I consider myself very lucky. I get to work at arguably the best golf resort in the world. The golf courses I'm exposed to on a daily basis are of such high quality that people might assume that either I'm spoiled and take it for granted or that I wouldn't enjoy playing courses of lesser stature. Not true.
We play golf on Christmas Eve in my family. Some years everyone plays (like this year), and some years it is just my brothers, a couple of buddies and me because my folks won't come out in the December Oregon Coast weather.
We usually play at Alderbrook, the course here in Tillamook. Even after a new owner has injected some money into the course the last three years it would be dishonest to call it anything other then a goat track (a lot of the locals will tell you the
changes have made it worse). It is golf at its most rudimentary and in the winter the turf conditions are less then ideal (i.e. soggy and wet). And yet it is always my favorite round of the year.
My question for you guys is this: When (or if) you guys play golf courses that you wouldn't (for lack of a better term) brag about on GCA.com do you enjoy them?
We also played the day after Christmas this year up at Manzanita. Another Oregon Coast Gem.
#7 is positively heavenly
As I get older I'm starting to realize what is important. Friends and family are clearly at the top of that list for me. So I'm sure that who I play with is so much more important to me then where I play. Although my folks have played at Bandon at least a dozen times with me and I can't say that those rounds are anymore enjoyable then the annual rounds over Christmas.
There is no question that my appreciation for good golf courses and good golf course architecture allows me to enjoy any GOLF more. I think a lot of the problems facing golf these days (dwindling participation numbers, high cost and the time it takes to play) could be helped if more golfers would realize that it is okay to play and enjoy the courses in their neck of the woods that might not quite warrant a fancy bag tag and wouldn't be on a top 500 list if one existed.