Jim, the turf was in remarkable condition. I know just enough to be dangerous about the club's maintenance budget, and it's higher than a few other area clubs. But I can't pretend like the turf was anything other than outstanding. And the club has a reputation for very full rough, despite that rough being almost fully covered by trees. I didn't perform a COVID test on the turf or anything, though.
Kalen, funny you mention it - I played with my usual weekend group, and I honestly don't know if I've paid money after a round all year. In my defense, though, my cap has fallen by four strokes since April. And these guys play with me enough to know my cap is legit. I'm not a sandbagger. I'm just improving. It's an amazing feeling and I live with gratitude every day knowing that it won't last forever.
But it felt like my advantage was improved by leaving our home course, for a few reasons:
1. I really do think an understanding of architecture helps one strategize their way around an unfamiliar course... or at least I tell myself that.
2. I do like to work the ball both ways. I know Erik will tell me that's a mistake, but some of these old-school tree-lined courses almost mandate it. It's one way to DECADE-proof a golf course. A guy who "owns one shot shape" is gonna spend a lot of time in the shade on the holes that don't fit it.
3. I'm 20-50 yards shorter than these guys. Which helps, because sometimes I finish short of trouble that they get into. But it also helps because I show up to every round knowing that I'm not the bomber, and that I need to make up for it with discipline.
I can't remember the last time I was the long drive in the group on our home course, and it's a little overtreed in its own right. But I pulled off the long drive in our group twice on Saturday thanks to trees knocking down close-but-not-quite balls from my buddies. I know I had a good day, but it seemed like a totally reasonable way to level the playing field, distance-wise, from where I was standing.