How Many Different Courses Have You Played?

« **Reply #50 on:** August 03, 2006, 11:37:44 AM »

This is interesting.

But John - didn't you travel solo that trip to CA where we played Olympic and Pasa? Didn't you travel solo to the Dixie Cup?

Or do we all count as friends?

BTW, I am pretty much like you on this issue - I don't play much if any solo golf, outside of tournaments.

TH

« **Reply #51 on:** August 03, 2006, 11:42:31 AM »

Of course you all are my friends...I brag about how close me and Doak are all the time. Stranger than the trips you mention was my last second trip to Bandon last year...that one pushed the envelope but of course those guys loved me..it's amazing.

« **Reply #52 on:** August 03, 2006, 11:45:20 AM »

Quote from: John Kavanaugh on August 03, 2006, 11:42:31 AM

Of course you all are my friends...I brag about how close me and Doak are all the time. Stranger than the trips you mention was my last second trip to Bandon last year...that one pushed the evelope but of course those guys loved me..it's amazing.

Indeed yes, that was strange - and brave.

But yes the frienships made through this site and its predecessors do continue to be amazing to say the least.

« **Reply #53 on:** August 03, 2006, 12:06:23 PM »

Could someone please post a list of
all the golf courses in the world so I can check
off which ones I have played and count them?

My memory is going.

Thanks,

-- Thor

:-)

« **Reply #54 on:** August 03, 2006, 12:17:48 PM »

Couldn't even hazard a guess.

« **Reply #55 on:** August 03, 2006, 12:57:13 PM »

Huck,

I take it vagabond is a sort of complimentary title right? I am certainly a vagabond and a very real one. I play on a regular basis with another vagabond freind and sometimes even more of us travel as a merry band of vagabonds. I am also willing to travel solo if that is what is required.

Now that I consider this, I think of myself more as a "Woody Guthrie" of golf. Yeah... that's the ticket.

« **Reply #56 on:** August 03, 2006, 01:02:07 PM »

Paul:

Well, if you look at the oft-replayed "Who are You Guys" thread, you'll see I describe myself as a vagabond. So as much as I do like to be self-deprecating, well... I'd sure call it a complimentary title.

I just do continue to believe there are more who play most of their golf with the same guys and/or at the same place then there are true solo travellers, playing whenever and wherever and with whomever. But those that do exist seem to flock to this forum.

Perhaps that made some sense. I'm not too confident.

« **Reply #57 on:** August 03, 2006, 01:09:55 PM »

Huck,

I think I get it. Sort of a Sheep Ranch thing. I like to romanticize the image. I can imagine hoppin' box cars ridin' the rails. just stoping for a little golf and later beans over an open fire. Golfing Troubadours.

I guess I also am easily carried away.

« **Reply #58 on:** August 03, 2006, 01:21:26 PM »

I can't begin to tell you how many different coures I have played, but I have played many "different" courses, as in, "Well, this is different......"

« **Reply #59 on:** August 03, 2006, 01:28:00 PM »

In late 2002/early 2003 I decided my goal was to play 500 golf courses before I turned 30. Well little did I know that I would play 66 in 03, 82 in 04, and 87 in 05. Now I am within range of 500 even though this year has seen a signficant drop off in courses played. I guess I should revise my goals. Although it seems like it becomes less and less about quantity for me now, and more about a good experience.

« **Reply #60 on:** August 03, 2006, 01:35:06 PM »

Cory,

I think that is great considering it is your profession. Sometimes I purposely drive through road construction when a less congested detour is available...

« **Reply #61 on:** August 03, 2006, 02:19:14 PM »

Over 400, near 350 in California alone. I'm 45 and hope to get to 1000 once I retire at 55. Since I joined this site, I now want to play that many in the British Isles.

« **Reply #62 on:** August 03, 2006, 02:28:19 PM »

I don't know for sure...I have more than 200 ball markers so I guess it is somewhere close to 250 or so. Nearly all are private courses. I'm much more interested in playing courses I highly regard multiple times than I am adding to a list of courses played.

« **Reply #63 on:** August 03, 2006, 02:31:25 PM »

Another meaning of the question might be, "How many times have you started on one course and ended up on another?" I know it happens, at adjacent courses like Shinny and NGLA, sometimes even on purpose!

« **Reply #64 on:** August 03, 2006, 03:28:12 PM »

103 courses so far
46 in New Zealand
22 Australia
20 England
6 Scotland
9 Hawaii/ USA

Will be adding to the list next year, both in and outside of New Zealand.
First Nicklaus Signature course to be opened out here is top of the list. Opening March/April 2007 is top of the list.

