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Michael Powers

  • Karma: +0/-0
Would You Rather Play....
« on: March 15, 2008, 03:21:39 PM »
play the best golf of your life on an average lay out?  Or would you rather play your average game on what you would consider a great classic course?
HP

CJ Carder

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #1 on: March 15, 2008, 04:53:45 PM »
Easy - my average game on a classic, great course.  I'll gladly shoot 80 at any of Oakmont, Pine Valley, Merion, Augusta, Cypress Point, Shinnecock, etc over a 68 or 69 at my home course. 

Joe Hancock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #2 on: March 15, 2008, 04:58:38 PM »
What does classic mean?( I assume this rules out modern courses) Does classic even have anything to do with the motivation?

I'll go with average ability on an above average course.

Joe
" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

Bill Satterfield

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #3 on: March 15, 2008, 10:19:33 PM »
Much rather play average at a great course than visa versa.  When you are talking golf courses with fellow golfers I'd much rather talk about great course and great features than talk about how well I played at some course.

John Moore II

Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2008, 10:24:07 PM »
I would certainly rather play a great golf course and play average, or even poorly, then to play a bad golf course and play great. But it also depends on who my playing partners were.

Matt_Cohn

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2008, 11:21:38 PM »
I'm incredulous.

Since when does the achievement of securing a tee time matter more than the achievement of - for once in our lives! - mastering this crazy, maddening game we all enjoy?

Are so many of you really at the point where you could play the finest round of your life, yet feel somehow empty because the architecture was just average?

And, in fact, so unfulfilled that you'd trade that round of your life - the day when you played the game better than you ever have before in your life! - for an average day at a track where some of the bunkers are in more interesting places?

Obviously, I take the opposite position!

John Moore II

Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #6 on: March 15, 2008, 11:27:41 PM »
Matt--I suppose I see it this way...I can play my best on any day, I might only be able to play a great course today.

Joe Hancock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #7 on: March 15, 2008, 11:28:43 PM »
Matt,

You nailed it...my life is unfulfilled and empty.

I've shot the best round of my life already(the number is immaterial), so why is it so wrong in your eyes for me to chose to play on great architecture?

This is a fantasy question, for goodness sake.

Joe
" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

CJ Carder

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #8 on: March 16, 2008, 12:42:16 AM »
I'm incredulous.

Since when does the achievement of securing a tee time matter more than the achievement of - for once in our lives! - mastering this crazy, maddening game we all enjoy?

Are so many of you really at the point where you could play the finest round of your life, yet feel somehow empty because the architecture was just average?

Frankly, it has nothing to do with the architecture.  It has more to do with the fact that, at this point in my life, I don't exactly have the endless opportunities to play courses that I read about and see on television.  If I got to play Augusta National, I couldn't care less if I shot 90 because I would always be able to sit and watch the Masters with my kids or grandkids and tell them that I had walked and played that course too.  To me, that's awesome.

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #9 on: March 16, 2008, 01:02:33 AM »
I'm incredulous.

Since when does the achievement of securing a tee time matter more than the achievement of - for once in our lives! - mastering this crazy, maddening game we all enjoy?

Are so many of you really at the point where you could play the finest round of your life, yet feel somehow empty because the architecture was just average?

And, in fact, so unfulfilled that you'd trade that round of your life - the day when you played the game better than you ever have before in your life! - for an average day at a track where some of the bunkers are in more interesting places?

Obviously, I take the opposite position!

I too am incredulous. Golf is fun. Personal achivement is also fun. Doing your best, no matter where, is the best, especially when golfing.


"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #10 on: March 16, 2008, 01:07:31 AM »
Matt,

You nailed it...my life is unfulfilled and empty.

I've shot the best round of my life already(the number is immaterial), so why is it so wrong in your eyes for me to chose to play on great architecture?

This is a fantasy question, for goodness sake.

Joe

So who cares is you have already played the best round of your life! (Although, it sounds like an admission to obtaining old fartism. ;) ) There is always the best round of the rest of your life to aim for.
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Ash Towe

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #11 on: March 16, 2008, 02:31:48 AM »
If in a tournament , or competing-best round.

Anytime else-classic layout

Doug Siebert

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #12 on: March 16, 2008, 03:34:08 AM »
I gotta go along with Matt, and can't see how any golfer could honestly give up the best round of their LIFE, even if it is on an average course (not a Doak 0 course, just an average course, which many of us often play)

If this was measured against a once in a lifetime chance to play somewhere I really wanted to play I'd answer differently, but that's not what it says.  It is just another round on a great classic course, which is always enjoyable but not worth giving up the best round of my life.

I think peer pressure is making people answer the way they think they should answer considering the audience, rather than being honest with themselves.  Heck, I'm probably less concerned about the actual score I shoot than about anybody here -- Patrick Mucci once accused me of not even being a real golfer when I explained my approach to the game and what I found enjoyable about the game and the challenge of particular shots being ranked well above the 18 hole total I ended up with.  But despite my relative lack of concern for my score I'd still love to have that one day where everything comes together and I shoot that career round I'll remember the rest of my life.
My hovercraft is full of eels.

Joe Hancock

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #13 on: March 16, 2008, 06:55:17 AM »
Matt,

You nailed it...my life is unfulfilled and empty.

I've shot the best round of my life already(the number is immaterial), so why is it so wrong in your eyes for me to chose to play on great architecture?

