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What Makes a Round Memorable


JohnBarry

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What Makes a Golf Round Memorable?

Golf is game, and as a game, it is supposed to be enjoyed. Now, what might make a round fun for someone, might make it miserable for another person. So I am going to speak on some general things that make a round the most fun, and one you will remember for the rest of your life.

 

Location, Location, Location:

carnatl-heron-5th-hole11.jpg

This might be the number one factor in making a round memorable. The Scenery of the course, the waterways, the desert, the mountain views, the wildlife and anything else pleasing to the eye. Some courses feature waterway holes, lots of them, natural enviroments, gators, birds and various critters running about. Some feature desert views, green in the middle of no where, carry to carry over scrub to lush green fairways and greens. A courses location can make a lasting impression on anyone, but you don't have to play maybe the most famous of all scenery courses, Pebble Beach, to enjoy them.

 

The Course/Layout:

cosl01_tough_ocean.jpg

Not only does great scenery make a course unforgettable, the layout itself can do it, and a lot of the most famous layouts are by designers whom we rooted on as Pros, or respected elders of the game in it's truer form. Famous for their layout, Augusta comes to mind, but you can look to almost any Palmer, Nicholas, Couples, Maples, and many, many other's designs. There are so many signature holes across golf, some are famous and make the course, there is a certain island green that holds Pros and Fans in awe and fright every year. That hole makes the course, and you could never forget playing it.

 

Conditions:

acorner.jpg

You could have the best scenery, the best designed course, but if it is not maintained, in great shape, trimmed, green, you may never remember the course. Again, Augusta always comes to mind as the best conditioned course we get to see on TV, but make no mistake, there are many, many accessible courses where a blade of grass is never out of place we can play. There is nothing like being the first group off, seeing the maintenance crew putting the finishing touches on the course before you play. As you go about your round, everything is perfect, tee boxes, fairways, greens, rough cuts, green collars, everything is a golfing oasis!

 

Service:

staff.jpg

This maybe the most over looked one on the list, but think back to your most memorable rounds, how was the service? From bag drop, to club house, to starter, to rangers, to cart girl to the 19th hole, service is the one thing any course can improve on to make people come back year after year. We are in a recession and golf courses have been hit hard, and always are looking for that edge to get more rounds played. Some have stepped up with service, and golfers love this. Wet cool towels on a hot day while you play, friendly staff who not only takes your money, but makes you feel like a member. Starters and Rangers giving advice on holes, laughing joking with groups, taking pictures, making sure the golfers have fun no matter what. You would think this comes hand and hand with the other points above, but sadly that doesn't happen. The nicest, most upscale club can make you feel like an outsider while a lower end, public course can treat you like golfing royalty!

 

Who You Play With:

father+and+son.jpg

Another under rated point, but who did you play with on that day that sounds out as golf nirvana? Was it your best friends, your family members, a celebrity or maybe it was that special Father/Son round that stands out. All of these points I think go hand in hand to provide the most memorable round for you.

 

by John Barry

 

Love to hear everyone's ideas and comments about what makes a round the most memorable they have played!

John Barry

Bring the Funk, Back to Golf

The Golfer's Trip

 

 

 

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Today was one of those days for me. Took the day off work, played with my Dad as a twosome at our club. Did not see anyone ahead or behind us. Took our time and finished in 3 hours. I also shot my season low of 81. It does not get much better than that for me. If I could only play one more round of golf, I would have not changed one thing today.

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I want to flesh this article out some, and submit it for publication, any help anyone can give give, I would be eternally thankful.

John Barry

Bring the Funk, Back to Golf

The Golfer's Trip

 

 

 

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I agree with you for the most part about all your factors that go into making a memorable round. I don't necessarily agree with the order, if that order was meant to signify importance, and I would like to add one more factor, which for me would rank 1st or 2nd in importance, and that would be quality of play, both personally and the play of the group as a whole.

 

For me, the way I'm playing has a huge impact on how much I enjoy the game. If I'm really sucking, it is very hard to fully enjoy myself. If I'm playing at least reasonably well, then it allows me to appreciate all the other factors. If I'm playing REALLY well, then I'm having a blast, to the point where the other factors really don't even matter! If the group as a whole is playing well, then everyone is having a good time, there's usually a fun and competitive bet going on and everyone is just feeding off each other, getting into the shots and having a ball. It is the rare rounds when this happens that I remember the most, and that my buddies and I talk about. "remember that time when you dropped a birdie from 40 yards out and then I chipped in, and then Jimmy made that 25 footer on top of us?!!"

