What is your ideal golfing experience?

[PeterKratsios]

Hey Everyone,

My name is Peter Kratsios and I am an avid golfer from New York who played collegiately at Gettysburg College, and continue to enjoy my passion for golf to this day. I am excited to become a new member of The Sand Trap community and look forward to being an active contributor to the blog.

I played Bethpage Black last year with a friend and was so excited to see two other young avid golfers in our foursome who had played collegiately at Hofstra University.  I remember being so pumped about how lucky we got, however, shouldn't this be the norm?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

[handicap14]

If it could be "anything" I would love to win a place in Golf1million and experience that event as hopefully I would be up against golfers like me.

[PeterKratsios]

Appreciate your feedback! However, I am more curious to see do you look for golfers with the same handicap, age, or simply the type of game you are looking to play?

[David in FL]

Welcome to the site Peter!

Sounds like you were paired up with some young, talented collegiate golfers and had a great day.  Good stuff, but I'm not quite sure that I understand your question.....

[PeterKratsios]

Off to a rough start haha!

My point is, if I was able to have my ideal golfing experience it would be with other young male golfers, at my skill level, looking to play a competitive game at courses in my area.

So my question is, what types of games do you look for when hitting the links? Are you simply there to play your own game, or are you looking for a more specific golfing experience?

[saevel25]

Any of the worlds best golf courses with my dad.

One of my best times I had was playing TPC Sawgrass last year. Just an amazing time. We go paired up with a twosome, but that doesn't matter as long as me and my dad are playing. Well and the two other people aren't ***holes. Haven't run into that scenario yet

[Golfingdad]

So my question is, what types of games do you look for when hitting the links? Are you simply there to play your own game, or are you looking for a more specific golfing experience?

I'm not much of a gambler ... so I really just enjoy playing with friends for a beer or a couple of bucks.

On the other hand, I just started playing tournaments in the last year or so and those are a whole different kind of fun.  Exhilarating is probably the best word to describe those.

I also spend some time on the course with my dad and fath-in-law playing for nothing ... just enjoying the time and weather (and the occasional curse word from my dad ;))

All of those are, in their own right, "ideal" to me.

Oh, and for that matter ... I really enjoy meeting new people on the golf course as well.  (Some of my current golfing friends started out that way)

So, basically, if it involves playing golf, its hard for it to not be ideal!!

EDIT:  And in a few years ... I'll get to start taking my son out, and that one will probably trump all of the above!!  Can't wait!!

[snapfade]

My first and only Masters tournament in 2000. Next would be the free Ryder Cup trip I won with Golfsmith in 2012. Followed by golf in the Philippines, self explanatory.

[Hammer 4]

Welcome Peter.

For me, getting out on decent course and playing with friends on a nice sunny day is about all I need to have a great time. Don't need anything special in the way of courses or other players, I don't bet, so playing for bragging rights suit me fine.

[nevets88]

Welcome to the site, Peter.

I play all the other courses at Bethpage, Black rarely. I think you're more likely to get your optimal experience on Black because it tends to attract better golfers. Me, I'm happy if I can get a round in 4:30 or under, which is rare at Bethpage and why I mostly play 9 holes. I'm just there to play my own game, not really looking for anything competitive.

My ideal experience would be playing with friends, playing well within myself and finishing in well under 4 hours, perhaps watch the end of whatever tournament is playing on tv after the round, drinking cold refreshments, no traffic going home.

[BENtSwing]

A group of my friends with nobody behind or ahead of us.