So many opinions. So many women, so little time. It’s all good. Here are some more from the peanut gallery: I believe that playing a course more than once is the only way for me to appreciate the architecture. I guess I’m a slow learner. That said, do I do this? Not really, mostly because of time, opportunity, and money.
I’m a little suspicious of my interest in golf architecture. As I’ve said before, it sometimes seems to me as a pseudo intellectual justification for my love of a simple (some would say stupid) game. I have other, more practical reasons, for wanting to learn something about design. Chief among these is that I get to do it in the dirt from time to time. Not as designer, just as a dumb slob in the golf biz.
This thread started off, if I can remember that far back, saying something like why would someone play RCCC and not include Gozzer on the same trip? As if Gozzer were in the same neighborhood. Out west, I suppose it is, but its still 250 miles and 4 hours away. Old Works and RCCC, sure. I can only speak for myself, but I don’t often plan a golf trip around playing every interesting course within a 250 mile radius of the primary course or courses that I want to see. Usually these trips are just to play golf with some pals. I indulge my muse by trying to play something interesting while I’m at it. For me it is fun and informative to take some average Joe golfers to a really good course and observe their reactions. These guys wouldn’t have a clue about most things discussed on this site or why grown men waste their time here. They certainly couldn’t give a flying f**k about who designed a course. In their own way, however subliminally, they do recognize quality when they see it; they just don’t know why. Not sure I really do either, but enjoy trying.
Everyone here is a collector to some degree. Everyone has their own reasons.
That’s my two cents for now. Got stuff to do.