 

So to me, quality of play and who I am playing with are the very most important factors, then the course (layout and condition) and then the service at the course. IMO service is only a factor if you're staying and playing somewhere. I don't really care too much about being pampered at the course itself. That said, very lousy on course service or rudeness can certainly put a damper on fun, but as long as its not annoyingly bad, I don't care too much.

 

Good thread idea!

Ping I20 8.5* - Aldila NV 65g S
Adams XTD Super Hybrid 15* - Stock Fubuki S
Adams DHY 21* - Stock Matrix Ozik White Tie S
Mizuno MP58 4-8 Irons - Fujikura MCI 100 S
SCOR 42,46,50,54,58* - SCOR/KBS Genius S
STX Robert Ingman Envision TR 35", Iomic grip

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Wasn't in any particular order, and other than who you are playing with, I didn't want to include how you play but maybe play in general should be included.

John Barry

Bring the Funk, Back to Golf

The Golfer's Trip

 

 

 

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What about the weather?? two of my most memorable rounds were because of the weather...

 

First was when it was so windy you could hit a driver on a par 3 going against the wind and not reach the green, and then hit a 5 iron on one of the par 4's going the other direction...

 

The second was when the fog was so bad you could only see about 75-90 yards in front of you... you either hit the ball dead nuts straight or spend time looking and hope you can gauge your distances...

 

 

Those are definitely 2 rounds I will never forget... and honestly as bad as they were, they make great stories every time I get together with the guys I played with... Those were not the most fun rounds, but VERY memorable...

My Bag:
Driver - 
:cobra-small:  King F6+

3 Wood -  :callaway-small: XR16
Hybrids -  :srixon-small:  ZH45
Irons -  :mizuno-small:  JPX 850 Pro

Wedges -  :callaway-small: Mac Daddy 2
Putter -   :taylormade-small: Spider Tour Red
Bag - Ogio Grom Stand

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Freaky signature! Took me a minute to figure out what was going on!

Ping I20 8.5* - Aldila NV 65g S
Adams XTD Super Hybrid 15* - Stock Fubuki S
Adams DHY 21* - Stock Matrix Ozik White Tie S
Mizuno MP58 4-8 Irons - Fujikura MCI 100 S
SCOR 42,46,50,54,58* - SCOR/KBS Genius S
STX Robert Ingman Envision TR 35", Iomic grip

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Freaky signature! Took me a minute to figure out what was going on!

 

 

yea it got me the first time I saw it too... It's getting annoying though, so I might have to get rid of it soon...

My Bag:
Driver - 
:cobra-small:  King F6+

3 Wood -  :callaway-small: XR16
Hybrids -  :srixon-small:  ZH45
Irons -  :mizuno-small:  JPX 850 Pro

Wedges -  :callaway-small: Mac Daddy 2
Putter -   :taylormade-small: Spider Tour Red
Bag - Ogio Grom Stand

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Good topic, Jon. I'll type as I think about the rounds I can remember and just spit out the reasons why they were memorable:

 

Kapalua (scenery, family)

Midlothian/Beverly (great layouts, godfather)

Trips with my dad

My only foray into the 70's

Spyglass (scenery, course, honeymoon)

 

So I guess playing really well can make it memorable, but it's more about who I'm with and the course/scenery (at least when the scenery is magnificent). Some of those memorable rounds (Spyglass, 1st trip to Beverly, Midlo) were ugly, but still memorable, so playing well is not a prerequisite.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattSaternus

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every round has the high and lows but we as golfers love the highs much better and tend to dwell to much on the lows!!!!

 

But to some people is just remembering the round afterwards is the problem always chasing wild turkey and not bridies u know/

 

:huh:

Andrew Bush da lefty of the forum.

 

Cleveland DST Tour 9.5 with Diamana Whiteboard.

Nike Sasquatch 4 wood with diamana blue.

Nike Sasquatch 3 hybrid with diamana hybrid shaft

Callaway x forged 4-pw with prject x flighted 6.0

Callaway x forged 52 and 56 chrome

Callaway x forged 60 vintage

Odyssey white hot tour number 5.

 

Nike one platinum soon to be nike tour running out of the platinums!!!!!!!

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andrew-

 

If i chased wild turkey it would be with puke... and I wouldnt want to remember chasing it lol....but golf is buzzed is like nothing else in the world...