« **Reply #65 on:** August 03, 2006, 04:44:50 PM »

I had some time to kill and started writing down the courses I can remember playing-I'm amazed that it's already over 100 and I'm sure there are another 20 or 30.

How do you guys keep track of this?

« **Reply #66 on:** August 03, 2006, 04:45:26 PM »

close to 300...245 public...

« **Reply #67 on:** August 03, 2006, 08:42:35 PM »

It is a little embarrasing to admit because it suggests a self indulgent and mispent adulthood. But, I've played 750 in the US and 180 in Great Britain and Ireland and 20 in the rest of Europe. Oh and one in Morocco. This year I have played fifty new (to me) courses.

« **Reply #68 on:** August 03, 2006, 08:54:49 PM »

I've only played 65, but that number is due to grow in the coming year.

Courses are ranked from courses I could play for the rest of my life and not get tired of, to courses that I never want to play again.

1.   Crystal Downs Country Club - Frankfort, Michigan
2.   Whistling Straits – Straits Course – Haven, Wisconsin
3.   Hamilton Farm Golf Club – Gladstone, New Jersey
4.   Whistling Straits – Irish Course – Haven, Wisconsin
5.   Spring Hill Golf Club – Wayzata, Minnesota*
6.   Forest Dunes Golf Club – Roscommon, Michigan
7.   Robert Trent Jones Golf Club – Gainesville, Virginia*
8.   Arcadia Bluffs Golf Club – Arcadia, Michigan
9.   Minocqua Country Club – Minocqua, Wisconsin
10.   Pilgrims Run Golf Club – Pierson, Michigan
11.   Tullymore Golf Club – Stanwood, Michigan*
12.   Bucks Run Golf Club – Mt. Pleasant, Michigan
13.   Sedona Golf Resort – Sedona, Arizona
14.   Orchard Hills Country Club – Buchanan, Michigan
15.   Thousand Oaks Golf Club – Grand Rapids, Michigan
16.   Stonewall Golf Club – Lake Manassas, Virginia
17.   Boyne Mt. Monument – Boyne Falls, Michigan
18.   Hunters Ridge Golf Club – Marion, Iowa
19.   Blackthorn Golf Club – South Bend, Indiana
20.   Edina Country Club – Edina, Minnesota
21.   Stonebrooke Golf Club – Shakopee, Minnesota
22.   The Architects Golf Club – Phillipsburg, New Jersey
23.   Mines Golf Course – Grand Rapids, Michigan
24.   Spencer Golf & Country Club – Spencer, Iowa*
25.   Prairie Green Golf Course – Sioux Falls, South Dakota
26.   Carroll Country Club – Carroll, Iowa
27.   Brooks Golf Club – Okoboji, Iowa
28.   Lake Creek Country Club – Storm Lake, Iowa
29.   Westwood Golf Club – Newton, Iowa
30.   Jester Park Golf Club – Granger, Iowa
31.   Veenker Memorial Golf Course – Ames, Iowa
32.   Compass Pointe Golf Club – Pasadena, Maryland
33.   Baker National Golf Club – Medina, Minnesota
34.   Elbel Municipal Golf Course – South Bend, Indiana
35.   Cadillac Country Club – Cadillac, Michigan
36.   Heron Creek Golf Club – LaGrange, Indiana
37.   Falcon Head Golf Club – Big Rapids, Michigan
38.   LeMars Municipal Golf Course – LeMars, Iowa
39.   Katke Golf Course – Big Rapids, Michigan
40.   Spencer Municipal Golf Course – Spencer, Iowa
41.   Fairfax National Golf Club – Centreville, Virginia
42.   Fox Run Golf Course – Council Bluffs, Iowa
43.   Oakland Acres Golf Club – Grinnell, Iowa
44.   Breda Golf Club – Breda, Iowa
45.   Homewood Golf Course – Ames, Iowa
46.   Sheldon Country Club – Sheldon, Iowa
47.   Pocahontas Golf Course – Pocahontas, Iowa
48.   Meadowbrook Country Club – Hartley, Iowa
49.   Cherokee Country Club – Cherokee, Iowa
50.   Pheasant Acres Golf Club – Rogers, Minnesota
51.   Meceola Golf and Country Club – Big Rapids, Michigan
52.   The Rose Golf Course – Leroy, Michigan
53.   Storm Lake Municipal Golf Course – Storm Lake, Iowa
54.   Estherville Golf and Country Club – Estherville, Iowa
55.   Spring Hills Country Club – Mallard, Iowa
56.   Shamrock Golf Club – Cochran, Minnesota
57.   Traer Golf and Country Club – Traer, Iowa
58.   Woodlyn Hills Golf Course – Milford, Iowa
59.   Little Sioux Golf and Country Club – Sioux Rapids, Iowa
60.   Lewiston Country Club – Lewiston, Minnesota
61.   Emmetsburg Golf and Country Club – Emmetsburg, Iowa
62.   Newell Golf Course – Newell, Iowa
63.   Laurens Golf and Country Club – Laurens, Iowa
64.   Hull Country Club – Hull, Iowa
65.   Frankfort Golf Course – Frankfort, Michigan

