Avoiding boredom

[Patrick_Mucci]

Which five golf courses could you play day in and day out, and never get bored, and why.

I list:

NGLA
Newport
Seminole
Shinnecock
Maidstone

While their underlying architecture is terrific, I believe the
WIND factor is so compelling, that it brings them to the top of my list.

Others I could consider

Cypress
Pebble
Pine Valley
Westhampton.
GCGC
The Creek
Inwood
Atlantic City CC
Riviera
Preakness Hills ?

I've never played Bandon or Pacific Dunes or Sand Hills.

What's your choice and why ?

[GeoffreyC]

Pine Valley
NGLA
Royal Dornoch
Seminole
Yale

others to consider

GCGC
Shinnecock
Cruden Bay
Pebble Beach
Plainfield

Why? - variety, variety, variety, wind, great green complexes that make pitching, chipping putting and bunker play interesting.

[jim_lewis]

Patrick:

I never have been able to relate to the idea of a "boring" golf course.  I've  played a lot of courses ranging form poor to great, and don't honestly ever remember being bored. I HAVE played with a lot of boring PEOPLE, but my game has enough mystery in it to hold my interest regardless of the quality of the course or the company. No course is ever the same for me after I leave the tee, because I rarely hit it to the same spot two days in a row!

[SPDB1]

Merion - a short course that requires terrific precision

TCC - i think it is such a great amalgamam of different architecture, such that no one person can take credit. How this patchwork flows together amazes me.

The Creek- 3 separate styles on the same course. how could anyone become bored at this place. I could probably play the 6th alone day in and day out and not get bored

Pinehurst - green complexes that are just that: complex.

NGLA - i don't think i need to qualify this choice.


I would love to play Pine Valley day in and day out, but i don't think my psyche could take it.

[Stan Dodd]

Cypress Point
North Berwick
Royal Dornoch
Pasatiempo
San Francisco GC
Combination of great designs,varied weather, beautiful and pleasant places to walk.

[Richard_Goodale]

Let me preface by saying that I could not play ANY course every day, and I have in fact proved this by not playing every day my #1 selection on many occasions when I had the opportunity.  That being said, my list (today) is:

1.  Dornoch
2.  Woods Hole
3.  Shinnecock
4.  NGLA
5.  Ballyliffin (either course)

[Gary Smith (Guest)]

I like courses exposed to the wind also, but I would have to throw in 1 or 2 parkland courses just for variety.

Merion, Portrush, Shinnecock, Royal Melbourne, and a tough choice between PH #2 and ANGC.

[APBernstein]

Pinehurst #2
Pine Valley
The Old Course
Merion
Chechesee Creek

[RJ_Daley]

Pat, I can't resist being a smart ass, but your threshold question is; 'which courses "could" [you/I] play, and secondarily the queston, and not get bored?"  None of those you and others mentioned are courses I "could" play as a practical matter of access. :-/

Courses I could play everyday and not get bored or broke are in no particular order:  

Lawsonia
Wild Horse
Southern Pines

I could play Barona every week  

I could play Kiawah Ocean every year  :-/

I would play Whistling Straits every decade  

[Tom MacWood (Guest)]

Cypress Point
Cape Breton
Sand Hills
Crystal Downs
Eastward Ho!

Wonderful natural attributes, interesting terrain, outstanding collection of golf holes, interesting green complexes, variety and last but not least wind.

[Patrick_Mucci]

RJDaley,

Some courses possess a sameness to the holes, or a routing that is less than inspiring.  Other courses could wear you down

Baltusrol Lower, Winged Foot West are wonderful courses, but, if I had my choice of where to play day in and day out,
I think I would opt for the courses I listed.

Perhaps my choice of words could have been better, but the
"Subject" line limits imput.

[Gene Greco]

Sand Hills
Cruden Bay
St. Andrews
NGLA
Cypress Point

Fun, fun, fun, fun and more fun in settings which take your breath away. Everyday, every minute forever and ever.

[ian]

Royal Dornoch
Muirfield, Scotland
Jaspar Park
Crystal Downs
Pinehurst #2

They are the five courses that are all architecturally brilliant. Mixture of demands, many optional ways to play the holes, tough for a good player, and playable for a weaker one.

[brad_miller]

Gene, Pat, where does Prairie Dunes fit in this equation?

[Don_Mahaffey]

No question about No. 1 - TOC

I think I would still be discovering new ways to play some of the holes after 10 years of daily play. TOC has to be the anti-boredom course.

My Others;

Bel-air, I know it has more famous neighbors, but that course is fun to play.

Cypress Point, Pretty hard to get bored on that piece of ground.

PGA West-Stadium, maybe not when I'm seventy, but right now it easily keeps me interested.

Riviera, great course, but the constant turmoil might get old.

[Craig Rokke]

I was hoping more than one or two would say...."my home course!!" This is something I've been thinking about lately.
I typically play about 25 rounds a year, usually splitting them up amongst maybe 15-20 courses. At most, I'll play any one course perhaps three times in a year. So avoiding boredom is generally not a problem.

If the opportunity arises some day, I'd like to consider joining a club. My biggest concern is the subject of this thread: will I get tired of playing the same course over and over? In my bachelor days, even pizza for the sixth night in a row, was starting to get old. I have friends who are bored of playing the courses they belong to. And they're not bad places to play, either.

For you fellas that belong to clubs, do you still enjoy
playing your course as much as you did as when you joined?
On the other side of the spectrum, there has to be a few who, as they've gotten to know the intricacies of their home courses, have come to appreciate them even more over time. Correct?

[Andy Silis]

     
My five:
             1) NGLA
             2) San Francisco Golf Club
             3) Cypress Point            
             4) Pacific Dunes
             5) Crystal Downs

         What a coincidence!!!!--------------Those also happen to be the top 5 in my personal Top 100!

[Evan Fleisher]

Craig,

In my own personal experience, I've been a member here at the Dubuque Golf & country Club for almost three years now...and I love getting out there and playing it every time.  I feel like the course offers ample challenge to keep me engaged on a day in and day out basis, plus the fact that it is a mere 8 minutes from my house and I can easily walk it in about 2:30-2:45.

I've always enjoyed playing new course, and experiencing the thrills of teeing it up somewhere different...but I have truly enjoyed playing my home course more and more.  I guess my ultimate decision was, would I / could I enjoying playing the same course over and over.  After my initial tour of thew facilities and playing the course, I made the decision, "yes".  I do not regret my decision.

On the other hand, living in such a small community as I do (only about 60k people), my golfing options are somewhat limited, compared with living in Chicago.  So...maybe if I were living back in the "big city" where my cjhoices would be nearly endless, I would have a different attitude and might much more enjoy course hopping to see all that was around to be offered.

Interesting question, though...

[Tim_Weiman]

Pat:

Jim Lewis pretty well summarized my thinking.  Sure, there are several name courses I'd love to play everyday, but just playing - even a not so great course - holds plenty of interest for me.  The great courses just make it better.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Craig,
     I could have missed one or two, but I count at least two people above who did list a home course among their five.

[Slag_Bandoon]

 Carne in Ireland  #1  
  Pacific Dunes
  Bandon Dunes
  Barona Creek
  and I haven't played it but
I'd live in an RV in the parking lot at Red Mike and give it an adrenachrome effort.