Callaway FT-3/ Vodoo

Callaway Fusion/ Vodoo

Nickent 4dx hybrid 17 degree

Titleist AP2 4-pw/ project x

Callaway forged 56 degre

Rife island series "abaco"

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My most memorable round so far was in late Sept, 2009. My wife and I were playing Estes Park in Colorado. This is one of the most beautiful areas of the country, being at the back door of Rocky Mountain National Park. You can see one 14,000' and several 13000' mountains from there. The golf was good, the course was in great shape, and it had some drama attached that made it so memorable.

We were warned to watch out for the elk on the 17th fairway, as the bull leading that herd had been chasing off golfers and we were told if we hit into the herd don't even TRY to go get the ball... Just hit another one.

Well, I just could not WAIT to get around there to see what the hubbub was all about. I wasn't disappointed... a big ol' Royal 7 point Bull had a herd of about 30 cows right smack in the middle of the 17th fairway. And he was NOT giving ground to either golfers OR other elk. There must have been 40-50 more bulls about 200 yards out from him in a huge circle. They were just drooling and dreaming of some of those cows. Every now and then, the big boy would let out a loud grunt or series of "coughs" and jab his antlers into the ground a time or two. 6 points and 5 points would start getting nervous.

We played around them without incident and unfortunately for me, we had a dinner reservation. Because just as we were getting ready to leave, a MONSTER bull... a real brute with a deep raspy sounding voice... let out a bugle from across the highway. He came across the highway and charged across the course. He was going to go fight that herd bull and let me tell you, it was going to be a good one. He was only a 6 point, but body wise, he was even larger than the 7 point. Unfortunately, I didn't get to see it. :lol: But I'll sure never forget it!! I've got the pic of that big 6 point walking across the 1st tee box right in front of my truck as we were leaving on my desktop. In fact, its right here. :lol:

Dscn0595.jpg

•Never argue with an idiot. First, he will drag you down to his level. Then he will beat you with experience!•

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For me it was always Friends and then location. As long as I am having a good time with my friends (and play decent golf) that will always make it memorable for me.

Correct me if I'm wrong Sandy, but if I kill all the golfers, they're gonna lock me up and throw away the key... - Carl Spackler

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Nasty, my main things that make a round special for me..friends and having a good time playing a round with them.

John Barry

Bring the Funk, Back to Golf

The Golfer's Trip

 

 

 

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In my article, I want to use a story for each of the catagories I have listed, and I would like to use a story for each, from members of the boards. I am going to be sending this to the major golf publications when I am done, who knows if they bite, but it will be published on a couple online sites, The Sun Magazine and On The Greens Magazine. You of course will be credited fully for your story/work. I would love an apporprate picture that fits the story also.

John Barry

Bring the Funk, Back to Golf

The Golfer's Trip

 

 

 

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Very nice article as it does what a good article should, draws you back to your own memories. Then reading others comments it reminded me of memorable Golf outings; playing in the mountains, playing with my dad, etc. My best memories of Golf are when I first started playing a lot. I worked at a local muni as a cart kid. The best days were when I would go out with the first group in the morning. The marshals at our course always had the first time off after bringing the carts down from the barn. I would play with the "old guys" and just enjoy the stories and the fun. These guys had done it all, military action, fishing in foreign country's, knee replacements, story and story. They were now living the life and doing something they loved every morning with people they enjoyed. As much as I LOVE playing well, playing a great course the average round with those guys takes the cake. I owe much of my love of Golf to those guys. Funny that I haven't really thought about that in years. Thanks for bringing back some GREAT memories...

KWheels 

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Got to thinking some more about memorable rounds. Way back when I first started playing golf, I was stationed in Okinawa (mid 1970s). I played at the Naha Air Base golf course (a 9 hole terror!). I played almost every day, and my usual partner was an "old timer" who had retired from the Navy and stayed on Oki when he retired. This ol' guy was a Corpsman in the Navy and was a WWII veteran of the Battle for Okinawa. That was the bloodiest battle of the Pacific war. I heard many stories from him about the battle, and some of the horrors both sides faced. Those stories are still burned into my memory. One involved a hillside and a cave that were located on Naha AB. The Japanese had a maze of caves and pillboxes all over the island. A couple of them overlooked the golf course and you could see them from some of the fairways. Here's a pic of one, shortly after the battle was over.

Okinawa cave.jpg

•Never argue with an idiot. First, he will drag you down to his level. Then he will beat you with experience!•

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