To Play Or Not To Play? - That Is The Question

[Mike_Cirba]

Glenn,

I have it on good authority that you only seek out Arthur Hills courses.  

Huck,

The tagline is priceless.  

And yes, I very willfully took you out of context.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Huck,

The tagline is priceless.  

And yes, I very willfully took you out of context.  

Understood - and audible-yuk inducing, even still.

 

[Tim Pitner]

I just weep for what's being done to poor Jordan Wall... he has seriously drunk the kool-aid, and it's poisoned his young mind.

Jordan has stuck to his guns regarding the Art Hills course in the Seattle area that he enjoys.  Perhaps he's not as impressionable as you suppose.  But, I agree, the first principle is to play and enjoy the game.  Only after you've seen a wide variety of courses should one start analyzing courses and architects in the meticulous way that some GCAers do.  

[Tom Huckaby]

Tim - good point re Jordan and the Art Hills course.  I just do start to get teary when I read posts from him beginning with "I'm playing my first Fazio" or adding "most people dislike Nicklaus", as well as seemingly changing his mind on Sandpines because of the general distaste for it, and Rees Jones, in here.

I like the kid, fictional or real.  Thus I do worry about him.  

In any case, I absolutely agree with "the first principle is to play and enjoy the game."  I just wonder if some of that is taken away when one starts analyzing the courses and architects in any way, meticulous or not....

 

[Glenn Spencer]

I just weep for what's being done to poor Jordan Wall... he has seriously drunk the kool-aid, and it's poisoned his young mind.

Jordan has stuck to his guns regarding the Art Hills course in the Seattle area that he enjoys.  Perhaps he's not as impressionable as you suppose.  But, I agree, the first principle is to play and enjoy the game.  Only after you've seen a wide variety of courses should one start analyzing courses and architects in the meticulous way that some GCAers do.  

No way that doesn't count for Jordan. Harbour Point does not count. Jordan has only played one Hills masterpiece. If one played Mayacama, Muirfield Village and Sebonack, one would sit here and argue Nicklaus with Tillie and Ross and Raynor. I think that Jordan was saying that he liked Hills and that he was not incompetent.

[Tom Huckaby]

The more senior member's counsel is always wise to heed.

That being said, I did enjoy Troon quite a lot when I was there on a return trip a few years ago.  And Sean is right, the postage stamp is not to be missed.  I'd say if one has unlimited time, one must play Troon Old.  Of course the problem is they seem to only allow visitors to do the whole day - that is, Portland + lunch + Old - and while I did also find that to be great fun and the Portland to be a hidden gem of sorts, well it is VERY expensive.

So if one is to prioritize, as most visitors must, then Troon does go down the list.

Said senior member also extols the virtues of Western Gailes, and he is right on there.

In any case, we have strayed from the point.  Of course one should follow the counsel of those he trusts.  One just ought to take recommendations based on ARCHITECT alone with a large grain of salt.  Or at least I think so.

TH

[John Foley]

I went out of my way last fall to play a new Ree's course in Niagara Falls (Grand Niagara). I enjoyed the course and it had a few very good good holes. I would recomend it over a few others in the area.

Ill take a recomendation from this group, before just about any other source.

[Jeff Shelman]

When I am at home, I usually have to have a pretty good reason to go somewhere else an pay to play. But when I'm on the road for work/fun I enjoy trying different things.

I don't know that I wouldn't play someplace because of who the architect is, but I might target someplace because of who the architect is. For example, I'm going to be in Dallas next week and am certainly going to play Texas Star because I enjoy Keith Foster's work and there isn't any of his courses within three hours of my house.

I look at a combination of the following when I try to find a place to play on the road:
-- How much time do I have/how close are good courses? Sometimes you have to sacrifice quality in order to play.
-- How much is it going to set me back?
-- What do people here say about the courses? Where are they in the GolfWeek state-by-state public list (usually a very good list)?
-- Finally, who's the architect.

[Tom Huckaby]

Jeff:

That's good stuff.  I'd say I look at this pretty much just the same as you do.  I have no hassles with seeking out the work of certain architects.  

But - and this goes for John as well - whereas I would trust recommendations from this forum TO play a course pretty much implicitly... I must say I take recommendations NOT TO play a course from in here with a grain of salt.  Of course it depends on from whom the recommedations specifically come... But still, this group on the whole does tend to stress the negative more than is my preference.

 

[George_Bahto]

I will play most Golden Age courses and the new courses of the few architects building courses today whose work reflects classic architecture.

My golfing time these days has been much more limited than it used to be so, to me, the redundent-type architecture of some architects of today, I skip most of these courses based on their "name" and reputation.

Probably shouldn't do it that way but ...............

[Dave Bourgeois]

I haven't seen nearly enough to poo poo any architect's work.  Having had only 1 or 2 life changing architecture experiences (#1 being Bethpage Black), I try to pick out features and strategies that are interesting to me where ever I play and reference those to what I read.  This helps me learn a bit more.  An example of this was playing RTJ IIs Raven down in San Destin and finding a very interesting hole (can't remember the #) that I later learned was a Cape!  I'm still waiting to find my 1st Redan.

I do however seek out courses by architects that have in the past pleased my golfing sensibility. I've played Blackstone National by Rees and hid Bro's Raven and based on those courses would play other of their designs again. Its not repetative until you see enough!