This is a fantasy question, for goodness sake.

Joe



So who cares is you have already played the best round of your life! (Although, it sounds like an admission to obtaining old fartism. ;) ) There is always the best round of the rest of your life to aim for.

Garland,

No one should care. I am beyond my best years. I gave an answer that apparently wasn't "correct". Oh well.....

Joe
" What the hell is the point of architecture and excellence in design if a "clever" set up trumps it all?" Peter Pallotta, June 21, 2016

"People aren't picking a side of the fairway off a tee because of a randomly internally contoured green ."  jeffwarne, February 24, 2017

Kalen Braley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #14 on: March 16, 2008, 10:00:06 AM »
I'd take the classic course everytime.... I already shot 15 under par once on a putt-putt course..  ;D

Garland Bayley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #15 on: March 16, 2008, 11:33:22 AM »
Matt,

You nailed it...my life is unfulfilled and empty.

I've shot the best round of my life already(the number is immaterial), so why is it so wrong in your eyes for me to chose to play on great architecture?

This is a fantasy question, for goodness sake.

Joe



So who cares is you have already played the best round of your life! (Although, it sounds like an admission to obtaining old fartism. ;) ) There is always the best round of the rest of your life to aim for.

Garland,

No one should care. I am beyond my best years. I gave an answer that apparently wasn't "correct". Oh well.....

Joe

Sounds like you took what I thought was a positive message about looking forward to the future negatively. Oh well ....
"I enjoy a course where the challenges are contained WITHIN it, and recovery is part of the game  not a course where the challenge is to stay ON it." Jeff Warne

Mike Benham

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #16 on: March 16, 2008, 12:06:09 PM »
That's the beauty of this maddening game, just because a course is easy or pedestrian, doesn't mean that you will score well.  There are no free shots ...

I'm the type of golfer who will shoot 75s from the back tees at either Pacific Grove or Spyglass Hill ... and both qualify as good rounds of golf ...

"... and I liked the guy ..."

cary lichtenstein

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #17 on: March 16, 2008, 02:25:49 PM »
play the best golf of your life on an average lay out?  Or would you rather play your average game on what you would consider a great classic course?
[/quote

2nd choice
Live Jupiter, Fl, was  4 handicap, played top 100 US, top 75 World. Great memories, no longer play, 4 back surgeries. I don't miss a lot of things about golf, life is simpler with out it. I miss my 60 degree wedge shots, don't miss nasty weather, icing, back spasms. Last course I played was Augusta

Bart Bradley

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #18 on: March 16, 2008, 05:33:51 PM »
There is always a lower score to shoot...sign me up to see the great golf architecture of the world.....

Bart

Andrew Summerell

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #19 on: March 17, 2008, 12:38:47 AM »
I can’t believe how complicated some of you guys have made this. It’s a simple question with no right or wrong answer.

I would choose the classic course. (Classic means what I consider classic)

Chris Avore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #20 on: March 17, 2008, 09:00:31 AM »
a few of my friends and i will have this argument pretty regularly, as I've had the opportunity to play a few great courses, admittedly on some of which I seemed to have forgotten how to play golf.

but where some of my friends will say "once I can regularly break 80, I'll go to Scotland" or "once I finally clear X on a course with a slope of Y...", I'm pretty content having those experiences in my life, rather than still hacking around the munis with no exposure to some of the game's greatest venues.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
my photos from a few courses around the world:
http://flickr.com/photos/erova/collections/72157600394512195/

Doug Ralston

Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #21 on: March 17, 2008, 09:02:59 AM »
I have already played 'the best golf of my life', when I played on some great courses. So let me conntinue. Great courses = best golf; and I could care less about scores then!

Doug

Matt_Cohn

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #22 on: March 17, 2008, 12:43:10 PM »
If the question were "best round" against "best score", or "great round" against "great score", it would be tougher. But it's "best golf of your life" against "a layout I would consider to be a great classic course."

I might give up my best non-tournament round to play a course ranked in the Top 10 or 15 in the world - a real once-in-a-lifetime experience - but that's about it.

Otherwise I find that I'm happiest when I want something very much, work hard to accomplish it, and then succeed through effort, skill and determination. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy a walk on the beach, but it's a different kind of happy.

Wade Whitehead

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #23 on: March 17, 2008, 02:23:00 PM »
I'll take the great course any day, on the off chance that I meet the challenge with good play.

WW

ed_getka

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: Would You Rather Play....
« Reply #24 on: March 17, 2008, 09:27:45 PM »
If the question were "best round" against "best score", or "great round" against "great score", it would be tougher. But it's "best golf of your life" against "a layout I would consider to be a great classic course."

I might give up my best non-tournament round to play a course ranked in the Top 10 or 15 in the world - a real once-in-a-lifetime experience - but that's about it.

Otherwise I find that I'm happiest when I want something very much, work hard to accomplish it, and then succeed through effort, skill and determination. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy a walk on the beach, but it's a different kind of happy.

Matt,
    You are overlooking something in this equation. If you played the best round of your life on an average course, it may give a low number but I doubt it you would consider a 67 on an unchallenging course better than a 72 at Pine Valley. You only have to execute a shot on a featureless course. You have to add in a fair bit of thinking and strategy on the great courses. IMO. :)
"Perimeter-weighted fairways", The best euphemism for containment mounding I've ever heard.

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