Playing bad on badly maintained courses?

[kleraudio]

Just wondering if this is normal, I went out today and played a course Ive never played before...

Shot a freakin 94....ugh....

The course was in shambles, there were craters in the fairway, dead spots everywhere, no fairway other places, 5 feet off the fairway, was just NASTY stuff (hardpan, sand, dirt, no grass) All the trees were dead, from the tee box you could not differntiate fairway from rough..

The greens had weeds growing on them, huge patches of dirt and sand...

This place charges 50 bucks on weekends to play too!!!!!! Ive heard good things about them, but obviously I will never play there again...

So anyways, I played like complete crap..... I am thinking it was because of horrible upkeep and just a downright ugly course.

Does this happen to you guys or am I just blaming the course? I seriously lost interest by the third hole. (where anything inside 150 yards had to be picked up because there was no fairway

Sorry bout the long post but I was really dissapointed in the course today as well as my score.

Jim

[wedge player]

i play a course like this often,when its this bad we play improved lie cause who wants to be in 3 inch rough in thw middle of a fairway.its like a driving range we dont record scores but its 20 dollars for two people for 18 with a care so its not to bad

[Yukari]

I would imagine if you are not enjoying the course, you are losing focus. So I am not surprised that your score reflected your displeasure of the course.

[plugged]

To be honest, if I were you, I would have stopped keeping score.

[goblue107501]

Pretty normal if you ask me. I will score better on a hard, well maintained course than I will on an easy, crappy course. The greens are inconsistent, the grass is poor, you never have a good lie - even in the fairway, etc., etc.

[GaijinGolfer]

Sounds like a course I wouldnt go back to, especially for that price.

[Lance]

That's like paying $100 to play at an amazing course that just air rated the greens the day before, it just plain sucks

Maybe it's just me,but i like to play no excuses golf....

[NormH3]

not only would I probably not go back, but I would send off a letter (not just an email) to the management company. There is no excuse for charging $50 a round when they aren't putting it back into the course. I would ask for a refund.

[Fourputt]

Just wondering if this is normal, I went out today and played a course Ive never played before...

It's probably in your head as much as anything. If you had to play, then play under the preferred lies local rule. Even under bad conditions, you can still play decently if you always have a good lie. I doubt that I'd have even stayed unless it was a tournament of some kind (and maybe not even then), and if a course holds a tournament when it's that bad off, then shame on them.

To be honest, if I were you, I would have stopped keeping score.

I'd have never paid the green fees in the first place. If the course is that bad it should have been apparent from the parking lot... I'd have turned around and left. No way in Hell I'd pay $50 to play at a course like that.

That's like paying $100 to play at an amazing course that just air rated the greens the day before, it just plain sucks

Aerating at least shows that the course cares. When done properly it has little effect on your game. I played a couple of courses this fall which had just aerated, and aside from being slower, the greens putted quite nicely. My suggestion is to find a course which knows how to do the job right, then play there during the aeration season.

[eltigre-21]

there is a course by my house is really cheap only $7 to walk 18. so i thought i would try it. It is an executive course and it was terriable i have only played it once and i played like crap for some reason basicly the same stuff you said i wont play it again ruined my confidence i will stick to playing my free nice course:)

[Golfaway]

My home course is exactly like the one you're describing. Imagine that's the only place I can play in :(

[walk18]

I'd have stopped caring too. Should have gotten your $$ back.

[flopdarock]

the course the OP described reminds me of a course here... but the course here is only 20 bucks and its ultra crowded all the time(obviously due to the price)... 50 bucks is ridiculous for those kinda conditions... if you got to the 3rd and decided it wasnt worth it... i woulda got my money back... 50 bucks is twilight rates at the arnold palmer designed signature course(my fave course around here)...

as for the original question... its a toss up and depends on how lucky i can get with my lies... but a horribly maintained course wont give you too many lucky lies even if you hit it well... i think i play better on a well maintained "harder" course than a poorly maintained "easy" course

[jrush]

I have a club just up the road from my house that has a very nice 18 hole course and a piece of crap 9 hole. The 9 hole is cheep and not maintained well but is great for practice rounds.