Worst Conditions = Most Fun?

[LUMA]

So I played a course for the first time called Meadowbrook here in Gainesville. If anybody from the course see's this this sorry about your luck but I am saying it.

 

This was the worst, and I mean absolute worst course conditions I have ever played on. Tee boxes were sand. Fairways were growing thick patches of clover weeds. Greens were like putting on broken asphalt made of thick carpet. One of the fairways was all field grass. Like the whole fairway... Just thin, long field grass. Trees hanging directly in the way of pin locations, which I hit at least 7 times throughout my round... and it was one of the most fun rounds I have ever played. The course layout was so much fun. It was impossible to think through shots. You just had to rip it and pray. On another note, if the owners actually did ANYTHING for course, it would be one of the best courses in the state. Soooooo fun!

 

Even tho I shot probably 10 over par, I had a blast. It took the pressure out of the equation. There was literally very few holes where you could put a shot in a certain position. Just hit your ball and play your next shot.

 

Brought me back to a refreshing for once, feeling of just getting out there and not caring about scoring.

 

 

[aliikane]

There are only 2 things that I care about when it comes to course conditions to make me get annoyed with the course. Greens and bunkers. If the greens and bunkers are good, I am fine. Playing from crappy fairways and tough lies makes it challenging but I play for fun. I can see how pros that play for money would be extremely concerned about course condition.

[nbg352]

Masochism can be fun.......

( I kid....)
It's nice to play a beautifully manicured course, but personally, I just like to hit a golf ball and then go chase it. The where doesn't really matter. A goat track beats hanging around the house all day....

[Roody]

I sorda know what you mean by this. I have some of the most fun playing some of the cheaper, lesser-maintained courses that I played a lot when I was first starting golf. It might be a nostalgia thing for me though.

What pisses me off is when I pay more expensive greens fees, only to find lousy conditions. When I'm only paying $20 for 18 holes, I expect it. But for $75, the course better be in pretty good shape.

[xrt99]

I have more fun when the conditions are bad because of mother nature...a course that is a complete crap-shoot because of improper care just isn't fun to me. I'd rather go to a park and hit wedges at a target vs. my buddies for a case of beer.

[LUMA]

They had names for each hole as well. One of them was called "The ordeal". LOL

[golfingron]

I was lucky enough to get out and play this past Saturday in Indianapolis. Flooded fairways, mud, snow still on the ground and frozen cups. Couldn't have been more happy to be smacking the little white ball around. No pressure just hit and move on, very relaxing and better than chipping balls in my basement.

[bk52]

[quote name='Roody' timestamp='1393252358' post='8733826']
What pisses me off is when I pay more expensive greens fees, only to find lousy conditions. When I'm only paying $20 for 18 holes, I expect it. But for $75, the course better be in pretty good shape.
[/quote]

This is my opinion, too. Expectations increase with the green fees.

[RJRJRJ]

Just looked at it on google maps. LOL

[LUMA]

[quote name='RJRJRJ' timestamp='1393277744' post='8736690']
Just looked at it on google maps. LOL
[/quote]

What you don't get to see is the huge up hill, down hill holes, and some of the holes had fairways that were like playing in a massive drainage ditch. No flat ground. Either waaaay up hill lie or waaaaay down hill. It was fun man. Nothing you could do with it but hit it and pray.

[jnier75]

You must be quite new to gville, that course is legendary. When Meadowbrook was built it was rated best new course in Florida and even held a few pro tournaments. A few years after the course was built though funding ran out or something and the course went downhill quickly. Now what you have is a $15 round of golf played on dirt and weeds. What always amazed me when I played there was the grounds crew out and about mowing and doing stuff. No matter what the time of day morning or late afternoon. I think they must have been volunteers because their equipment was not typical course maintenance tools, they were like snapper riding lawnmowers, lol.

CSB Time: When I was going to UF and they brought back the intramural scramble they held it at Meadowbrook, why the UAA couldn't cut them a deal and allow them to play on the school course I have no idea. It started raining halfway through the tournament turning the dirt into mud so my partner and I decided to pack it in rather than card a very wet 80. Team 58 eventually won with a score of 58. So I doubt there was much chance of us winning regardless.

[blink3665]

I like courses with 'character'. My old home course has character. It is short and difficult. Lots of uneven lies. The fairways aren't always great (they are getting better). That being said, it is my OLD home course because the sand traps are horrible. I dinged up a wedge (and felt like I broke my hand) when I hit a HUGE rock in the sand. Brand new wedge now has a gouge out of the sole. They had let me onto the course for free that day, so I didn't want to complain... I just won't play there anyway.

