Golf is the game of planning and executing shots. My mates did not want to have competitions and some of the conditions where lost balls were rampant meant scoring was an unpleasant way to judge the experience.
A golf course is a place of varied options of play with few disastrous outcomes.
Golfers are in the mess together so they love to share their views and their enthusiasm for the game , particularly with strangers. Golfers are engaged in a constantly frustrating effort so they need fun of some sort.
Golf clubs have varied cultures that reflect their hospitality, social status, and focus on the game.
I will discuss soon how the courses led to these conclusions. We played Royal courses and courses for the lowest class able to play. We played one course ( St. Enedoc) whose heavy rough combined with blind shots made for a frustrating day for all. We pulled trollies, carried our own, and used a caddy. We stayed in B+B's owned by members and others who did not know the difference between Penarth and Pennard. We ate after golf at most of the clubs and uniformly thought the food and its presentation needed to be adopted at home.
We saw how one club (Burnham and Berrow) put on a competition which went off just before us and we saw the after golf festivities. They did a sensational job!
We headed ahead of a society at St. George's Hill. We were practically intertwined with the Royal Porthcawl /Birkdale club match.
More later