Too Far, or Too Long

[CliveW]

Today I played at Dunbar, one of my favourite links courses, but since moving house last year it is now 93 miles as opposed to 80 before the move. Pre Covid and shortly after, the journey took around 90 minutes, but now that things are back to normal and it is a weekday, it is taking much longer especially the Queen Elizabeth Bridge and Edinburgh City Bypass. This morning, I thought I would leave in plenty of time but the journey took just under three hours and I arrived minutes before my tee time. How far do you think is too far, and how far would you be prepared to travel to play a premium course?

(Also bear in mind that the course is in superb condition and on full greens which there is no way we will be here.)

 

[Deleted member 25575]

As a one off as far as the course was that I wanted to play.
Regularly, my brother in laws course is a nice course, that’s about 1h15 and there is no way I’d want to do that drive regularly it’d have to be out of this world for me to contemplate that. Considering the cost of fuel these days it’d be an expensive option

 

[patricks148]

Distance wise I'd probably do that distance for a game once a week if there was no golf locally, but Edinburgh traffic is another matter. That's only an hour less than it takes me to get to Muirfield and I'm almost 100 miles north of you. Once a year is more than enough for that drive

 

[Slab]

It's a 90 minute drive to my favourite course
I do it every couple of months but would happily do it weekly if I was a member

 

[Imurg]

For a once a week game I'd probably limit things to 30-40 miles.?.
For twice weekly or more then no more than 10-15.
An occasional day trip - about 100...any more than that and there may be an overnight stay on the cards.

 

[BrianM]

Like others have said, as a one off it would be fine, like your making a day off it.
How far would I travel to play a premium course, not far because of my personal circumstances (Young kids).
Although I'm within an hour off 3 world class courses (In my opinion) so often get to play them throughout the year anyway.
You need to move house.....

 

[KenL]

The Edi traffic can be an absolute nightmare!

How long did it take you to get home?

 

[Hobbit]

I used to find a 40min drive to a club I was a member of a bit of a bind. Fine for a weekend/competition rounds but no good for that spur of the moment, evening round.

One off’s I’d expect an overnight stay. H4H was around 5hrs away, and Cooden Bay was over 6hrs away and were overnighters. Though I’ve done a few 6hr round trips for ‘arrange a game(GM)’ days.

 

[Jason.H]

I like being reasonably close to my home club. We do holiday around the uk since COVID and that gives me chance to play many different courses. Id rather drive the day before and stay in a b+b local if it’s a very long way for a one off.

 

[HPIMG]

If it was a one off I have done a 6 hour round trip before to play trump international and the drive didn’t bother me at all because it was my first time playing.
If it was a regular drive say 1/2 times a week I think 45 minutes would be my maximum even for a top course

 

[IanM]

I've done some mad drives for one off days... now I'm older and wiser, I'll go the night before



I've got 2.5 hours to my second course. I'll go once a month I think. 25 mins to my home course isn't ideal, but I've done it for 13 years!

 

[Jason.H]

I wouldn’t say it’s the best preparation for good golf driving a long distance beforehand but then again what I consider perfect preparation has led to poor performance ???.
If I were driving for hours I’d make sure I’d be getting there at least an hour before teeing off.

 

[need_my_wedge]

If it's a course I really want to play, then I'm happy to make any journey, e.g. Lofoten . Appreciate that's an extreme, but made several 7 - 14 hour trips to Scotland in the past. These length trips of course are usually based around more than one course and over multiple days. Down south I travelled up to 4.5 hours each way in a day to play Royal St Davids when I was a country member, but that was a tough stretch. Ideally I think 3 hrs one way would be my max travel time in a single day, and it wouldn't be a regular trip.

@CliveW played Leven for the first time on Monday, really enjoyed it, good little layout and in pretty decent condition for the time of year.

 

[Old Colner]

I did it last year, drove up to Silloth-on-Solway from East Lancashire, the journey is not too bad, once you leave the M6 you think you are nearly there but no, it was another hour (roadworks), All well worth it though a great course and well worth the visit.

 

[jim8flog]

As a member of a club no more than about a 30 minute drive.
I play 3 times a week a lot of weeks and often just go to the club to socialise.

Where I am a member it is about a 15 - 25 minute drive depending on day and time.

As a visitor, for an open or a match I have driven to some courses which are 60 - 90 minutes drive.

Worst one was playing at Ferndown in a match and realising as I left and picked up the A31 it was a bank holiday Friday.

 

[sjw]

At first thought, I _cannot imagine_ wanting to do an hour and a half each way to play a round of golf... but then I remembered I considered buying a football season ticket that would have been an hour each way so I guess it's not that much different.

My viewpoint is swayed by living 5 minutes from my home course, I guess.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

For my home course, within 20 minutes is ideal but I would go up to 30 at a push. No more.

For a one off I travel 2.5 hours every year to play at West Lothian GC, not classed as a premier club, but it's a day and course I love every visit. I would not do it every month but once or twice a year, no problem and something I do already with WL and one other usually thrown in at another time.

For a premium course, I have done 3 hours before, but I would go up to 4 for the right place. That is probably my limit though, until someone waves an invitation to an exceptional place that is that little bit further . There are a heck of a lot of courses within 4hrs of home and it would take a lot to justify driving past all of those to get somewhere else.

 

[Bdill93]

Id travel long distances for one off experiences at top courses - who wouldn't, we all plan the pilgrimage to St Andrews in our heads at some point.

Id never join a club more than 30 mins from my front door, no matter how good it was, because frankly its just grass and who wants to waste all that time driving for slightly better grass.

 

[Billysboots]

My home club is 10 minutes’ drive. I wouldn’t want it to be more than half an hour as I play two or three times a week and also use the range.

To play elsewhere it depends on the course and the occasion. I will drive up to 90 minutes for an open or an away day, but beyond that I’m starting to think about an overnight stay, as I prefer earlier tee times.

 

[CliveW]

The Edi traffic can be an absolute nightmare!

How long did it take you to get home?

About two hours for the return journey which involved Sherrifhall and Dreghorn delays which were expected for mid afternoon. Great game though despite the wind which managed to blow our electric trolles over on the 15th!