MD/DC/VA Golfers - Twelve Monkeys Mental Divergence

[TheCityGame]

People : Nothing good is going to come out of lockdown.

Reddit u/bradmeehan : Hold my beer.

Original thread.

[bubbagump]

Its probably my favorite course in the area. Course is always a challenge and fun, and the setting around the lake is really nice. I play it pretty often, and have never had any complaints with the conditioning, its usually well maintained.

[ALTSean]

How are the conditions right now?

[dcmidnight]

I like Stonewall a lot. I walked it once with a group but it is definitely not a walkable course.

[aiyyer]

We played last weekend with the usual suspects and I was blown away by the condition, layout and views. Huge Psychological boost after the isolation.

RTJ was tempting on the other side and we had very brief thoughts about hitting the RTJ greens from across the lake.

[ALTSean]

Did you walk or ride? If you walked, how was it?

[aiyyer]

Walked. Couple of long transfers but otherwise enjoyed the walk.

[ceejay81]

I've walked Bull Run and Stonewall the past 2 weeks and they were a lot more walk-able than I thought they would be. At Bull Run the transfer from 9 to 10 sucks. Stonewall was definitely enjoyable to walk, like ayyer said.

[GooseHook]

Master P bout to sign that cart to a No Limit Records deal.

[aiyyer]

1757 walk from 9th to 10th is a total mess.

[bubbagump]

1757 is a bizarre establishment. Sweet practice facilities but that course is a boondoggle and the location is a nightmare traffic logistics wise.

[ALTSean]

You probably should not walk through the driving range.

[davechen]

Eh, it build character.

[baddomes]

That's gotta be the worst transfer I've seen.

[ALTSean]

Speaking of bad transfers, the transfer from the 18th hole to the parking lot at Quintero is over 4,600' as the crow flies and over a mile in a cart or walking. It is an awesome course in the middle of no where and they have yet to build build a permanent clubhouse in over 20 years since it opened. The permanent clubhouse would be somewhere near the range, so the distance from the temp clubhouse and parking lot to the range, 1st tee and 18th tee is ridiculous.

 

[ALTSean]

P.S. - Don't walk through the desert.

[GoldenBellGW]

We had the first tee time a few years ago at Quintero. It was an overcast morning and the cloud layer was just at the tips of the mountains you drive through. It was not developed at all back then, so driving out to that first tee which takes about 8 minutes was very unique. Looking up at the mountains, you really got a sense of what it must have been like hundreds of years ago walking through there not knowing who was watching. It was so quiet and eerie.

There's a lot of blowback about that course but I enjoyed it other than the fact that 3 of the 4 par 3s were identical shots and yardages. By far the quickest, smoothest greens we played on (I think they are bent) and one of the most scenic. Don't know I would pay full rate for it but it was worth the off-season discount. There's another course out that direction about another 45 drive called Wickenburg Ranch. I think the idea was to make it a self-contained community. Very cool course and it routes around their party zone - a short game practice area and their par 3 called Lil' Wick. Hammocks, adirondacks, 'watering hole' - all placed amongst the holes which is all lighted by the way so the party goes all night. Way in the middle of nowhere but it was a very cool spot.

[SullGolf]

Hot take from someone who has never played a desert golf course: desert golf is one of the stupidest things in the history of mankind. Playing off lush green grass in the middle of the desert is an affront to mother nature. They should be hitting it off the sand and using catcii as flagsticks.

[HighBoomingDraws]

Bro have you ever been to Phoenix/Scottsdale for a golf trip?

[ALTSean]

 

[2moreTerpz]

anyone else who hasn't been playing getting close to cracking? So far i've held out. a couple days ago i sent a scout text to city. i've googled some northern virginia tee times the past couple days. from when i got home from work last thursday afternoon until i went back in yesterday AM i didn't leave the house. from when i get home today until wednesday when i go in it'll be the same. i'm trying to comply. but man. i'm getting antsy.

