Anthony
Jaded by the courses, no, never as it depends upon so many variables. Ones mood, the weather, being alone, with friends or making up a 4 ball with strangers. As for the course its what you make of it, are you just wanting to go and to win, win, win or are you there to play with the course, to rise to the challenges (if any as we know some seem very limited at times). I prefer to work with the course, much like sailing where you do not fight the sea, you work with her, that brings out more in ones game, well IMHO.
The only thing that does JADED me at times are some of the other golfers who totally disregard others on the course and who generally are the reason why I will not revisit courses that tolerate poor course behaviour.
I would not say TOC is any less enjoyable today that in the 1960s. Prestwick still has the ability to attract me to her. In fact there are very few well known courses that disappoint to this day. But then it depends whats on your mind. I think I can honestly say that I have had more disappointing bottles of wine than encounters with poor courses, as I said it depends upon you state of mind and your approach to the game. I am not a hunter looking for a kill, nothing so crude, but I am looking for a game, via the courtesy of the designer assisted greatly by Mother Natures.
The name of the game is golf which is totally governed by variables. We see this time and again on the links courses with the wind & weather. Many just try to ride out the time, but seem lost in the trailing pack, comforted among numbers but the older skilled players play the conditions. We have seen this over the last few years with G Norman and T Watson coming out leading whiles the rest of the field huddle for warmth and security. Yet once the weather improves, the game gets easy, so the chasing pack start to catch the older wise player. How do we define that, when looking back over the game, I feel we should be honest and say still much is still there to learn and understand and that it is not always down to how long you can it a ball. So my point I suppose is that our older courses still have the ability to sort out the men from the boys , so Jaded, no cant agree with that.
Melvyn