Which would you rather?

[Kyle Harris]

Which would you rather?

Playing a golf course you have infrequent access to (but a favorite) but have played before or playing a completely new golf course?

Assume that you can get access to the course you've already played at a different time, but not within the next six months.

[cary lichtenstein]

Kind of depends on the new course and how good it is: It it is very good, I prefer to play the new course

[Scott_Burroughs]

Depends on what course the 'completely new golf course' was....and really the favorite, too.


For example, a repeat play at Cypress vs. a completely new goat track


Or, a repeat play at, say, Yeamans Hall vs. completely new Pine Valley or Augusta or NGLA or Shinny or Oakmont or ....


some decisions are easy to make.    

[Dan Kelly]

The only honest answer is:

That depends completely on what the "completely new golf course" is.

If it's Cypress Point or Pine Valley (or any of a hundred others that are favorites of others whose opinions I value), I'll play the new one.

If I have no reason to think this "completely new golf course" would be one of my favorites, I'll take one of my favorites.

[Kyle Harris]

Depends on what course the 'completely new golf course' was....and really the favorite, too.


For example, a repeat play at Cypress vs. a completely new goat track


Or, a repeat play at, say, Yeamans Hall vs. completely new Pine Valley or Augusta or NGLA or Shinny or Oakmont or ....


some decisions are easy to make.    

Scott,

That's partly why I put the "infrequent access/not in the next six months" qualifiers on it. I'd assume most posters on here would play Cypress Point/PV/Augusta given the choice.

Trying to determine if new and unknown has more potential excitement than known but good. Even if new and unknown turns out to be a dud.

[Mike_Cirba]

Kyle,

I've found there are few things more glorious in life than the sense of anticipatory excitement and impending mystery of stepping onto the first tee of any golf course adventure.  

[Brent Hutto]

OK, now I can put it in concrete terms. I loved Pine Needles the one time I played there. People tell me Tobacco Road is great. Come October I'll be playing a round of each as part of the Dixie Cup but I may have a chance for an extra round beforehand on Friday.

I'll play the extra round at Pine Needles. I'm sure Tobacco Road is cool and all that but I can't imagine it being more enjoyable than Pine Needles. In this case I can play either of them again in a few months if I'm willing to drive up and pay the green fee.

[Dan Kelly]

Kyle,

I've found there are few things more glorious in life than the sense of anticipatory excitement and impending mystery of stepping onto the first tee of any golf course adventure.  

Mike --

Have you found that there are few things less glorious in life than walking off the 18th green of a terribly disappointing golf course, having passed up the chance to play an old favorite instead?

Dan

[Kyle Harris]

Dan,

That's part of the fun, it's a gamble.  

[Mike_Cirba]

Dan,

Kyle's correct...that's part of the adventure.  

Perhaps my threshold of enjoyment isn't high enough, but there have been very few times where I've been so disgusted by a golf course (and I've played quite a few that many here wouldn't go near at gunpoint!) that my disappointment makes the experience wholly regrettable.

Of course, that's not even totally true, as those are often some of the most fun and humorous to write about!  

[Dan Kelly]

If I got the chance to play considerably more golf than I get the chance to play, I might be considerably more willing to gamble!

[Andy Hughes]

I'll play the extra round at Pine Needles. I'm sure Tobacco Road is cool and all that but I can't imagine it being more enjoyable than Pine Needles.

Brent, be prepared to be pleasantly surprised, with no disrespect intended towards Pine Needles  

[Kyle Harris]

Dan Kelly,

Very good point, and an interesting side question is brought up:

In golf, does familiarity make a golf course seem better than a newer experience?

I know plenty of golf courses that I didn't think were as good than I did with subsequent playings (i.e. The PSU White Course).

Many people even state The Old Course takes some time to love.

Mike Cirba,

Check your Private Messages.

[Dan Kelly]

In golf, does familiarity make a golf course seem better than a newer experience?

Speaking for myself:

Yes, if it's a good golf course and/or I like it.

No, if it's not and/or I don't.

But what it does do, in either case, is give the player the chance to come to terms with how much he likes it (or doesn't). I, at least, can't really figure out what I think from a single round -- or even a couple of rounds, if the course is somewhere between good and great.

[RJ_Daley]

Brent, different strokes for folks I guess.  I've played them both.  Needles 3X and Tobacco 4X.  To me it is a no brainer the other way.  TR wins on my thrill meter, every time!  

The only reason I'd temper the remark is my curiousity to see the restoration-remodel work at Needles.  But, without that mitigating circumstance TR baby#!  Ideally, the other way I'd try to fudge it is play TR and visit Needles to view the work, if I could only play one.

[Brian_Gracely]

I used to play to a fairly low handicap, so I'm somewhat biased about TR.  But I have to ask those that play to 15+, as I've played with some of them at TR.....is the course enjoyable?  I don't for a second argue that the look, blind shots, risk-reward shots, wild greens make for a potentially really "fun" round, but I wonder how enjoyable the course is for a higher handicapper that spends some time in the junk?

Maybe this shouldn't even be a question about TR, but about somewhat penal courses in general.  Even if you're playing the right tees (heck, TR is only 6500 from the back tees), can the potentially penal courses be "enjoyable"?

[George Pazin]

There are a good number of courses I'd love to see for the first time (though it's probably far fewer than almost anyone else on here), but outside of those, I'd rather play one I know I love again.

New doesn't really thrill me. Different kind of does, but less so than something special. I know if I made it out to south Jersey again, I'd rather play HC than just about anything else. I might play Twisted Dunes because I like Archie's posts so much, but I don't have a strong desire to try anything new there.

On a somewhat different note, I'd probably rather meet a new poster on any course than play a new course all by my lonesome.

* add on

To answer Brian's last question, I played TR as a 20 handicap and found it very playable and a lot of fun. The hardest thing about the course for me wasn't the waste areas, but rather the shallow greens.

[RJ_Daley]

Brian, I struggle mightily to get below a 13 index.  So I guess I'm near that benchmark of less skill than good players.  I can say it doesn't hinder my thrill a bit at TR.  The distance from tee selection is good.  The fairways and waste areas are fair.  The greens are exciting.  The design is radical, and noteworthy by a heroic and talented contemporary designer, with a poignant story we can all relate to.

AND, the Stewart Family _ Joe Gay management at TR are as good of people as I have met in golf.  Not to diminish the Peggy Kirk Bell legacy at all at Needles.  But, what more could a fellow ask for from TR?  

[Brent Hutto]

Oops, didn't mean to start a Pine Needles vs. Tobacco Road thread. My point was that I know for a stone cold fact that a round at Pine Needles is very enjoyable. Not having seen Tobacco Road, if I get to the area in time for for golf on Friday I'm going for the sure thing and play an extra Pine Needles round. It may be after Sunday that I love Tobacco Road, too. If so that would be a tough choice next time around.

So in general, I have trouble passing up a bonus round at a course I love unless the alternative is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity on the order of Cypress Point or Shinnecock. Then again, I'm always better at asking for advice than taking it so maybe I just go with what I've seen with my own eyes.