Continuing with my backlog of modestly interesting ideas.
If you are fortunate enough to regularly play a great course, does the experience ever grow stale, or does it feel great and fresh and exciting every time?
I play most of my golf at Pumpkin Ridge GC in North Plains, a course close enough to home that I encounter no stop lights on my way to the course. We have two very nice courses, that are generally rated "5 or 6" on the Doak scale. After playing a couple thousand rounds, there is the occasional intrigue of an unusual shot, but for the most part, the golf is somewhat rote, with a limited palette of shots presented. Both courses have a nice progression of holes that allow the player to rally on the back nine. Most important to me, it is a pleasant walk through a beautiful park out in the country that I call home. There is enough nature and wildlife to keep my senses piqued. As i get older, the value of the walk relative to the golf has increased.
I enjoy playing our public course, Ghost Creek, considerably more than the private Witch Hollow course. Though arguably blessed with better land and greater variety, Ghost Creek is generally rated below Witch Hollow. I play Ghost Creek about 1/5 as often as the private course, which may account for my greater enjoyment.
I don't want members of great courses to reveal themselves, so please speak in general terms. Many of us here have had the opportunity of playing a great public course dozens of times, which is also relevant.
Using again my experience listening to music, which I have been studying intensively for the last decade or so, I've found there is a limit to the number of times I can listen to a song in rapid succession before it grows a bit stale. Every few years or so I discover a new song that moves me deeply, so much that I want to hear it pretty much every day. Thanks to iTunes, I can see how many times I listen before my interest wanes. These songs may or may not end up being lifetime favorites. In most cases, I tire of a near daily listening of a new song after about 50 plays; in rare cases this number is closer to 100.
Songs among my all-time favorites sound great every time, as long as I don't overuse them. I can make the argument that "Like A Rolling Stone" by Bob Dylan is the greatest popular song I ever heard, and as long as I listen to it every month or two, it never ceases to amaze and move me.
On the other hand, there is a very small complement of songs that I could listen to on a daily basis. These tend to be simple, rhythmic songs that act as a sort of daily mantra. For those who know this one, think "Time Is Tight" by Booker T. & The M.G.'s. I don't listen to it every morning, but I could.
Almost without exception, any attempt to listen to a song a second time immediately is a less satisfying experience. I don't think this translates well to golf, where a second daily round can be just as fulfilling. Golf is an interactive game which takes 3-4 hours, whereas a great song is generally a 3-5 minutes long, and non-interactive.
Another weird topic; let's see if it goes anywhere. Do you ever get tired of a great golf course? When I go to Bandon the last few years, I usually play the newer ones. Everybody is different, with varying desire to repeat pleasant experiences. Generally, I'm a rather obsessive person, one who benefits from a routine based life. I like the same fun things over and over.