.
One period where I had the most fun at golf was when I worked at Killian and Nugent, and their office was a farmhouse off the Kemper Lakes Golf Course. In summer, we adjusted our work hours to play golf, but often got in only 9-12 holes. Since we couldn't post a full score, we tended to play match play and it was a hoot. We did compare our ringer scores at the end of summer, and even then, there were a few holes where I never made par, even after a few dozen plays. I guess I would have thought I could have parred all of them at least once per season.
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Jeff, that's another good point. Going back to my cousins again, one of them is capable of regularly breaking 100. He's close to breaking 90 on occasion. But it's funny... late in the round, he'll start adding up his scores and figuring out what he needs to do to make sure he stays in double digits.
I pointed out to him last time we played that he was obsessing about a number that he was way ahead-of-pace on. I tried to make the point that, if he lets go of the focus on breaking 100 and just focuses on continuing to play good golf, as he had all day, that he'd have a good chance of adding up the total at the end of the round and finding a 95 or so, which would be a personal best for the course we were playing. But when he's going into the last couple holes just thinking "7 or better", he's not going to make many 4s and 5s like he had early in the round.
There's a lesson there somewhere about trusting the process or something like that. And I think that's now where most of my satisfaction from golf comes from - the challenge of just keeping your head down, finding the ball and hitting it, and trying to make good decisions along the way, and trusting that the scores will take care of themselves. But it probably makes me a little less likely to try the wild, all-or-nothing shots that can be such a unique thrill... when they work.
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Jason, I've often said the hardest thing in sports is any task that starts with, "All I have to do is......." I once had a fellow player tell me on the 18th tee that all I needed to shoot par was a 5. Naturally, I made a six.
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When I play alone I will take a mulligan periodically.
Tom-Did you get clearance in perpetuity for such brazen acts or does each offense require it’s own special dispensation? I guess what I’m asking is how do you square it on high?
I like to practice the art of forgiveness.
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Jason, I've often said the hardest thing in sports is any task that starts with, "All I have to do is......." I once had a fellow player tell me on the 18th tee that all I needed to shoot par was a 5. Naturally, I made a six.
One of the more difficult things I hear from pros is the Players test. I had a friend who’d get to last couple of holes and think, All I have to do…? It took him five tries to make it. He missed it by one or two strokes all the other times.
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Peace and tranquility are important. Experiencing different venues too (inc taking photos). Score, or maybe more importantly how it’s achieved or not achieved, also matters as does chatting and corresponding with like minded folks about the game.
Atb
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Jason, I've often said the hardest thing in sports is any task that starts with, "All I have to do is......." I once had a fellow player tell me on the 18th tee that all I needed to shoot par was a 5. Naturally, I made a six.
Back in my teens and early 20s, I played Cog Hill 4 every Saturday with the same group. On the 18th tee on day, one of my group said “If you make 4, you will have a 78.” It would have the first time I broke 80 there. It won’t surprise you that I hit my tee shot so far OB right that it hit the roof of the maintenance shed. Never did break 80 at Cog. 40 years ago, and the memory still is vivid.
Ira
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When I play alone, I play because I enjoy being in nature. I like playing very early or late in the evening.
When I play with others, it is because I enjoy meeting others, or being with those I am friends with. I enjoy all the small victories and defeats that come during a round, and especially the way it allows me to compete without taking it too seriously.
I think well designed courses enhance both of these aspects of the game.
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Jason, I've often said the hardest thing in sports is any task that starts with, "All I have to do is......." I once had a fellow player tell me on the 18th tee that all I needed to shoot par was a 5. Naturally, I made a six.
Back in my teens and early 20s, I played Cog Hill 4 every Saturday with the same group. On the 18th tee on day, one of my group said “If you make 4, you will have a 78.” It would have the first time I broke 80 there. It won’t surprise you that I hit my tee shot so far OB right that it hit the roof of the maintenance shed. Never did break 80 at Cog. 40 years ago, and the memory still is vivid.