[LUMA]

[quote name='jnier75' timestamp='1393281091' post='8737022']
You must be quite new to gville, that course is legendary. When Meadowbrook was built it was rated best new course in Florida and even held a few pro tournaments. A few years after the course was built though funding ran out or something and the course went downhill quickly. Now what you have is a $15 round of golf played on dirt and weeds. What always amazed me when I played there was the grounds crew out and about mowing and doing stuff. No matter what the time of day morning or late afternoon. I think they must have been volunteers because their equipment was not typical course maintenance tools, they were like snapper riding lawnmowers, lol.

CSB Time: When I was going to UF and they brought back the intramural scramble they held it at Meadowbrook, why the UAA couldn't cut them a deal and allow them to play on the school course I have no idea. It started raining halfway through the tournament turning the dirt into mud so my partner and I decided to pack it in rather than card a very wet 80. Team 58 eventually won with a score of 58. So I doubt there was much chance of us winning regardless.
[/quote]

I am new to Gville. I grew up in Lakeland and lived awhile in Orlando. I am starting to hear stories about the place from other avid locals. LOL.

That one hole, the one they call "The Ordeal", I shot a trip bogie. Par 3, hit the tree on a perfect line at the flag, bounced left into the swamp grass, hit it fat and didn't go anywhere due to long grass and mud, pitched it to about 7 feet, putt and miss due to the terrible green, putt and miss again from about 3 feet, then in the hole for the trip!

I was cracking up.

[Jeremy Thee]

[quote name='Roody' timestamp='1393252358' post='8733826']
I sorda know what you mean by this. I have some of the most fun playing some of the cheaper, lesser-maintained courses that I played a lot when I was first starting golf. It might be a nostalgia thing for me though.

What pisses me off is when I pay more expensive greens fees, only to find lousy conditions. When I'm only paying $20 for 18 holes, I expect it. But for $75, the course better be in pretty good shape.
[/quote]
I agree. My buddies and I recently played a course last year that was horrid. It was 65 bucks and we had never played it before, we were excited to play there because we had heard great things but the course was GARBAGE! The tee boxes were patchy at best and completely destroyed. Some Fairways couldn't be seen from the tee box because they were so dried out and dead. Most of the bunkers that had "sand" in them were actually 1/4 inch river rock and the other ones were filled with weeds. It was so bad that after the 5th hole we left and headed to a course we knew was in good condition. Nothing worse than course conditions like that.

[Sean2]

I haven't played in more then three months...sounds glorious to me. :-)

[LUMA]

[quote name='Sean2' timestamp='1393649970' post='8769764']
I haven't played in more then three months...sounds glorious to me. :-)
[/quote]

Almost time, Sean. Almost.

[MaydayGSXR]

Did you get "The Hammy" ?

 

Haha, just checked out the course site and found this:

 

CURRENT SPECIAL RATES:

Get a FREE “The Hammy” putter on Tuesdays and Thursdays and after 12 noon on Weekends and Holidays!! All you have to do is book a tee time for 4 players and pay regular rate ($26 Mon-Thur, $28 Fri-Sun) and each player in the group will get a Free putter!

GET A FOURSOME, GET A TEE TIME, AND GET A FREE PUTTER!

 

Basically pays for itself!

The happy gilmore?

[Conrad1953]

I played a course in Santa Rosa, NM once that had NO
GRASS left on the course, except the greens, which would
be more aptly called "browns". Just dirt, sand and rocks.

The pro in the shop told us to tee up every shot so we
didn't ruin our clubs, it was a "local rule", lol.
Actually was a lot of fun. You never knew where your
ball was going to go when it hit the ground.

[SurfDuffer]

[quote name='LUMA' timestamp='1393216322' post='8732442']
So I played a course for the first time called Meadowbrook here in Gainesville. If anybody from the course see's this this sorry about your luck but I am saying it.

This was the worst, and I mean absolute worst course conditions I have ever played on. Tee boxes were sand. Fairways were growing thick patches of clover weeds. Greens were like putting on broken asphalt made of thick carpet. One of the fairways was all field grass. Like the whole fairway... Just thin, long field grass. Trees hanging directly in the way of pin locations, which I hit at least 7 times throughout my round... and it was one of the most fun rounds I have ever played. The course layout was so much fun. It was impossible to think through shots. You just had to rip it and pray. On another note, if the owners actually did ANYTHING for course, it would be one of the best courses in the state. Soooooo fun!

Even tho I shot probably 10 over par, I had a blast. It took the pressure out of the equation. There was literally very few holes where you could put a shot in a certain position. Just hit your ball and play your next shot.

Brought me back to a refreshing for once, feeling of just getting out there and not caring about scoring.
[/quote]

I play a similar course called Seven Hills Golfers Club in Spring Hill, Florida. Absolutely awesome layout but unfortunately falling into total disrepair. There was also another course in Spring Hill called Spring Hill Country Club that was another gem but it went out of business altogether.