Does the Circumstances of a Round Influence Your Opinion of a New Course

[GB72]

Simple question really, does the circumstances or event that you are playing on an away course impact on your opinion of the course as a whole.

Prior to this weekend I had played Stapleford Park twice. Both times were on an annual fundraising day for my brother’s cricket club. At these events, the golf is by no means the most important thing and many people are just there for the fun and the company. For quite a few this is one of only a few annual rounds of golf. There is also a beer cart going round the course (not something I agree with, I love golf and I love beer but do not like to combine the 2) and so, whilst the round is normally a good laugh, I have never finished with a good impression of the course. Maybe it is the time the round took, maybe it was the high rough coupled with inexperienced golfers but I found it a bit of a slog to get round, had little memory of any hole and had a poor impression of the course. It was certainly not somewhere I would rush to get back to.

This season my brother and my old playing partners from Stoke Rochford have all moved to Stapleford Park as members and I joined them for a round on Saturday. To say my impression of the course changed was an understatement. Simply playing the course at a better pace with people focused on their game gave me a whole new understanding of the course. I found it fun, challenging and for more interesting than I had ever done previously. There is a decent variety of holes, the course was in lovely condition and even though the rough was high, all that did was make me think about my options off the tee. I had a great round and would actually consider a membership there in the future. I was just amazed how much the circumstances in which I played the course impacted on my opinion of the place as a whole.

What about everyone else, can you have a less than ideal golfing experience and still enjoy the course or if you are not enjoying the circumstances and set up of an event at a new course, are you more than likely going to come off the 18th with a lesser impression of the course that you have just played.

 

[North Mimms]

I'm very shallow.
If I manage to play below my handicap, I love the course!

 

[pbrown7582]

I do believe that the circumstances you play a new under do have a bearing on your opinion

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Not really, in both of the GM days (at Hillside & Beau Desert) I played like a complete tool, but loved both courses.

 

[ScienceBoy]

Possibly but more in the way that good company can save a bad course/round. I have yet to have bad company/situation spoil a nice course.

If a place is set up poorly and has "potential" then that is another matter.

 

[nemicu]

yes it does - but I'm also mindful of the difference between a bad round and a bad course. Had a bad day at Woburn once, but can't really blame the course - actually couldn't wait to go back.ne:

 

[Qwerty]

It shouldn't do but it does. I've come off many a goat track raving about it because I've had a half decent round :thup:

I think it can work the other way Too.. Ask Birchy about Tain

 

[Birchy]

Tain needs digging up and starting again, absolute tipping ground. Dump of a course. Goat track of the year.

Yep 19 points :rofl:

If I play crap its a goat track, simples :thup:

 

[srixon 1]

No. If the course is gash then it is gash. Just having a good score does not make it any better.

But, a well presented course will usually appeal to most golfers and make them try to play better. A goat track just does not inspire you to play golf at all.

However, at the end of the day a golf course is what it is, and not every course can be built on prime land or have millions of pounds thrown at it to make it better.

If you hacked it around Augusta would you still call it a goat track

 

[fundy]

Ill add it back onto my to play list Greg

 

[Deleted member 17920]

Tain needs digging up and starting again, absolute tipping ground. Dump of a course. Goat track of the year.

Yep 19 points :rofl:

If I play crap its a goat track, simples :thup:

As soon as I saw the title I thought of Tain and your round from hell :rofl:

I have never let a bad round influence my decision on what I thought of a golf course, worst round for me has to be Silloth this year but I loved the course and desperately want to go back as we have unfinished business.

 

[GB72]

It was not so much the quality if my play but rather I was at an event where the golf was not that important to those attending. As such I never really got to enjoy the course and surroundings

 

[Maninblack4612]

Definitely yes! Around 30 years ago I played at Consett, a high, heathland course in County Durham. Ever since then I thought it was a rubbish course & I was in no hurry to play there again. A couple of weeks ago I was persuaded to play there with a business aquaintence and what a revelation! Challenging holes, breathtaking views and in decent condition. I really enjoyed it and can only conclude that, the last time, I must have played really badly. I'm now thinking of the other courses I think I don't like, perhaps it's time I gave some of them a try.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I try and be open minded, but I am like most and the better I play the more favourably I'll look at a place

 

[Deleted member 15344]

My level of play never really has a bearing on how i feel about a course - loved both the Berkshire and North Hants and played like a lemon on both of those courses

 

[G1BB0]

I played toilet in Ireland but loved every course and would love to play them again when my swing is working.

shame the company was dull as dishwater

 

[JCW]

A good course is what it is , matters not how you played it , but if you play well you like it , that human nature , me i judge it as i see it .............................EYG

 

[JCW]

no such think as bad course

 

[patricks148]

we are a bit spoilt up here for good courses so, unless its very special or i play very well i tend to not be that impressed most of the time

 

[Fyldewhite]

I'll be honest. I hate playing bad golf. If it's really bad then I just want to be somewhere else and wished I'd never heard of the game. So when playing somewhere new it's more to do with my experience of "the day" rather than "the course". If the weather is bad and I play poorly then I'm not going to say it was a great day and I enjoyed the course no matter how good the course actually is. However, for me the real crux is whether I would like to go back. I've yet to play a so called "good" course where I haven't wanted to return either in batter weather or with a completely unjustified belief that next time I will murder it.