Ira
The first time I broke 80 was as a teenager on a public course in Toledo. Same situation, but I needed a birdie 4 3 on the 18th. So I swing for the fences and do okay, but top a 3 wood less than 100 yards from the right rough, and then another one. Solved my putting nerves issue by holing the wedge from 100 or so.
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Jason, I've often said the hardest thing in sports is any task that starts with, "All I have to do is......." I once had a fellow player tell me on the 18th tee that all I needed to shoot par was a 5. Naturally, I made a six.
Back in my teens and early 20s, I played Cog Hill 4 every Saturday with the same group. On the 18th tee on day, one of my group said “If you make 4, you will have a 78.” It would have the first time I broke 80 there. It won’t surprise you that I hit my tee shot so far OB right that it hit the roof of the maintenance shed. Never did break 80 at Cog. 40 years ago, and the memory still is vivid.
Ira
I’d need to take off my shoes and socks in order to count the number of times I’ve ruined a nice round at Dubs by hitting one right of that maintenance house (I think it’s too big to be called a shed). Of course I usually compounded that error by duck hooking my 2nd/4th into the pond. I will say that my best round ever was shooting 74 from the blues at Dubs the day after the Western Open. By the the rough was 8”, but I only missed 1 fwy and goy up and down 5 or 6 times from the perfectly manicured bunkers
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In most countries apart from America, you are only grinding to beat your buddy on that day, not to set a new personal low score. (I’m not likely to shoot 67 again in my life; does that mean I should quit??)
Beating your buddy does not require intense focus. There are holes where you can relax, because he’s in the trees, or because he’s six feet from birdie and you aren’t about to make par. So you relax a little before the next hole.
So you can be engaged with the architecture, but nearly everyone except an architect does that one hole at a time, and most courses have several holes that are not so engaging.
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Joy is a great word to use/ask about in this context.
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An example:
Hole 14 at Dormie
I fanned the drive way right. Flagstick in the front. 40 yard approach shot slightly down wind, exceedingly narrow target requiring a carry over a bunker. Tight lie.
I decided to play away from the green with a low running chip shot, which I was able to pull off. I was left a 30 foot putt, 15 feet off the green. Easy 2 putt for a par.
What I am gratified by is that I was able to assess the conditions of play, match up my inconsistent abilities and then pull off the best shot I could.
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8) Joy comes from growing, developing skills, and becoming smarter with every 18. A little right brain input and left brain consciousness... golf is good experience, 60 years in...
... and competing in my majors, highlighted by the annual Goo Open at Ottawa Park or other rota courses around T-town!
... its certainly fun getting below or approaching par on any hole or for 9 or 18 figuring out the gca along the way, as I never saw a sucker pin I didn't like :o the "others" will happen more or less as quantum events, gotta love them!
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My love of golf stems largely from that it takes me to an otherworldly place in the sense that I almost never think about family, work, money, or other real world issues. Some of that transporting is a function of being outside on courses that never are the same twice no matter how many times you play them. And over the past 15 years I have really enjoyed learning about and experiencing architecture.
+1
I didn't start playing golf until my early forties. It was a time when I was working very long hours at a stressful job and had a young severely disabled child. Being able to spend four hours each week on the golf course took my mind off that for those moments, and still does, although my life is much less stressful these days. Just being out on a course almost always brings me joy. There are few sports/games where the playing fields are as beautiful, peaceful and varied.
I also get joy spending time with friends on the course and from hitting good shots. Greens in regulation, birdies and chip-ins do bring me joy.
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Jason, I've often said the hardest thing in sports is any task that starts with, "All I have to do is......." I once had a fellow player tell me on the 18th tee that all I needed to shoot par was a 5. Naturally, I made a six.
One of the more difficult things I hear from pros is the Players test. I had a friend who’d get to last couple of holes and think, All I have to do…? It took him five tries to make it. He missed it by one or two strokes all the other times.
