I had a business trip to Twin Cities and decided that was “close enough” to Sand Valley in Wisconsin.
I took a Saturday night redeye from LAX (4hrs) landed at MSP around 5am (slept an hour or two) and drove 3hrs to Nekoosa for a 9am tee time, walked both courses back to back (1hr break in between) then drove back to msp, getting to my hotel at midnight.
Up at 6am Monday for the conference.
Not recommended, but was able to check that course off the list!
by Creepy_Special32
38 Comments
Walked 18 a few weeks ago and went into aFib on 18. It self corrected later that evening. I might limit walking to 9 holes for a few rounds.
I was looking at this same sort of idea.
I travel at least once per month, and could easily cram in 48 hours to divert to Florida or Arizona depending on which way I’m going. Ideally some sort of stay and play or at least very short hotel to course, course to airport trip.
I would love to hear suggestions from anyone who has a good idea of where to play 36 as a single this winter.
Stayed in a miserable marriage for 5 years bc her dad paid for our cc dues.
One time when my kid was just born we were on vacation. Anyway my wife didn’t want me to golf but after negotiations I played 9 during a nap then came back at the end of the day to play the back. I’ve also taken the stroller on the course a bunch to get rounds in
I came up with a lie to leave work early only to make a hole in one (my first ever) and not be able to tell anyone because I was not at the golf course that day
Was on a work trip to Pittsburgh. Was gonna hop down to Nashville to play with a college buddy that had moved there, before heading home to Phoenix.
Flight out of Pitt got cancelled, so was gonna fly down first thing the next morning. That ended up getting cancelled, so I drove down instead (8 hours). Played that afternoon and the next morning as well, despite debilitating back pain and tightness.
Did you drive the green on that hole in your picture. Fun one to attempt given the slope on the fairway.
Im traveling across the country to play a bucket list course with 3 people who aren’t degenerate gamblers/drinkers like I am.
Drove round trip to Vegas in a day. 4 hrs each way
True story, I’ll keep it generic for my buddy: A friend of mine a few years ago worked for a firm that wouldn’t let him off during their busy season. He pretended to have an injury that prevented him from coming into the office and limited his availability for the week. He went golfing 4/5 days of the week he had off to “recover”. He ended up going into the office for the next 6 weeks wearing a brace he had from high school and even took off more days for “follow up appointments” to golf. Every day at the office for almost two months he had to sell his injury. He’s a 24 handicap too, but a legend in my eyes.
About 10 years ago, middle of March living in Chicagoland area, I really missed golf. Worked in public accounting and couldn’t take any time off, worked all Saturdays.
Left on a flight Saturday night to Houston, played some crappy course, 27 holes Sunday, missed my flight back Sunday night (was flying stand by). Had to stay the night and fly on a 6am spirit to make it back to work Monday morning.
A lot of hassle to swing a club a few times.
I played a round by myself in a storm being in the backdrop of a wedding rehearsal.
Played 36 holes in 38F weather w/40+mph winds. Not gusts, steady. No carts because of the temps, so I walked those 36 holes. No regrets. Will I seek out that opportunity again? Probably not. But was it as bad as it sounds? Absolutely not.
Took the day out of work with one of my employees who is also my cousin, drove to the cape and hopped on the first ferry to Nantucket. We were invited to play Nantucket Golf Club by one of my customers ( I’m a general contractor) and could t pass the opportunity up to play at such a nice extremely private course. We Walked 18, got hammered, went out to eat and took the last ferry back to the cape that evening. Drove home and was up at 5 am for work the next day.
When I was starting to play golf I had no car yet, so I had to take two trains and then a bus to get to the course.
Sat in the club house for 8 hours to play the Old Course.
Went for a golf weekend 10 years ago. The plan was for my buddy to drive us 1800 km, play Thursday, Friday Saturday & Sunday then drive home.
Day 1 on the 11th hole, 2 of my 4some (I worked with them), were in the phone.
They were both unexpectedly downsized.
I checked my phone and had 2 missed calls from my boss. I called back and said I was with the 2 that were let go and asked if I still had a job. I did….
Needless to say, the other 2 were in no mood to finish the weekend, so we finished our round and drove 1800 km back home.
30 hours of driving for 18 holes.
This wasn’t for a round, but I was in a city taking a professional exam and visiting my then-significant other. After the exam, I had to wait around for her to get off work, but didn’t have anywhere to go (I didn’t have my car and wasn’t able to get into her apartment.
I took an uber to a goodwill, bought a few wedges and putter for like $10, and walked 20 minutes to a pitch and putt and played 9 holes.
When I was about 12 my grandparents lived about 3 miles as a crow flies to the course we played. Problem, is it’s like 12 miles drive down to the bridge to cross the Smith River then drive up to the course. The river is fairly shallow and about 200 yards across in front of our house. I used to carry bike on my back across the river then ride to the course and back. I only had to do this a few times when I couldn’t get a ride.
