Playing top ranked courses

Just thinking about this, especially after reading JAS's bagged list, I think it must be very difficult to both:

a) fully appreciate and take-in the course you're playing, and

b) play well

To me, it seems it would be very hard to do anything other than one or the other. I say this knowing that some people will be able to achieve this and have achieved it, but I think I would/do find it very difficult. Is this just me or can anyone relate to this?


Note
I'm referring to situations where one is expected to only play one round on the course.

Merc, when I play a 'top course' I take it all in, and for example played the Brabazon a couple of years ago, and can still remember just about every shot on every hole. It was a great experience, but the course was soggy and boggy and even though I had a great day, felt let down by the state of the track.

Ganton a few years ago, when not playing as well as I am now, was exactly the same, even though the day was spoiled by the treatment meted out to our group. I played Silloth a couple of years ago and had no expectations as I hadn't really heard of the place. We were on a trip and as its a links we added it to out tour. That course was fantastic and gave me a buzz and will always revisit it when in the area. Its a mile ahead of the Belfry and a friendly place as well.

By playing some of these courses just the once, makes you go over your round and know that some of the holes you would play differently next time. You look at your score and think that a few shots could have been shaved if you had played it another way.

I think remembering every shot is easier for some than others. It depends on how many shots you play, for a start. There's not many of my 103 strokes at Saunton (East) I remember, but I do remember thinking "I must play this course again".

I think you really need to play every course twice. The first round for the 'wow' factor and the second round to play well.

As I watch the Dubai classic I can remember every hole from when I played it 2 years back, but I would not say that I took the time to take in the surroundings. Playing 2nd shot to 18 from where Montys plate is on the fairway and making birdie is one of my best memories to any finish on any of the top courses I have played.

Matelot golfer wrote:As I watch the Dubai classic I can remember every hole from when I played it 2 years back, but I would not say that I took the time to take in the surroundings. Playing 2nd shot to 18 from where Montys plate is on the fairway and making birdie is one of my best memories to any finish on any of the top courses I have played.

Similar feeling on the 18th at the Belfry when stood next Christy's plate on the fairway. Difference being I finished up laying up as no chance of carrying the water in the conditions.

Doc.
I played the 18th at The Belfry with my daughter a few years ago. I decided to play safe right off the tee but got a bit of draw on the ball to hit the perfect drive which got a good bounce off the slope. The pin was on the front and it was a dead weight 5 wood for me. Hit the perfect shot and when it was airbourne I was thinking how flash it would be to hole out in two. The ball was flush on the pin and hit the upright of the sleepers guarding the pond and bounced about 30 foot in the air to land in the pond. grrrrrrrrrr.

I always hope when playing a good track, that I bring my "A" game with me but undoubtedly never do, but if you like a course, it makes no difference how you play it, you will always want to go back.

Unfortunately big Jacks courses never make me feel like a want to go back and play it again, they seem to be just a slog, so you do not get a chance to take in all the niceties of the course and its layout

I've had a few decent rounds now but invariably when I started playing "great" courses I did tend to get beaten up. It's clear to me that when playing a really really top notch course (an Open rota or U.S. Open course) your game doesn't really need to be out by much (in ANY aspect) and your score will spiral.

It took me several attempts on a selection of rota courses before I managed to break 90 then out the blue shot 82 round Birkdale with a quintuple bogey on the 9th.

I can't really say if it was the views/surroundings that would make me struggle but I do seem to have shaken off the inability to bring my "a" game to a top venue. I may not do it often but at least I now have a list of some top 100 courses where I've beaten my handicap.

I do have 2 proper bogey courses, not rota courses by any means but decent tracks nevertheless where I've never (on 3 occasions each) got anywhere near shooting a good score (I'm talking 6 rounds in the mid-90s which for a single figure player is quite shocking). Ashburnham - just outside LLanelli and The Links at Spanish Bay on the Monterey Peninsula.

I couldn't really have cared less about my score round TOC. In fact, I have no idea what I shot, though I know it wasn't good. I played ok at Valderrama, but couldn't putt and, off 5 at the time, started with 14 straight bogeys, 3 putting or short siding myself on every hole, before it got messy!

Not quite in the same league but I played just under my handicap at the Oxfordshire. And that's about all the top courses I've ever played!

It's all about anticipation... you build up to it too much in your mind which then puts undue pressure on you to perform as it's built into your 'enjoyment' of the day.

Learn to just play golf... win, lose, draw have the same attitude to each course, shot and result. And that should always be to have a smile on your face and step up to the next shot with the same approach you always have. It's hard but learning that will make it so much easier to play well at what you consider a top track.

I've lost that recently in all my golf but it's coming back (although not so far in 2012 as I haven't even been on a course yet!). And that approach has helped me to shoot level at San Lorenzo, level at the Oxfordshire, level at St Andrews New, 3 under at St Andrews Jubilee and god knows what other scores... although my real claim to fame is on Las Ramblas in Villamartin. 3 days on the spin I eagled their par 4 ninth and was under on each round I played by a lot of shots. If anyone has ever played that course they will understand the sense of pride I have in that particular run of(ahem) luck.

Smithers Valderrama's greens aren't exactly renowned for being easy

The worst putting day I ever had was at Pasatiempo....39 putts (the round before which was Kapalua and the round after which was Spyglass 1 was 30/31 putts)

I do think Pasatiempos greens got in my head and I would imagine that Valderrama's to similarly.

Oh...you know the Villamartin area LJ? I'm going there on a short break in late September

JAS wrote:Oh...you know the Villamartin area LJ? I'm going there on a short break in late September

Know it very well... Had (and still have) a place out there JAS.

Need any info? Happy to provide all the details on courses, places to eat, fun nightspots to enjoy and places to avoid.

although I should mention that although I have a place I've not actually been there in about 5 years!

The key to playing top courses!

A camera. Play your golf as you usually do and take a camera to snap some shots as you walk and that gives you something to look back at and take it what you did or didn't see.

I also find that concentrating on the surroundings helps take your mind off golf allowing you to play better...... Says me having just played Fancourt sunday and gone round in +4. Which in all honesty over the moon with as we got to play off back tees witha couple guys from the sunshine tour who are here this week.

Posting this gonna cost a fortune as using the phone

What highlights were there, Mav (from both a scoring and course point of view)?

Merc et al,

I will regail all with the delights of Fancourt (and t'is delightful) upon our return home Sunday with a few Pics and stories to boot! Suffice to say the first half of the week was Epic, the 2nd half a wash out with family Mav all suffering a case of all requiring much which started with little Mav and gone through us all!!

Still worth it though I feel half a stone lighter!