I passed the PAT with an 8 footer for bogey on the 18th hole. I was trying to do the math in my head and I thought I had failed the PAT by missing the previous putt. So I had absolutely no pressure. Got around to adding up the scores and it turned out I had made it on the number. It's 36 holes so I got a stroke off in there somewhere in my head.
The PAT is a definite mindf--k.
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;D
Being out in the fresh air with my friends....a simple pleasure
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It can change weekly based upon my location and company, but a few things I hope for are...
1) Forgetting about reality for a few hours. At work in the hospital when I make a mistake people die, but on the course the worse thing that can happen is making a bad swing or score. Here I can take risks that are usually not afforded to me.
2) Positive talk. Life is hard enough. If you make a good swing or putt and good things happen, talk yourself up like you hope a good friend/caddy would do.
3) Enjoy the scenery. Usually in the AZ desert it is hot and dry, but enjoy the grass on which you walk and putt.
4) You can enjoy a dew sweeper or sun setting round alone (personal favorite) but ask some questions to those you are playing with and you may make a lifetime friend with a common thread that may unite you for years to come.
5) Remember your best (not the worst) parts of the day. Stepping up and carrying a corner bunker, flushing an iron off the par 3 tee, or a great up and down putt to save par can be great memories both on and off the course.
Justin
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I enjoy hitting the ball solidly and with the fight I’d planned from a variety of lies to a variety of targets with a variety of challenges.
If not for the last half of that I could just go on a practice tee/range.
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In most countries apart from America, you are only grinding to beat your buddy on that day, not to set a new personal low score. (I’m not likely to shoot 67 again in my life; does that mean I should quit??)
Beating your buddy does not require intense focus. There are holes where you can relax, because he’s in the trees, or because he’s six feet from birdie and you aren’t about to make par. So you relax a little before the next hole.
So you can be engaged with the architecture, but nearly everyone except an architect does that one hole at a time, and most courses have several holes that are not so engaging.
Maybe beating your buddies doesn't require intense focus. Beating my buddies requires me to focus my ass off.
I'm kidding a little... but part of what I really do love about this game is that, even though it requires a lot of focus to play well, it only requires it for a tiny fraction of the total experience of a round. And I really find a lot of peace in the whole cycle of: arrive to location of next shot > clear the head, get focused on what you need to do > execute > relax and enjoy the walk, the day, and the company > repeat.
Of course the game can be stressful too, but that's really mitigated for me by the part where there's always some space between shots to take a deep breath, look around, and appreciate how great it is to be outside playing a game. There's very little that can really truly go wrong in the grand scheme of things on a golf course...
... although we're one day away from the anniversary of the tournament last year when I skulled a wedge straight at the parking lot and narrowly dodged denting somebody's Lincoln. So like... the game is not without real world risk.
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Beating your buddy does not require intense focus. There are holes where you can relax, because he’s in the trees, or because he’s six feet from birdie and you aren’t about to make par. So you relax a little before the next hole.
So you can be engaged with the architecture...
Tom, I was surprised by this post. You cite the extremes, but wouldn't you and your buddy try to "engage with the architecture (i.e. "focus") more if you were still in the battle on every hole, though in different (A,B,C,D) positions?
If I'm out to "beat my buddy" when we play, I will check his lie and his approach prospects. That's engagement, no?
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I played yesterday with my brother, his buddy and my buddy. The day was Chamber of Commerce day - 77 degrees, bright blue sky, not a hint of humidity and a nice breeze. Our venue was in perfect condition, the best its been in years.
We all hit a few good shots, & 1-2 stinkers. My brother made a birdie, his buddy a sandie from a fairway bunker, I clipped the flag off the tee on a par 3 for close to an ace, & my buddy stayed hydrated with 4 Stella tall boys.
In my book, that's about as good a golf day as it comes.
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Joy is a fairly high standard to aspire to in a game as frustrating as golf.
Still, even while getting beaten 3 & 2 by my buddy Old Man Par today, I did glimpse joy a couple times. Most vivid was the 5 iron I hit on a par 3 that had exactly the trajectory and flew exactly the distance I wanted it to, and rolled up about 12 feet right of the cup. Never mind that I missed the putt...