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Had covid, went on scheduled and paid golf trip w buddies as I was not contagious by a few days. First day cart path only. 90 degrees. 13000 steps. Passed out on way back to hotel.
Booking as a solo golfer in Japan
I got there in the end but fucking hell it was a lot of emails
Went to Groton, MA for a wedding this summer. Booked two rounds – one about an hour after I landed and the other at 6 AM the next day (day of the wedding). Nothing crazy, objectively, but considering less than a year prior it had been 20+ years since I played golf, the idea of me traveling by myself to play is very telling how quickly and psychopathically the golf bug had hit me.
Stayed an extra day after a conference in Las Vegas to rent a car and drive up to Wolf Creek. Got a planet fitness membership before the trip so I could have a shower before the flight home.
On a family trip to Iceland booked a late tee time expecting the family to be completely jet lagged by then. Work out perfectly and finished the round around 11:30 pm while the rest of the family caught up on some zzzzs
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I don’t know if I’d call it extreme but I sometimes commute to the course on a motorcycle.
Fought tornados in August on a drive from Chicago to play Whistling Straits.
Sky was that green and the radio said get off the road, but I had no place to go, so powered through. The weather cleared up and it was a great day and a really special round.
Many years ago (1998 or 99) I finished work in Minneapolis, drove the 350 miles to Kohler, Wisconsin, played the River Course at Blackwolf Run (a week before the Andersen Consulting Match Play), and drove back the next day.
My ball is a magnet to water 18 holes course with water in play in 15 of those holes. Talk about phobia living rent free in your head.!!! That shows how bad of a golfer i am but would got to pharmacy meetings that had golfing in the agenda. Didn’t matter what clubs I used any foursome I would be with let me drive and putt only and drink the way around. At home I paid for a membership for 30yrs for 4 rounds a season. So my liver and heart are in danger because of a failed and hopeless pursuit of golf. So I consider myself pathetic looser
Sprained my ankle HARD stepping in a sprinkler hole on the third tee box of Ballyneal- a top 50 course in the country. Walked the final 15 holes with a grapefruit on my ankle. Worth it
My wife had a yoga trip in India (we, California) so we took a 5 week trip. While she was doing yoga, I flew from Delhi to Sri Lanka, traveled overland for a few days sight-seeing on the way to Elia. The course was built by colonial British in 1850. The town grew up around it, there is a walking path going across the 1st and 18th fairway, the 5th tee box is across the street next to a burger king. My caddie referred to everyone by handicap. “My name is Sanaa, I am a 5 handicap.” I think I was the only paying customer that week. Missed my flight back to India because my wife had both copies of our itinerary, so I had to re-book.
When I didnt have a car in NYC taking the subway to a train to a cab just to play was inconvenient for sure…
The most extreme? Sleeping in my car overnught in the bakery ticket line at Bethpage for the chance to get a decent tee time the next day for sure. I actually just went at 330am this past Thursday and was car #12. Luckily got the last 2some slot available with my buddy.
When i first started playing golf and getting the bug I was working overnights. My buddy would book tee times at 730am, id work a 7pm-7am and go straight to the course from work in full zombie mode. Sometimes would stay up for 20+ hours. Ahh to be in my mid 20s again lol
Had my final divorce court appointment via telephone (covid era), flew to warmer weather so I could golf after. Nice warm and sunny day. Shot 75. Flew home. Moved on.
Im stoked to play mammoth next year. I might just try to play it 2-3 times instead of sedge or sand valley
I love going out of my way to play golf and this was probably one of my favorites.
Drove 500 miles to the extreme NE part of Montana so that the next day I could try and play eight different 9-hole courses in eight different towns across 300 miles.
I did the 300 mile stretch but only got six courses in as one course had closed permanently and another was (unexpectedly)
closed for the day.
On Wednesday I was being picked up by a friend at 5:30am to drive 4 hours to play Chambers Bay. I stayed at my girlfriend’s place because it was closer to his, so I had to park on the street. It was raining out so I went to my Jeep to retrieve my umbrella only to find a crackhead inside it. He had smashed a window to sleep, loot and do drugs out of the rain. When I opened the back and found him he said “it wasn’t me, I found it this way!”
It took me 16 mins to remove him, move my vehicle into my girlfriend’s underground parking and start the 4 hour drive in my buddy’s car to Chambers.
Lightly rained off and on most of the day and then turned torrential on the 16th fairway with lightning. Called it a day and started the 4 hour drive home without a change of clothes.
Worth it.
Purgatory GC in Indiana. Kicked my ass and some.
I used to play a round every morning before work 7am tee time and worked at 11am-11pm
My college buddy was getting married Maui. He made a tee time for a bunch of us to play the Plantation course at Kapalua. At the time, I lived in Korea. I flew from Seoul to Honolulu and then took an inter island flight to Maui. I rented a car and busted my ass to the golf course. I changed in the car and ran up to the first hole. I was in the second group to tee off. I made it by about 10 minutes.
Thanks for helping me think about a fun experience! I would never do it again but glad I did it once. My friends on the tee couldn’t believe I made it!