I'm curious how many of you have a "home course" that you play most of your rounds on, or do you play several courses intentionally.

Last year I really focused on playing as many courses as I could, both for variety and trying to find a decent course to join as a member. This year, I'm wondering if I might be better suited to pick a specific course and play it a bunch.. I'm sure it would help my handicap, but as someone who is still relatively bad at golf(25 index currently) I also think that it would allow me to focus more on my golf skills and worry less about the nuances of different courses...

I'm curious what you guys do, and why?

I have a "home course," the local country club. I live in a rural area, and have two choices for 18 hole, full length courses. The other course is great, but it doesn't have a driving range, practice facility (other than a small putting green) or a true membership; you can pay a flat yearly fee for unlimited golf. It's pretty expensive (over $100 for most of the year) so I rarely play it as an alternative, usually only during tournaments or when someone is visiting and wants to play a couple courses.

I admit, I miss playing several different courses, as I like variety and I think it helps your game. When I lived in Portland I was a member at country club that was really nice, but since I was paying high dues I felt compelled to play there whenever I played, and not playing other courses was one of the reasons I quit. When I wasn't a member I'd play 6-7 different courses pretty regularly. I still play several different courses a year either visiting Portland or my brother in Seattle, but I still miss having a wide variety available.

When I lived in NC I played the same 1 or 2 courses almost exclusively because they were the only 2 within 30 minutes. Since moving to AZ I probably play 20 different courses each year, and only a few of those more than once or twice. Just too many options nearby to be tied to one place.

That said, in a little over two years we're hoping to move into a community that has 4 courses within a short cart ride. Those 4 will get 90% of my play because of the pricing for community residents...along with them being really solid courses.

It has varied over the years.

Used to have a home course, a semi-private. Played probably 80% of my golf there, the rest at different courses. Loved the course and was super happy to play most rounds there.

More recently it has been travel golf, playing different courses. Currently have three courses that I play regularly and then play in a travel group that visits a different course each Saturday. None of my regulars counts as a home course, I doubt that I play more than seven or eight 18 hole rounds a year at any of the three.

I like having a home course but would definitely never join one where I felt I had to play all my golf there. And I'm fairly picky, there are courses in the rotation that I could join but I don't like them enough to play there more than once a week.

I'm a member at a very easy golf course the reason being is it's like a 7 min drive or something. The course is pretty much built for seniors and doesn't have much hope of changing. It's good for what it is though I guess.

Right now me and 3 others generally play at the home course during the week and the weekend but pick one day in the week where they have it off work and then we decide to go some place else. It's usually a little cheaper and quieter in the week. Right now we are rotating around 3-4 different courses all within like a 40 mins drive, We will branch out and travel a little further when winter passes.

It's a bit of a shame though where I live I have some pretty decent courses around me that I'd liked to become a member of, However the waiting list for these courses are 1 Year plus these days and it's so expensive to join, I think one of the courses was host of that Rose series that they had for the women in the UK during the start of Covid, Saying all that I like the setup I have right now though, paying a fairly cheap price at my local and the money I'm saving vs paying for a more expensive course, I get to play a variety of courses.

Through work and a corporate membership at a group of courses around my city, plus me being part of men's league (though I am not a club member) at one of those courses for the first time last year, I played about 40% of my rounds last year at one specific course (so roughly 25 rounds on the year). Rest were 1-2 times or travel rounds.

Back in my hometown, one of the old timer's in golf group has always expressed a strong feeling that the true way to "know" your game, yardages, etc. was to be a member somewhere and play the same course day in, day out. That the routine of playing that course would help you better understand your tendencies, your shots, playing a variety of clubs from the same spot and test your game over a larger sample size with repeatable conditions, and so on.

Since I've never been a true member anywhere I can't really comment on whether that is mumbo jumbo, but last year was the first time I'd ever played that many rounds at one course in a given season, and I'd say it had some merits. At the very least it truly taught me to understand the course, and navigate around it. So the self lessons in course management were valuable, at least.

Long term, later in life, I definitely want to be a member somewhere, purely for the benefits of booking tee times, services, being part of a community. For now though while I'm still golfing with a wide variety of friends and clients I'm happy to play anywhere.

I have a membership at a public course, and also play in the men's club at a second course.

I played about 2/3s of my rounds at my "home course" which is just a public course. The walking rate is so great that I don't bother with a season pass or anything based on the number of rounds I play most years with tournaments, rounds elsewhere and travel, etc.