I get joy from seeing other golfers pull off great shots, as long as those shots aren't taking money out of my pocket.
I get joy from seeing a ball roll towards the target, whether it's a lusty bounce forward down a fairway or taking a gathering green contour.
I get joy simply from being on a golf course, because it's usually a heck of a lot better than the alternative. If the golf course is an interesting and/or scenic one, that's even better, but it's not entirely necessary. The possibilities contained at the outset of of a round of golf are pretty damn exciting no matter what, IMO.
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As I approach my 80th birthday, having started golf about 30 years ago, it's about getting outside, looking at the scenery on a beautiful course, getting some exercise, having social contact, having competition, testing my physical abilities. I cannot play "by myself." Against the golf course, the course always wins. If I'm playing against others with fair handicaps, I have a chance -- sometimes I win, sometimes I don't.
BUT, I will tell you what I DO NOT enjoy. Playing with guys who get mad, throw clubs, etc. Curse me for hitting a good shot. A "friend" I've played with for many years has fallen into this category. Question. Do I just give up on him, keeping in mind he sets up lots of our games? So I'd need to find a new group. Do I speak with him about my problem, or just admit it's my problem and not his?
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... Ostensibly, the objective of the game is to shoot as low a score as possible. ...
Not historically accurate!
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There was no joy in Mudville. I was benched for a number of months and my body mysteriously forgot how to play the game it knew for the last 60+ years. I am now smiling following the bouncing ball.
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Golf as a whole is a joy for me. I love everything about it (apart from slow play :)). The joy of arriving at the course early and ordering a coffee, the anticipation, the chat, the warm-up, the small talk with friends and the pros, checking in with the starter, lacing the shoes. I genuinely love it all. On the course, I love playing with friends, strangers, and even alone. I embrace the joy of playing in the sun, and the joy of the challenge of playing in trying conditions. I enjoy thinking about the architecture of a course - if it's good, thinking about what makes it good and if it's not good, what could make it better. I love seeing new (to me) courses, and seeing a course again after some years. I enjoy the challenge of the game, and always trying to hit good shots. I know I can come out after work or on the weekend, and golf is my recharge that gives me energy.
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Question. Do I just give up on him, keeping in mind he sets up lots of our games? So I'd need to find a new group. Do I speak with him about my problem, or just admit it's my problem and not his?
At almost 80 years of age, you have certainly earned your right to express how golf can be played in your group. Express it over a beer, and you may be helping your friend. My guess is - he is challenged mentally by the aging process.
I walked and carried yesterday in the heat and humidity of NYC. On the 16th hole, it hit me. I may have to move to a push cart soon.
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I think it can and does often change from round to round:
- Sometimes I really enjoy being out there alone first thing or late in the day and just enjoying being outside and taking it all in.
- Other times it can be a total blast to play a 4 man beer scramble where the hijinks, comradery, and laughs are plentiful.
- Then every now and then when my swing doesn't resemble a folding lawn chair its a blast to focus in and shoot a great score, like my lifetime best of 77.
- And still other times I just want to play a round with my buddies, break 90, and beat my buddy, even if only by 1.
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Golf as a whole is a joy for me. I love everything about it (apart from slow play :) ). The joy of arriving at the course early and ordering a coffee, the anticipation, the chat, the warm-up, the small talk with friends and the pros, checking in with the starter, lacing the shoes. I genuinely love it all. On the course, I love playing with friends, strangers, and even alone. I embrace the joy of playing in the sun, and the joy of the challenge of playing in trying conditions. I enjoy thinking about the architecture of a course - if it's good, thinking about what makes it good and if it's not good, what could make it better. I love seeing new (to me) courses, and seeing a course again after some years. I enjoy the challenge of the game, and always trying to hit good shots. I know I can come out after work or on the weekend, and golf is my recharge that gives me energy.
