[The Spirit Of Ran]

The Old Course at St. Andrews, NGLA, Ojai are just a few where I find I play extordinarily good, or at least competitive when fighting for the better half of a two or four-ball.

What is it about a course, any course for that matter, which makes us better competitors? What makes us thrive for the thrill of victory and avoid the agony of defeat?

Why, even name, the most obscure golf course at which you excel.

[Doug Siebert]

Options.  If there is only one way to play a hole, over and over again, you either have it or you don't.  I come into my own when imagination enters into it and I am never truly dead.  Nothing deflates an opponent like a run of pars where he thinks he's got you on every hole because you make a mistake but the course gives you the possibility to make up for it if you have the imagination and the talent to pull it off.  Sadly, I'm probably better hitting a shot at a terrible angle over mature trees than I am from the center of the fairway, though that could be due to having more practice with the former than the latter  But if you don't get that option at all, I personally won't feel very competitive except for those rare ball striking days where everything is working.  And then I still won't, because by definition my putter will feel like I'm gripping it by the head and hitting it with the grip!

Good examples would be courses like Harbour Town, Turnberry, Lahinch.
Bad examples would be Muirfield, Doral, or any Florida style course for that matter.

[Andrew Summerell]

Mostly sand based courses that play firm. I play best when the course allows me to play the ground game.

NSW is the best example of that in my home town of Sydney. Most of the sandbelt in Melbourne play that way too.

[Martin Del Vecchio]

For the first two rounds of the Massachusetts Mid-Amateur at Myopia Hunt Club, I was competitive because I could hit my tee ball in the fairway.  The rough was thick and wet, but the fescue-choked netherlands of the course could really ruin your round.  I managed to play two good rounds and one poor round without ever hitting it in the terrible stuff.

My poor round (86, worst round of the year) coincided with the final round of competition.  A coincidence, I am assured.  I missed more fairways that day than the first two combined.  I also didn't putt the very-fast greens as well that day.

Of all the courses I have played, I feel that I measure up best at Myopia.

[Scott_Burroughs]

Wide courses suit me well as someone who doesn't always hit it too straight.  Strantz courses suit me for this reason, as they have lots of width often not seen from the tee.  Visual intimidation despite plenty of room.

[ed_getka]

A course where my low ball game can work. Flops and lobs are not in my repertoire, nor clearing hazards on a rising hole off the tee.
   Otherwise, the course I play the most, and know best, is where I'm most competitive.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I am not sure this post means. I naturally feel more competitive on a course which i am familiar with. I tend to be more competitive relative to my competition on links courses. I love them so. I feel someone who travels as much as I do has a comfort edge over another player who does not. The same is true for the guy at home over the traveling golfer.

[CHC1948]

Options are always a big plus, I hate courses where everything is determined by your tee shot (PGA)!  Courses that fit my eye and quick to fast greens as well.  For what ever reason I love fast greens, my vision for puttting is always better when I don't have to hit the ball too hard.  Going back to fitting my eye, a course that looks like it has always been there and nothing was forced upon it.  In other words, I'm a snob, I like the classics and that is where I do my best work!

[Tony_Chapman]

I have played on courses that are not overly long, yet let you use your imagination. For a guy with a 7 handicap, I played Prairie Dunes in a constant drizzle and shot 80 from the back tees. One of my finer days of golf.

I also played well (with the exception of #13) at Tobacco Road and another Stranz course - Caledonia.

Of course, I am most competitive on my home course in York, NE.

[Norbert P]

 The honey-cured ham on Thanksgiving or Christmas.  Territorial growls resound.  

  Oh sorry. You meant in gaming.  I'll say on a nice rosewood chess board.  

 

 

[ian]

Pinehurst #2

A course that punished aggression without thought. Sometimes not hitting a green is the strategy to win a hole.

Unlike everyone else, options kill me, because I get easily sucked in to trying the short (and usually stupid) route.

I know the above sounds like a contradiction, but Pinehurst makes restraint clear to me. Courses with clear options make me forget percentage golf. #15 at French Creek would be my death.

[Doug Siebert]

Shivas, how is "long and tight" the ticket for you, but "short and tight" bad?  I tend to have a harder time on tighter courses of any type, all else being equal, but shorter ones at least give you the option of playing a 4i or something off the tee for the days when the driver or 1i isn't cooperating.  If I don't bring a swing to keep in play with a 4i, it really doesn't matter what the greens are like, I'm gonna suck!

We all have our days though, even though I listed Muirfield as an example of a course I wouldn't be competitive on, I shot 82 there (only one lost ball, with no caddie) despite an awful day with the putter.  But I still listed it like I did because I recognize that as one of my all time best ball striking days ever.  I'll be hard pressed to ever beat that unless I someday remember to bring my putter to Scotland.

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