2024 Reviewer of the Year

[BogeyNoMore]

I just do not get the desire to bag so many courses. I need to play a course several times to get anywhere near my best score on it. If I have no comparison then I am unsure if I am playing well or not. I love the feel of seeing a personal best. A truly good course deserves multiple plays to understand the possibilities.

Do what works for you/makes you happy.

Terrain, flora (and fauna) vary greatly from region to region, and different local designers often like to bring different elements into play.

Sure, we all want to score as low as we possibly can, but I'm not a touring pro, who needs to squeeze every stroke out of a course that they can to climb the leaderboard. I know when I'm hitting my shots (and when I'm not).

I (and many others) prefer to play a course, enjoy it for what it offers and/or makes it different, and move on to the next course (not to mention meeting others).

There are several very good courses near me that I have dialed in (at least kind of ), but I tire of playing the same sets of holes over and over. Traveling to other areas to play courses helps keep things fresh for me, and gives me a better perspective on how my local courses compare to those in other areas of the country.

It's all about what works for you as an individual.

 

[dndelli]

Do what works for you/makes you happy.

Terrain, flora (and fauna) vary greatly from region to region, and different local designers often like to bring different elements into play.

Sure, we all want to score as low as we possibly can, but I'm not a touring pro, who needs to squeeze every stroke out of a course that they can to climb the leaderboard. I know when I'm hitting my shots (and when I'm not).

I (and many others) prefer to play a course, enjoy it for what it offers and/or makes it different, and move on to the next course (not to mention meeting others).

There are several very good courses near me that I have dialed in (at least kind of ), but I tire of playing the same sets of holes over and over. Traveling to other areas to play courses helps keep things fresh for me, and gives me a better perspective on just well my local courses do (or don't) compare to those in other areas of the country.

It's all about what works for you as an individual.

Really well put. The other thing that is nice about playing new courses, is they sometimes test your creativity and/or new shot shapes you aren't used to throwing on your home courses.

 

[wellsbranch250]

Congrats to both Knobby and Espresso whom both hit their 250th review over the weekend!

 

[EspressoPatronum]

Do what works for you/makes you happy.

Terrain, flora (and fauna) vary greatly from region to region, and different local designers often like to bring different elements into play.

Sure, we all want to score as low as we possibly can, but I'm not a touring pro, who needs to squeeze every stroke out of a course that they can to climb the leaderboard. I know when I'm hitting my shots (and when I'm not).

I (and many others) prefer to play a course, enjoy it for what it offers and/or makes it different, and move on to the next course (not to mention meeting others).

There are several very good courses near me that I have dialed in (at least kind of ), but I tire of playing the same sets of holes over and over. Traveling to other areas to play courses helps keep things fresh for me, and gives me a better perspective on how my local courses compare to those in other areas of the country.

It's all about what works for you as an individual.

Couldn't have said it better myself, Bogey! Plus, it lets me travel all over the country seeing new things, and I get to add in hikes, food, coffee, etc.

Do what works for you and enjoy it to the fullest.

 

[Monocacy]

Couldn't have said it better myself, Bogey! Plus, it lets me travel all over the country seeing new things, and I get to add in hikes, food, coffee, etc.

. . . BBQ, taco trucks, breweries, oh and uh friends and family . . .

 

[BogeyNoMore]

For a response, that's more on topic for this specific thread...

Reviewers who've played hundreds of courses, across many states, have a larger sample size, are likely to have played more high quality courses, and seen a wider range of holes and situations.

That provides richer context for people reading reviews, than someone who's only played courses within a relatively small radius of their home.

 

[Pizza God]

I just do not get the desire to bag so many courses. I need to play a course several times to get anywhere near my best score on it. If I have no comparison then I am unsure if I am playing well or not. I love the feel of seeing a personal best. A truly good course deserves multiple plays to understand the possibilities.

Well for me, it's about throwing a hole for the first time and nailing it.

Even when I first started playing back in the 80's I have always been one that never played a course twice in a row. I would Drive down from Denton and play a different course each time. Well, unless I was playing a tournament or mini that time.

Back then I would also try to play courses on trips. So I was kind of a course collector even back then before it became a "thing"

Trust me, you don't want to be addicted to collecting courses. I spend way too much money on gas to keep my addiction up.

 

[DFrah]

I just do not get the desire to bag so many courses. I need to play a course several times to get anywhere near my best score on it. If I have no comparison then I am unsure if I am playing well or not. I love the feel of seeing a personal best. A truly good course deserves multiple plays to understand the possibilities.

This is a really great question! And you have already gotten some other perspectives which I generally agree with.

For me personally, I have figured out that what you describe is exactly, 100% why I DON'T want to play most courses again and again (other than a couple of my favorites). I get ultra competitive with myself when I am focused on getting better at something, to the point where I end up not enjoying that thing. I don't want that to happen with disc golf so I don't play the same courses very often, or participate in any leagues or tournaments.

I AM actually getting better overall by playing new courses all the time. Probably not as much as I would if I focused on it more directly, but enough to keep me happy. And I return to my local course 6 months or a year later and find that I have improved since the last time I played that course and I score better. So it's like I'm deliberately not focused on getting better because I'm afraid that would ruin the enjoyment for me. I have actually consciously thought about this.

That approach probably won't work for everyone, and it may not work for you. Your approach is perfectly valid, and probably more normal than mine. But that's where I'm coming from personally.

 

[wolfhaley]

It's so much more fun playing a course you've never played before. I still obviously play my local courses but there's nothing like stepping up to a tee pad you've never seen before and figuring out what's the plan of attack here. Nothing is better than that.

 

[Pizza God]

Ok, I will tell the truth

I get bored playing a course I have played before. I mean I have zero desire to play the 2 courses I am technically course pro for. The course closest to my house I only have played one time since it was installed years ago (To be fair, I do call it one of the worst courses in DFW)

However I will push my self to the point I am feel like I am about to die playing new courses on my trips.

I mean you are going to read about them finding me on a course someday, as long as they put the course number in my OBIT, I am fine with that.

 

[ChrisinFL]

I agree, Geezer. Some new courses are fun, but I enjoy playing a course I like, learning the lines, figuring which disc works better for me where, and trying to improve my scores. Also, I am not big on spending a lot of time traveling. I play now and then at courses that are further away, but I keep most of my play under a 30 minute drive. DG rocks! Getting good - I just need a bit more distance. Moving my 250-275' max out to 300' would change my birdie chances on a lot of holes (wrong thread for it, I know, but I just can't help myself).

 

[ChrisinFL]

I think the travel bug is a thing, and it just never really bit me?!?!
I prefer activities I enjoy over traveling to places I have never been to look at something I have not seen before. I look, okay, I saw it, now let's go play DG, or get a nice meal out, or go roller skating - do something I really enjoy!

 

[Tyler V]

Ivanhenson's recent spree of reviws has taken our magic numnber to 10!