[TEPaul]

.....are these the same courses and architecture you've had the most enjoyment on?

If so, why? And if not, why not?

[Adam Clayman]

It's an emphatic YES.

The pros can suck eggs on the fun factor.

[cary lichtenstein]

.....are these the same courses and architecture you've had the most enjoyment on?

If so, why? And if not, why not?

Yes, because they allow you to be creative, play your game and not penal u to death

[Matthew MacKay]

There is a certain level of challenge necessary in order to have fun on the golf course, but it's a fine line.

I just played Bethpage Black and Fenway on the same day and as good a golf course as Bethpage is, I enjoyed Fenway more, even as a scratch player. Better variety and more interesting greens make for a more enjoyable experience.

The fairways at Bethpage Black are much too narrow and the rough much too high/thick for the average player to have any fun at all.

[Tom_Doak]

I tend to save the word "respect" for golf courses which are straightforward and hard but no fun.  I'll bet I used it for Carnoustie in The Confidential Guide.

Of course I respect and admire any architect who can create interesting and fun golf, even more than those who create courses I must respect.

[Sean_A]

As someone who plays the game almost exclusively for fun, the courses I respect (this term is just about interchangeable with favourite and best so far as I am concerned) the most are those which make me smile.  These tend to be courses which let a player swing away with freedom and worry about the next shot when the the ball is found.  I too like the idea of the player frustrating himself with bad/over-aggressive/under-aggressive choices so I often think that even the tighter courses I respect could be better if there was more room off the tee or perhaps having mores hots that are just about doable for a decent player.  The idea of a guy hanging himself with a ball in the fairway and a bad angle is fun.  Its almost like trying to hit a recovery, but from the fairway - its marvelous.  What is more frustrating than watching shots slip away from the fairway?  Of course, this doesn't work terribly well for the proper flat bellies, but that is why the Oakland Hills and the Oakmonts of the world were built.

Ciao

[Ian Andrew]

Pinehurst # 2 remains the course I "respect" the most.

It manages to hold off the scratch player and still give the average player a chance to get around without losing a ball. The average player can make a few pars too if they play conservative - but quickly see the teeth if they become too confident.

It's not my favourite course, or the place I have the most fun, but as an architect it certainly is the one that has my deep respect for how it plays.

[Patrick_Mucci]

There is a certain level of challenge necessary in order to have fun on the golf course, but it's a fine line.

I just played Bethpage Black and Fenway on the same day and as good a golf course as Bethpage is, I enjoyed Fenway more, even as a scratch player. Better variety and more interesting greens make for a more enjoyable experience.

The fairways at Bethpage Black are much too narrow and the rough much too high/thick for the average player to have any fun at all.

Matt,

You've confirmed my position with respect to narrowed fairways and the enjoyment factor.

AND, you're a scratch golfer, far removed from the average golfer, yet, BPB wasn't as much fun for you as Fenway.

Those that love narrowed fairways should be condemned to play them every day until they take up tennis.

[Geoffrey Childs]

There is a certain level of challenge necessary in order to have fun on the golf course, but it's a fine line.

I just played Bethpage Black and Fenway on the same day and as good a golf course as Bethpage is, I enjoyed Fenway more, even as a scratch player. Better variety and more interesting greens make for a more enjoyable experience.

The fairways at Bethpage Black are much too narrow and the rough much too high/thick for the average player to have any fun at all.

Matt,

You've confirmed my position with respect to narrowed fairways and the enjoyment factor.

AND, you're a scratch golfer, far removed from the average golfer, yet, BPB wasn't as much fun for you as Fenway.

Those that love narrowed fairways should be condemned to play them every day until they take up tennis.

Matt - You hit on two of my favorite places to play of all time. They need to get back to the intended widths at BB and you will see that while really difficult it can be fun.  Unfortunately it has become a cult destination and all to many of those who want to try a "US Open course" also play from the back tees.  Fenway is a joy to play and yet I think it could hold a Sr Open, Womens Open, MidAM or such very easily.

[jim_lewis]

The courses I have the most fun on are the two I play regularly, mainly because of the guys I play with.

Aside from that, it has to be Pinehurst #2. It beats me up at least 4 out of 5 times I play it, but there is nothing I enjoy more in golf than that occasional good round on #2.

I respect courses that play fast and firm, are playable year-round, allow me to get around with one ball, invite run-up shots,  and present a variety of options on how to recover from a missed green. Once again, #2 is the best example I know.

Jim Lewis

[Tim Bert]

In general, I agree.  Respect for the architecture usually means I will enojoy my time on a course as well.  

I also think that familiarity, rather than respect, can breed enjoyment.  I think there might be a distinction here based on the quality of golf being played.  As a scratch player, I might get bored with familiarity on a course that has a little less to offer in terms of architectural interest.  As a mid-teen handicapper, there are plenty of things to keep me challenged on even the least respected courses.  The ones which I've chosen to play repetitively have become some of my most enjoyed courses, though respcet isn't the driving reason.

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