Literally all of this.
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Yesterday on Father's Day, I recalled one of my Dad's most memorable sayings (usually after a topped or muffed shot)....."Golf should be fun.....dammit." :)
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As I approach my 80th birthday, having started golf about 30 years ago, it's about getting outside, looking at the scenery on a beautiful course, getting some exercise, having social contact, having competition, testing my physical abilities. I cannot play "by myself." Against the golf course, the course always wins. If I'm playing against others with fair handicaps, I have a chance -- sometimes I win, sometimes I don't.
BUT, I will tell you what I DO NOT enjoy. Playing with guys who get mad, throw clubs, etc. Curse me for hitting a good shot. A "friend" I've played with for many years has fallen into this category. Question. Do I just give up on him, keeping in mind he sets up lots of our games? So I'd need to find a new group. Do I speak with him about my problem, or just admit it's my problem and not his?
Haha. I spent many years being that guy. The first half of my golfing life was only about the competition and winning. It wasn’t fun unless every shot felt like life and death. The golf course was where I went to get stress rather than the place to get free from it. I didn’t care about fresh air, the camaraderie or the vistas. The foursome member I didn’t like was the one who seemed just happy to be out there.
You have two choices. You can accept the challenge that golf presents of drowning out what you can’t control and overcoming it or you can take control of your surroundings and play with people who have the same agenda on the course that you do. He will understand; I certainly would have when I was a raged maniac out there.
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Yesterday, I putted from 105 yards to Jim Urbina and Joe Hancock's marvelous new green on No. 1 at Midland Hills. Ended up hole-high, about 10 feet left.
That brought me joy -- even though it was an experimental, second ball after a more-standard wedge.
My home course brings me joy every time I play it, even when I play it badly, because so many "creative" shots are possible to pull off, and because the recent restoration/renovation has amped up the fun factor to 11.
That's far from the only thing that can bring joy on the golf course (the evening shadows on a fine summer day are really hard to beat, especially if I'm playing with my daughter), but the potential for creative shotmaking is very, very high on the list.
A great score gives me pleasure, but not joy.
Winning a match comes closer.
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Carl, if you're good friends, you might just tell him that you're thinking about leaving his group because it doesn't even seem like he enjoys it himself, and you definitely don't. There's a Right Way to present that where it works out better for him too. It's a hard game and part of what it teaches you is that if you can accept and forgive your mistakes, you have a chance of overcoming them and enjoying things in spite of them when you don't.
Dan, that sounds awesome. I 100% agree with you on Midland. I love the topography, love the shot challenges, and really love the approach to 1 since I'm 2/2 on birdie conversions lifetime. Your home course is better than mine, but the joy of the creative recovery thrives at both.
And I suspect your daughter appreciates the hell out of those rounds too. I played with my mother today. Her chemo was kicking her ass (which is a long story but more blessing than bad news) but she played 17 of 18 holes in under 4 hours, miraculously. And she even made a birdie on 15 from the sort of makeshift tee that she used to have me play from. And I pulled off the fourth par-or-better nine of my life on the back which really got her excited. It was probably sorta like when your daughter shoots 29 or whatever.
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Thurm,
As I have gotten older, I find more joy in the people and how the names on the scorecard are more important than the name on the front of the card.
I like hitting good shots.
I like making a putt with a bunch of break.
I like the days when I shoot a good score.
I have grown to like making a net birdie to beat one of my low handicap friends.
I like racing the sun after work and forgetting whatever had irritated me during the day.
I like perfect weather days.
I like days when I sneak out of the office and play
I like getting and giving shit to my buddies.
I like great green complexes and holes that make me think.
I like helping someone see a cool course they have never seen before.