State Totals:

Iowa - 28
Michigan - 16
Minnesota – 7
Indiana – 3
Virginia – 3
Wisconsin - 3
New Jersey - 2
Maryland - 1
South Dakota - 1
Arizona – 1

« **Reply #69 on:** August 03, 2006, 09:17:47 PM »

Quote from: Mike Golden on August 03, 2006, 04:44:50 PM

I had some time to kill and started writing down the courses I can remember playing-I'm amazed that it's already over 100 and I'm sure there are another 20 or 30.

How do you guys keep track of this?

Unfortunately some of us on here are not only hopless Golf Vagabonds, we are also engineers and thus have that helpful anal side. I have been keeping track of some crude form of information on courses I have played in a data base that I have maintained since 1995. Sometime later I tried to go back and add any courses that I had played before that time that I could remember.

So that is how I do it anyway. In fact my list is so old that it is in Lotus 1-2-3 instead of Exel. I still load my old version of Lotus on any new computers I get so that I can still open and add to my evergrowing list.

« **Reply #70 on:** August 03, 2006, 09:58:02 PM »

Quote from: Mike Golden on August 03, 2006, 04:44:50 PM

I had some time to kill and started writing down the courses I can remember playing-I'm amazed that it's already over 100 and I'm sure there are another 20 or 30.

How do you guys keep track of this?

Mike,
My story is pretty much like a couple others on here. I started playing golf when I was six and started collecting scorecards, so I've got a scorecard from all but 11 or so of the courses I've played. I've got an excel spreadsheet with the information now so its easy to add in a new course. I'm even one that has a brief list of courses that I want to play too

Jonathan,
Its interesting that your list starts and ends in the same town! Crystal Downs is certainly very worthy. I've played maybe 10 others from your list as well and would place many of them similarly. I did prefer Pilgrim's Run, Tullymore, Arcadia Bluffs, and Blackthorn to the Irish Cse.

« **Reply #71 on:** August 03, 2006, 10:17:03 PM »

Jeff Brauer suggested "Another meaning of the question might be, "How many times have you started on one course and ended up on another?" I know it happens, at adjacent courses like Shinny and NGLA, sometimes even on purpose! "

I was playing the old Arran course at Turnberry in 1996 and "just by accident" wound up on the Ailsa. What a shame.

« **Reply #72 on:** August 03, 2006, 11:23:51 PM »

I have never kept count, but I started when I was 7 years old, and I'm sure it is well in excess of 500.

One thing that I have always tried to do is multiple plays on the best courses, e.g., on 2 of our trips to Ireland, we played as follows:

Dornock 5 times
Ballybunion 3 times
Old Course 2
Royal County Down 3
Carnoustie 2
Troon 1
Muirfiled 1
Old Head 1
Turnberry 5

« **Reply #73 on:** August 04, 2006, 12:35:11 AM »

I've been keeping track of every course I've played in a book since the beginning of the 2002 season.

Year-by-year totals are:
2002: 27
2003: 29
2004: 34
2005: 37
2006: 17 (and counting)

Some courses I've played in more than one year so the total number of different courses is 117 after a Tuesday round at the St. Cloud (MN) Country Club. I went through the Minnesota Golf Association's list of courses and have played 50 more courses in the past. I then went through the rest of the country for courses I played before keeping track and came up with another 60 or so. So my total is about 240 give or take two or three either way. I've also played in 24 states and three Canadian provinces.

I still play almost all of my golf at my home course, but I do travel quite a bit for my job and bring the sticks with whenever I can. Combine that with my parents now living in Arizona and that helps the total a bit.

« **Reply #74 on:** August 04, 2006, 04:12:03 AM »

I have played at least 100 in Ireland, from what I can remember.

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