I don’t know how anyone else feels about this, but to me there are certain foods of which a good meal isn’t much different than a bad one. Chinese, especially take-out, comes to mind. A bad plate of Gong Bao Chicken and a good plate of Gong Bao Chicken are not all that different.
Mexican is another. Now don’t get me wrong…I’ve had some really bad Chinese and Mexican dishes, and I’ve had some really good Chinese and Mexican dishes. I’m saying, in general, there’s not a big difference.
But even though you know of a certain restaurant that may serve up some of those below-par dishes, you still go to them in a pinch. For me, it’s pizza. I love pizza. I can have pizza three times a week and it’s OK with me. But unfortunately, since I moved out of the New Haven, Connecticut area, I just can’t find a good pie anywhere locally. I apologize to everyone around me now, but the pizza places you’ve recommended to me with that “great sauce” or “good pepperoni” – I’m sorry and I’m sure I’ve been spoiled by being so close to the famous Pepe’s and Modern pizzerias for years, but…your recommendation? It sucked.
But I have kids. And packing them into the car to drive 40 minutes for pizza every time we want it? It’s just not realistic. So we settle for the crappy pizzas we find around here. They’re not good, but they’re good enough to satisfy a craving.
For me, golf is the same way. Sometimes, I just want to play. Yeah, I want to play a nice course whenever I can. But at the same time, I don’t always have the time or the money to play the nicest courses around. So, I settle for playing some courses that wouldn’t be considered top-tier. But, like the pizza, it’s OK because I’m still playing golf.
That’s what it’s all about. I don’t so much care where I play, I just care that I do. Of course I’d prefer to play the nicest courses all the time, who wouldn’t? But for most of us, that’s just not possible. It costs more money to play the nicer courses. For some of us, it takes more time because these courses may not be local. I have a nice course only ten minutes away, but it’s pricey…so I won’t be there all the time (not that I want to play the same course all the time anyway).
But the bright side to this is the chance to discover and play a wide variety of courses throughout the state. Unheralded courses. Courses that fly below the radar. Courses that I would normally never play if I just focused on certain others. Some may not understand this. Some may not understand why anyone would want to play these courses when there are better available. And that’s fine. I just prefer the variety. I prefer playing different courses. This is why I’m not a member at any one.
Yeah, sometimes I have to settle. But am I really? Sure, I’m not at the greatest course in the world, but I’m doing what I set out to do…play golf. Maybe I’m not being waited on hand-and-foot, but I’m here to play golf…not to pass out tips and have my ass kissed. Maybe the scenery isn’t as great as it could be, but I’m not exactly looking at a demilitarized zone either. I’m playing golf, and that’s all that I set out to do. So I’m happy.
So how is a golf course like pizza? Even when it’s bad…it’s still pretty good.
Swing ’til you’re happy.
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