Hardcore Golfers

[DaytonBuck]

So watching this year British Open or any most major tournaments and seeing the courses the PGA plays I fail to understand the appeal of the average golfer playing them.

I play golf 3 or 4 times a year and I'm certainly not a hardcore player/enthusiast. I get the appeal of playing a course that Tiger Woods, Phil, etc play and realize they grow the roughs out for these events. Playing a course like Royal Birkdale and shooting 50 over par doesn't seem like my idea of fun. What's the appeal for the average golfer to play a course like that or Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach, etc?

 

[iambrutus]

i see the appeal as showing yourself (in case you forgot) just how good those guys are. when you watch on TV and you see them shoot +3, 4, 5 for a round you think "wow they are human" then you go out and shoot +40 and realize that yes they are human, but they are still amazing golfers.

i'm playing Firestone's west course tomorrow afternoon (the south is where the pros play - and it closes at noon for prep for the bridgestone) - but the west wraps around the south course so its pretty neat. played it last year at the same time and you get to see all of the bleachers/grandstand being setup - pretty cool to see all that while you are playing

 

[Buckeye Buh Nim]

So watching this year British Open or any most major tournaments and seeing the courses the PGA plays I fail to understand the appeal of the average golfer playing them.

I play golf 3 or 4 times a year and I'm certainly not a hardcore player/enthusiast. I get the appeal of playing a course that Tiger Woods, Phil, etc play and realize they grow the roughs out for these events. Playing a course like Royal Birkdale and shooting 50 over par doesn't seem like my idea of fun. What's the appeal for the average golfer to play a course like that or Torrey Pines, Pebble Beach, etc?

Its the tradition more than anything. I am not a casual golfer, but would not consider myself hardcore.

Pebble Beach is not supposed to be that difficult. especially when they don't have it set up for the open. So you have a beautiful course that has tradition.

Heck from what I understand there are two courses in the close to Pebble Beach that are better to play. (Spanish Bay and Spyglass)

Now take a course like Beth Page Black. It is an inexpensive (although less so now) public course that I would not be inclined to play.

Still with a course like Carnoustie, I would love to play just for the tradition, etc... that and the opportunity to do better than Jean Van De Velde on the last hole.

 

[DaytonBuck]

i see the appeal as showing yourself (in case you forgot) just how good those guys are. when you watch on TV and you see them shoot +3, 4, 5 for a round you think "wow they are human" then you go out and shoot +40 and realize that yes they are human, but they are still amazing golfers.

i'm playing Firestone's west course tomorrow afternoon (the south is where the pros play - and it closes at noon for prep for the bridgestone) - but the west wraps around the south course so its pretty neat. played it last year at the same time and you get to see all of the bleachers/grandstand being setup - pretty cool to see all that while you are playing

Maybe my thought process is wrong but it seems like it would playing one on one versus Kobe. Yeah it's fun playing basketball but how fun would it be to get obliterated?

 

[bluechillj]

Maybe my thought process is wrong but it seems like it would playing one on one versus Kobe. Yeah it's fun playing basketball but how fun would it be to get obliterated?

Wouldn't you play Kobe one on one if offered the chance though? Just to be able to say you did. And in 50 years, you can say that he beat you on the final shot and all the other geezers won't even know the difference.

 

[DaytonBuck]

Wouldn't you play Kobe one on one if offered the chance though? Just to be able to say you did. And in 50 years, you can say that he beat you on the final shot and all the other geezers won't even know the difference.

Sure would but if I scored a point or he missed a shot against I'd consider it a miracle.

 

[bluechillj]

Sure would but if I scored a point or he missed a shot against I'd consider it a miracle.

True true. He could probably tear an ACL, have to sit on the ground for the game, and still beat me. But, I could say I played him.

This reminds me of Bill Simmons playing some NBA player one on one a while back...forget who it was.

 

[DaytonBuck]

Beth Page Black behind Royal Birkdale this year is the 2nd most intimidating course I've seen. If I shot under a 200 there it would be a miracle.

 

[scarletandgrey]

Beth Page Black behind Royal Birkdale this year is the 2nd most intimidating course I've seen. If I shot under a 200 there it would be a miracle.

You should have seen Wingfoot a few years back. Geoff Ogilvy won the U.S. open there in 2006 with a score of +5

For USGA championships, the course has been typically set up at par 70. In this configuration the 514 yard converted par five ninth hole becomes the longest par four in major championship history. The 640 yard par five twelfth is the longest hole in major championship history.

To me playing a course like that is the draw of challenging myself on a championship level. I know that I'm not going to shoot nearly as good as the pros. But I would like to see how I compare. It's not everyday that you get the chance to do that and let's face it if you're playing mostly public courses you're not playing on thier level.

 

[DaytonBuck]

You should have seen Wingfoot a few years back. Geoff Ogilvy won the U.S. open there in 2006 with a score of +5




To me playing a course like that is the draw of challenging myself on a championship level. I know that I'm not going to shoot nearly as good as the pros. But I would like to see how I compare. It's not everyday that you get the chance to do that and let's face it if you're playing mostly public courses you're not playing on thier level.

I can see the challenge factor but let's saying your playing Royal Birkdale this week. You're +20 over the first 3 holes, could you have any fun playing from that point forward?

 

[iambrutus]

I can see the challenge factor but let's saying your playing Royal Birkdale this week. You're +20 over the first 3 holes, could you have any fun playing from that point forward?

as long as i'm not at work, then yes i can have fun even sucking ass on a golf course

 

[AMISH-SLAYER]

It's to see how I stack up against some of toughest courses in the world. The great thing about golf is I have a better chance at playing one of these courses then playing
Kobe 1 on 1
Facing Randy Johnson
Tackling Jerome Bettis

 

[Buck Nasty]

That is the reason these coursed have multiple tee boxes. If you want to play just to get a feel for the courses that the pro's play on and soak up some of the tradition you can play from a normal set of tees and enjoy it. If you want to challenge yourself to see how you compare to the pro's you can probably play from the tips if they are even set up for the public and get your ass kicked. I would equate it more to something like playing a game of flag football in the "Shoe" with your buddies than playing Kobe one on one.

For me, it is just being able to walk down the same fairways and greens thinking of some of the famous shots you have seen on TV and some of the people who have been there before you that makes the experience. A place like Pebble has so much history, then you add in the unbelievable scenery out there and it is a once in a lifetime experience.

 

[DaytonBuck]

I bogey the first two holes for a round I'm finished, In invariably turn to risky shot selection to try to make up for it

 

[Thump]

Was talking to my dad the other day and we both agreed that we couldn't understand people spending $10,000 to fly over there and play in such conditions.

I don't enjoy playing in wind and rain and looking for my ball all day.

Would be nice if we had spotters like the pros the find balls in the heather.

I would be pissed I spent that much money and shot a 120.