 

also if you haven't checked out the kyle berkshire youtube videos ... check them out. they're awesome.

[TheCityGame]

IMO, this is one of the most disgusting pictures ever taken. I'd feel better about this picture if that golf course was an oil field or a coal mine. This picture has zero overlap with my relationship with golf.

[FAbb]

Not at all.

 

I haven't played since 3/9. Last time I was at work was 3/27. I've been out of the house to grocery shop 2 or 3 times since then. That's it.

 

I'm just not having a hard time with this so far. Golf will be there when we come out the other side. It's a bummer when it's a really nice day, and it would be awesome to golf, but those thoughts go quickly since those nice days I'm outside with my family.

[gregh729]

Nope, got a routine going. A little bored working from home. I go in to the office every other week, so I am getting out. Also go by my parents to check on them occasionally.

I'll play when the restriction is lifted. It's in place for a reason.

[willboyrd]

I definitely have been getting antsy, @2moreTerpz. So I feel ya there.

I agree with the above though and am holding steadfast to the guidelines in place. Have been working from home since 3/16. Have gone out to pick-up takeout food or grocery shopping a total of 5 times in the past month. Get out of the house to walk the dog, occasionally knock some nuggets around the soccer field of the local park early in the morning when there's only a few joggers on the sidewalks.

It's been rough - especially on the really nice days. Its made worse by @aiyyer texting me bragging about his VA rounds LOL

[dcmidnight]

Exactly.

And I'm not going to call that picture misleading but the pic has to be at least 30 years old at this point. Just to the right of that picture even back then is a major interstate highway, an air force base and a huge motor speedway. That area is now 3/4 residential and 1/4 industrial.

[aiyyer]

Totally agree - that’s revolting. The only saving grace is the absence of McMansions and fountains lining the driveways. Thankfully, current golf course design ideology is more ecologically sensitive.

[TheCityGame]

They're there now. maybe not fountains. that's shadow creek. You can google it.

I wasn't trying to insinuate that's a current picture. It's just a picture, and it disgusts me. It represents where that area was going, and a way of thinking about development and building that I don't think is good, or sustainable.

 

[TheCityGame]

I've tried to shut down my "golf locations" in my brain. I feel like if I played one round right now that I'd be right back into "missing golf" mindset. One round isn't going to make me improve. It's not going to shorten my "time to get my game back" when we really come back.

that said --- I'm not going to put it together, but if the right opportunity to drive to VA and get in 18 came up, I'd probably do it, and when my course opens again, I'll be out there every day.

I've been leaving the house every day to walk the dog. I've been doing two long walks every weekend, some hacky sack and some gardening. I haven't checked on my crops today after it got cold last night.

The weather actually hasn't been all that great for doing stuff.

As we're talking about getting back to normal, I kind feel corona "closing in". . .I told a few people the other day. . .my aunt has corona.

The big old folks home .3 miles from my house just announced they have 11 cases. I've been waiting for that. They'll have a LOT MORE when all is said and done. They're right across the street from the grocery store and the pharmacy we go to.

there's also an ambulance right outside my 93 year old neighbor's house right now, but there's been a 'bulance there a couple times in the past year so it could just be old folks stuff. She doesn't go out.

 

[ALTSean]

@TheCityGame Agree that that is a bad picture / design / use of resources, but I would argue that it is also not desert golf, at least not good desert golf. That course is on a flat piece of land and could be anywhere, it does not fit into the land and has trees and lakes that are not natural. Good desert golf, like most good golf design, fits into the land, see below. The good desert golf courses, especially in AZ, take advantage of the elevation changes you have in a place like the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. I totally buy the argument that grass is not natural to the desert, but warm weather grasses like bermuda grow very well in AZ without a ton of water. I'm not saying that I would choose desert golf over ocean golf (i.e. Bandon, Torrey, Pebble, etc.), but good desert golf done right is pretty awesome.

[img]https://s3.amazonaws.com/golfwrxforums/uploads/808/Z31X1OEHARR1.jpg[/img]