Playing new courses

[Maninblack4612]

Prompted by a thread looking for a two course venue, who prefers playing the same course several times? Every time I come off a course I've played for the first time there are always holes where I wish I'd played them differently. Playing a second & third time is always more enjoyable because I know the holes & have a better idea of how to play them, where to lay up, which carries I can make, where the doglegs run out etc.

Not a fan of the "Grand Tour" I'd rather go somewhere & get to know a course.

 

[hairball_89]

I'd agree I think.

Played a new course yesterday and came off really wanting to give a few of the holes another go. Especially the par 3s. I tend to download new courses on the Hole19 app I use for GPS and scoring, this then allows me to vaguely 'play' the course and put ideas for clubs off the tee in the notes section. However it doesn't, to know my knowledge, include topography which led to my suggestion of a 5iron for a 174 yard par 3 looking very silly when we got the tee and it was severely downhill and I put a 9 iron in the green side bunker!

I think new courses are always fun, because they're new. And that's a challenge in itself. However getting to know a course is also brilliant in itself.

 

[huds1475]

I like the buzz of driving into somewhere I've not played before, getting ready to play, standing on every new tee trying to figure what to do for best, and then pumping all my golf balls into virgin rough, never to be seen again

Cant get that the second time round, but still fun to go back

 

[IanM]

Depends on the course! Sometimes I think, can't wait to give it another go and others "Once was enough thanks!"

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Fully understand what you are saying but what if you find you don't like that course? You then have to play it a second time knowing you wont really enjoy it.

I think I am a little like Huds on this, I like the novelty of new courses, the excitement that goes with that. It does mean that you don't always score well, you have that 'oh' moment as you realise how you could have played the hole better but the novelty aspect outweighs that feeling.

The above applies to away trips rather than regular golf or day trip golf.

 

[PJ87]

Fully understand what you are saying but what if you find you don't like that course? You then have to play it a second time knowing you wont really enjoy it.

I think I am a little like Huds on this, I like the novelty of new courses, the excitement that goes with that. It does mean that you don't always score well, you have that 'oh' moment as you realise how you could have played the hole better but the novelty aspect outweighs that feeling.

The above applies to away trips rather than regular golf or day trip golf.

Also if you have a bad round the course gets a bad memory but if you have s good round you remember it better than it might be

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Also if you have a bad round the course gets a bad memory but if you have s good round you remember it better than it might be

Oh that is so true. There are a couple of courses I really disliked first time around and played second time quite reluctantly only to enjoy as i played much better. Equally, I have over egged courses purely because I played well. The mind is a funny thing.

 

[PJ87]

Oh that is so true. There are a couple of courses I really disliked first time around and played second time quite reluctantly only to enjoy as i played much better. Equally, I have over egged courses purely because I played well. The mind is a funny thing.

Been trying to get a friend down to play this course for years

He came had an awful round and blamed the course... Too many gimics apparently

Funny I always play my best golf there and I love it .. will be why

 

[Deleted member 21258]

The excitement of playing new or different courses, whatever the style, quality, layout or price is fantastic, don't care what I score or if I have played the holes incorrectly, I am to busy looking at the holes and enjoying the excitement and relaxation.

Normally on any course there are 3-5 really memorable holes. Some of the most memorable holes I have played have been on hilly courses, you get some crazy but brilliant holes.

 

[Grant85]

Prompted by a thread looking for a two course venue, who prefers playing the same course several times? Every time I come off a course I've played for the first time there are always holes where I wish I'd played them differently. Playing a second & third time is always more enjoyable because I know the holes & have a better idea of how to play them, where to lay up, which carries I can make, where the doglegs run out etc.

Not a fan of the "Grand Tour" I'd rather go somewhere & get to know a course.

Completely agree with this.

I'd rather play the same course 3 times, rather than a new course 3 days in a row.

I certainly don't get as much enjoyment out of playing a course once as I would the 2nd or 3rd time. I think there's a feeling that you could play a hole better once you've seen it the 1st time and any holes you play really well you feel you've been lucky.

I might feel a bit different about this if I were a much better player and could go out with a yardage book and perhaps feel like I'd played most of the correct shots.

In saying that, there's some courses that present themselves to you very well and you can see everything in front of you.

 

[Grant85]

Also one of the main factors that makes me really apprehensive to play a top venue for £200 or so. What is the point if I'm coming off feeling unfulfilled?

I'd just be playing it to say I've played it unless I could really splurge on a 2 or 3 day package.

 

[Beedee]

One of the societies I'm in does our summer tour. Just two rounds or three rounds with some hotel and drinking in the middle. I'd hate it if we just played the same course multiple times. On a couple of the tours, one of the courses has ended up being really unpopular. Knowing that I've got to play a course I don't like a couple more times would be awful.

On the other hand we have returned to the same venues multiple times over the years because we've enjoyed all of the courses that venue offers.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Also one of the main factors that makes me really apprehensive to play a top venue for £200 or so. What is the point if I'm coming off feeling unfulfilled?

I'd just be playing it to say I've played it unless I could really splurge on a 2 or 3 day package.

There is only one way to find out . I felt slightly the same until I played at Turnberry, followed the following year by Gleneagles. Worth every penny, they are different class. Whatever your best local course is these places kick them into touch. I spent the whole time beeming and you would either have to have a total mare or be hyper critical about your own play to not enjoy the experience.

 

[Grant85]

There is only one way to find out . I felt slightly the same until I played at Turnberry, followed the following year by Gleneagles. Worth every penny, they are different class. Whatever your best local course is these places kick them into touch. I spent the whole time beeming and you would either have to have a total mare or be hyper critical about your own play to not enjoy the experience.

Absolutely, but I'll still enjoy a good game at a mates course or decent place that you can get on every year or so. Played the Old Course last year and definitely enjoyed it. Hoping to get on next week and hopefully enjoy it that bit more.

 

[jim8flog]

I have played away a lot and there has certainly been many courses that I would need to play once or twice before hand to really enjoy them.

Funny incident playing Parkstone many years ago. Their 17th is blind tee shot over a hill which when we played it do have any sort of direction indicator.

I teed off first and hit a big slice, the other three went and hit straight, I then played a provisional with another big slice. We walked over the hill and both my balls were in the middle of the fairway and the other three were all in the left hand rough.

Parkstone is definitely a course to have played before because of the number of blind shots you have. I played there again last year and could only remember the 17th because of what happened before.

 

[Sats]

Best of both worlds, I enjoy new courses as much as my home course.

 

[backwoodsman]

On our "week away" we always used to jam in as many courses as possible - usually two a day. We've changed now and if we are doing two rounds in the day, we tend to buy day tickets and play the same course twice. Much more enjoyable and we've wondered why we didnt do the change years ago.

 

[davidy233]

Nothing better in golf than walking off the first tee of a course you've never played having hit a nice drive down the middle - off on an adventure.

 

[ScienceBoy]

I always enjoy my latter rounds at a course more than the first. Unless you buy a course guide, or better hire a caddy, you just have to expect your don’t quite know where you are going.

Let’s just say first rounds have their own unique plus points.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

One of the benefits of playing a course for the first time is you don't have any idea about the dangers and tend to play with more freedom. If you play a course regularly you know where the dangers are and can either be complacent (if you play there often) or try and steer away from danger and fail to swing and release