[/size]I like it all. [size=78%][/size][size=78%] [/size]
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This question is interesting to me because I consider myself to be passionate about golf, yet I have practically no desire to play unless I'm going to complete an entire round. And I'm not at all a hyper-competitive person. Furthermore, the visual beauty of the game is one of the biggest draws to me, so that should endure regardless of how many holes I'm playing. I suppose things might be different if I was a member of a club or lived on a course and could jump out for a few holes after work, but making plans, driving to a course and paying a green fee holds virtually no appeal unless I'm highly likely to finish 18 holes. It might be because I view each round as an opportunity to possibly shoot a personal best score, and if I'm not going to finish, that possibility becomes impossible -- and if I were to play exceptionally well in that situation, it would just be frustrating to me, wondering "what if." Can anyone else relate to this?
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It varies enormously for me.
Last year I played 60-odd rounds, shot under par for the first time and got my handicap down to 1.2 (lifelong 6-8 marker with a previous low of 3.3).
This year, I’ve managed 11 18-hole rounds in six months and aside from a 75 around RM East have played like shit.
Last year, my enjoyment was very significantly tied to my performance.
Today, I played my first 18 holes since April, enjoyed a walk along the seaside in 19°C with with two really good blokes I’d never met before, had seven double bogeys en route to a high-80s score and could not have enjoyed myself more.
One of the things that I love most about golf is that whatever it is I’m in need of when I walk onto the first tee, the game seems reliably able to provide it.
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As my game declines, and my understanding of golf architecture (hopefully) improves, I get giddy getting to my ball's position and thinking there's NO WAY that Old Tom/Ross/Tillie/Jones/Muirhead/Engh/Strantz, et al could have anticipated it.
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This question is interesting to me because I consider myself to be passionate about golf, yet I have practically no desire to play unless I'm going to complete an entire round.
.....Can anyone else relate to this?
Mark, as I age, no! My wife enjoys playing, but many times, we get to about the 12-14th hole and mutually decide to quit for the day.
I laugh because I recall a story from way back when from an old guy who explained how golf and retirement work. He said in his 60's he started playing 12 holes, and then went home to nap, followed by drinking the rest of the day. In his 70's, he cut it to 9 holes, nap, drinking. At about 80, it was 6 holes, nap, drinking.[size=78%] [/size]By about 90, it was 3 holes, nap, drinking[/size], [size=78%]followed by quitting the game altogether, because, well, only 3 holes wasn't worth playing.
BTW, while I am happy to play less than 18, my drinking life is pretty minimal, so I don't relate entirely.
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Dan, that sounds awesome. I 100% agree with you on Midland. I love the topography, love the shot challenges, and really love the approach to 1 since I'm 2/2 on birdie conversions lifetime. Your home course is better than mine, but the joy of the creative recovery thrives at both.
And I suspect your daughter appreciates the hell out of those rounds too. I played with my mother today. Her chemo was kicking her ass (which is a long story but more blessing than bad news) but she played 17 of 18 holes in under 4 hours, miraculously. And she even made a birdie on 15 from the sort of makeshift tee that she used to have me play from. And I pulled off the fourth par-or-better nine of my life on the back which really got her excited. It was probably sorta like when your daughter shoots 29 or whatever.
Jason --
Tried to PM you, but it didn't work.
I assure you that Rose treasures those rounds, too. She joined the club last fall, so now those rounds are unlimited.
Thanks for telling us about that round with your mother. My wife knows about chemo kicking her own ass; we both know that a *long* story can be more blessing than curse.
Be sure to holler if you are ever out this way. You need to see if you can go 1-for-1 on the brand-new No. 1 green. It's a beauty!
Dan
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Question. Do I just give up on him, keeping in mind he sets up lots of our games? So I'd need to find a new group. Do I speak with him about my problem, or just admit it's my problem and not his?
At almost 80 years of age, you have certainly earned your right to express how golf can be played in your group. Express it over a beer, and you may be helping your friend. My guess is - he is challenged mentally by the aging process.
I walked and carried yesterday in the heat and humidity of NYC. On the 16th hole, it hit me. I may have to move to a push cart soon.
I've had the conversation -- not easy for me to do. He said he appreciated me bringing this to attention and that he'd try to get things under control. Hope it works out.