Does it ever get old?

[Ian Galbraith]

My game is such that I find myself in new places on the course every round. Factor that with changing ground conditions, changing company and changing weather and for sure no two rounds are the same.


Maybe it would get less interesting if the ball went where I intended a bit more often 

[JMEvensky]

The older I get, it seems more important who I play with becomes.  I've known this for a long time:  regular retail golfers are more concerned about who they play with than where they.  No course grows old with good mates.  For awhile I made an effort to play some good courses, enjoyable for the pleasure of being able to experience wonderful design, but sometimes as a single without a game.  I probably "saw" the course better and learned more on my own, but in almost every case the experience was better when shared with friends, new and old.  My journey to play the best was a selfish pleasure to understand my passion, to learn what is great and why, as one would skip the party for a good book.  A better, more concentrated use of time, but personal and not social.  I would think that the gathering of members at a great course would be ideal:  appreciating the venue with like minded folks.  Sounds ideal to me and something I'd never tire of.  A self-selecting choice to associate with your people, your tribe, and have some fun.  However,  most golfers know nothing of these great courses and I find it impossible to explain why friends should experience great courses together.  Great course, great friends, what could be better?  Yet since most golfers don't have any experience playing great courses, friends is what it is all about.  And that's fine with me.  If my friends want to go  someplace cool, they know that I know how to make it happen and get the chance to explain why.  If not, we'll just go play golf and have some fun.  Pretty much like all of us understand how to enjoy the game.  Yikes!, I've become a retail golfer.   

Nicely stated. And I agree that a great game usually trumps a great course.

[Erik J. Barzeski]

I'm not a member of a nearby world-acclaimed course, but I'm a member at two solid courses nearby, and they don't get boring. The winter helps, like others have said, but I think wanting to play them all the time is a good sign that the course is well designed… but it may also say a little bit more about us, the golfers, than anything else. 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I was a member at Four Streams outside DC for 15 years. It is an excellent Steve Smyers course and ranked high in Maryland. I never tired of it. It allows for the ground game. So every time I played the course it was different depending where the pin is and where my drive ended up. I resigned when I retired and moved. I miss it every day.

[Scott Szabo]

I live about an hour from Ballyneal and I look forward to each visit like I did the first. 

[Mike Hendren]

This thread really hits home for me, literally.  If I could take out every tree planted over the past 45 years at the 9-holer I grew up on, it would never get old.  A nifty set of tiny and varied pushed up greens makes scoring a real challenge, even at 3000 yards.  It's even better now that I've lost a decent amount of distance.  It's not great, maybe not even good, but it is perfect.