Then most of my other rounds is probably between like 6-7 other courses in the area and then some random courses when traveling or I make it a point to seek out.

If I'm up early and just want 9 before the day starts, I play local 9 hole course. Guy lets me go if hes not there yet and I catch up when finished. Sometimes he just says get out of here.

If . have time for 18 I play the longer tougher semi private 18 hole local course when I want challenge. Or I play the shorter easier public 18 hole course next town over. There is much water at the former, zero water at the latter.

If I'm in the mood for a peculiar brand of torture I make the half hour trip to the half links half championship long and difficult 18 hole public course.

Play a very hilly public 18 hole course out by Worcester a couple times a year with my ex's husband.

They built condos where my hole in 1 occurred at pretty dumpy 9 hole par 28.

I bring my sister (next 9 will he her 28th to 36th holes ever) to the cheapest 9 (par 36) hole course around. Its not nice. So its perfect. I play here time to time if others are closed for weather. Guy does not care if u want to play in pouring rain, snow, 25 degrees, whatever. Just wants his dollars in hand.

Others are basically when I'm in strange lands with time to kill that I never went back to. Maybe 2 or 3 of these a year.

Someday I hope to play granite links (27 holes just south of Boston. Fun website with visual flyover hole previews) its about 150 for 18 though. And I hope to play a legit white mountain course in New Hampshire. Think theres one in Bethlehem with a small casino. Haven't been up there in years though.

Porter touched on this in his post above, but Portland has five city owned public courses that are great value in the ~40-50 range year round. combine those with other regional courses (within a 30-40 minute drive) which cost a bit more and i find myself playing 11 or 12 different courses throughout a typical season, but there's probably 15 or more that would fit the bill.
there's a lot of really good golf in and around Portland

In Scotland they recently started an initiative where, for a small monthly payment, you can can get an official handicap based on scores verified by playing partners and also you can enter club open competions. So I play at the courses of members and in return take them to other courses through golf now or directly. So last year I played about 15 different courses. I've already got a couple of senior open competitions booked up for the summer already and looking to book up a few more.

In summary, it's great to live in a small country with hundreds of golf courses!

which courses did you play last year?

Royal Burgess
Gullane 2
Baberton
Newbattle
Ely
Crail
East Kilbride
Troon Lochgreen
Williamwood
Loudon Gowf Club
East Renfrewshire
Haggs Castle

maybe some more

Going to enter a few seniors competitions this year which are great value, a lot less than visitors' green fees. For anyone in the UK, this site details all open competions. Unfortunately the better ones tend to fill up quickly.

https://www.happygolf.co.uk/

Cheers for this, Even the comps down my way are a lot less than the normal green fees will try and take part in a few I think.

hey i've played Gullane 2. that slog up the hill after the drive on 2 is worth the views you get for the next several holes.
looks like those courses are mostly around edinburgh and glasgow belt. are you based out of the east or west?

I'm based in the west. I played Gullane in October and the course was in perfect condition despite being late on in the year and getting heavy usage.

ever take the ferry out to Arran and play Shiskine? tons of fun.

I play not quite every week. I’m guessing on average, 45 times a year.

Half of those are at our ‘home’ course. The other half are random courses.

One of the few great things of living in the Phoenix metro area, more golf courses than you can count.

This is fantastic.

I had to reread with Scottish accent for posterity.

Golf courses are like women - if you have the opportunity to play tons of different courses you play them. Who wants chicken every night?

Been mixing it up since gaining some confidence after a few months off due to busy real life and then resulting neck injury due to real life. When I came back I played the local 25 dollar local 9 a few times. Then spent a night working in Worcester and played the front 9 of a championship course I like a lot. Then my first full 18 last week. Then 9 hole course a few towns over in 92 degrees. And yesterday I played the southern 18 of a 36 hole complex in the hills South of Boston. This is probably my favorite layout, but the conditions are not good. Donald Ross designed the courses but state maintains them basically at minimum efforts. They were closed and in disrepair for a decade or so. The 18th leaves something to be desired. Seems to be a layout issue for the average player. The championship tee box on 18(not in use) requires either a layup down in a valley about 200 yards from the green, or a drive of 230+ to clear the water and overgrown vegetation. Instead they keep it closed and the back tee box is probably 265 yards from the green. I suppose it could make for exciting finishes, but I'm more of a traditional 18th hole kinda guy.

On that note, I think we should turn this into a "post here when you play a new course" thread.