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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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But, especially in an arid state such as California, every golf course I've ever seen has been an aesthetic crime against the native landscape.
I was lucky enough to have a friend and law partner who was a member of Cypress Point. It's one of the most beautiful places I've been to on the coast. The Comical has referred to it as "The SIstine Chapel of Golf." Unfortunately, he passed away before his time, and I haven't played at that outstanding, but most exclusive, course since.
John
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LilaBiene
Trad climber
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As someone who avoided golf until her early 30s because the clothes were heinous, and the shoes worse...no one could have been more disappointed than I was to realize what I had been missing. Golf took the place of downhill skiing when I was forced to live too far away from the mountains (well, golf & blading) -- both golf & skiing require you to be fully present & completely relaxed. And both deliver that rush we all know and love.
To the point about golf courses being blights and worse, check out the course across the river from NYC (old landfill) and some of the TPC courses (conservation & wildlife protection).
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426
climber
☬
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Golf is so f'in hard, I'm with jb(x2) (jbro,bachar) curt, et al. Unless you've put down some links, you have no idea...
For all the "Blight" commenters, I would offer up that in the 'real world' many find chalk, bolts, even "climbers" an egregious visual+auditory impact on their enjoyment of nature.
Anybody can walk up to a 5.8 and make it to the top. cough, cough; shoot, I couldn't even get up a 5.5 my first day of climbing; speaking of, how about Right Parallel (5.5) at the Voo, which I admit to struggling on after 23 years of "experience". After numerous tries and hangs, I finally crushed Crepes Corner (5.6) at Pie Shop. That was a huge breakthrough and I remember it like it was yesterday!
Ooh, let's also mention Right Side of the Remnant (5.7) in the Valley; that thing shut down two '5.11' trad climbers I was with and just about killed me (take some pins to hand place iirc) with the huge runout. All that sport climbing saved me, clawing up the "12a" arete to the top...
There are plenty of "green fees" in climbing; park passes, all sorts of other "pay to play" etc; i.e. $3.00 charge to climb at LRC aka The Stone Fort: in my opinion, still a great deal; winter rates are 18.00 with climbing pass included...
http://www.montlakegolf.com/course
Check out my fave, the par 5 #17 . So rad-I actually shoot for the v9 overhang in the pic so I can paw the grips (boulder closed to climbing these days)..I'm with Silver, nothing like a day of getting frustrated followed up by more frustration. Never boulder before you golf; ymmv...fore before v4.
2-climbing is not gay
http://www.supertopo.com/climbers-forum/1731519/climbing-is-ghey
edit; lila, if you think golf clothes are/were hideous, I submit for everyone's enjoyment...as well as a gybe @ 2-
http://www.supertopo.com/climbing/thread.php?topic_id=543410&tn=0&mr=0
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apogee
climber
Technically expert, safe belayer, can lead if easy
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Worth reposting 'cuz it's just plain hilarious!:
Golf goes like this: Whack, oh sh#t.
Climbing goes like this: Oh sh#t, whack.
(Curt)
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO
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Tony's OP proposes "a comparison of the two pastimes."
I ask in turn, which climbing game and which golf game shall we compare?
The casual STer knows fully the range encompassed by the "climbing game" but may stereotype golf and golfers within a narrow range.
There is a world of difference between the way I play golf and the country club playboy and the weekend, beer drinking hacker.
Most of my golf takes place on a "Field of Dreams" 9-hole course with driving range outside of Cortez, Colorado, aptly named the South 40 by its owner/builder, a retired diary farmer who still has never played golf in his life. Nonetheless, owning a large amount of irrigated land and retired from diary farming (family diary farms were all driven out of business in this part of the world long ago by the growth of agri-business) Bruce Manness decided to indulge his personal whim. Using only old farm machinery and his own labor, he gradually built the South 40 over many years. His wife constructed a Facebook page and website.
http://www.facebook.com/southfortygolfcourse
http://www.southfortygolf.com
This 9-hole, all par 3s, course is devilishly difficult. Example: first hole is 228 yards, uphill, guarded by huge cottonwood trees. In over 200 attempts, I've got the ball onto the green from the tee shot exactly twice. Did I mention the green is elevated and tiny? The fourth hole, 190 yards plays over a set of huge cottonwoods and a burly arroyo to another postage stamp green. Yes, over the trees which are about 60 feet high. I often have the place to myself and make up my own holes and fiendishly difficult shots. Come play with me someday and I'll show you some shots that are diabolical and wonderful around this great tract.
My style of play at the South 40 is to continuously practice with Zenlike focus without any regard for score, companionship, competition, etc. I am playing with myself, against myself, for myself. If I want to hit the same approach shot 20 times, I do. If I want to practice hitting two buckets of balls worth of 150 yard shots into the manure spreader on the driving range, I do.
My other style of golf is exemplified by how I played 104 different golf courses over one year of travel in Thailand. I called it "Adventure Golf." The rules of the game were: 1. Travel alone to the golf course using the cheapest available local transportation (everything from skytrain, railroad trains, canal barges, river boats, buses, tuk-tuks to motorcycle taxis) 2. Walk the course 3. Stay in cheap backpack or Thai businessman lodging 4. Eat all meals at Thai "restaurants without walls" 5. Play with whatever Thai (or Korean) golfers that I randomly got paired up with 6. Go home to wife. (Lest you wonder what else "Adventure Golf" might mean, I assure you that I was not a Thai sex trade tourist).
Based on my experience, I wrote (but haven't yet published) a "how to" guidebook to Adventure Golf in Thailand.
So, talking about my golf game is not necessarily an "apples for apples" comparison with the U.S. generic, beer drinking, cart driving, betting-a-few-coins enterprise that I deride as "Baja golf."
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Reeotch
Trad climber
4 Corners Area
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If I climbed the way I play golf...........I'da been dead years ago.
That's the difference, there's no real consequences for lame assed golfers!
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mouse from merced
Trad climber
merced, california
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Werner drives a golf cart, you know.
Seriously, don't compare real trained athletes like Alex to any pro golfer alive. They rely on different skill sets. I'd like to see Alex hole out on the 18th like Tiger did in the Memorial, though! After 30 tries, maybe.
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plund
Social climber
OD, MN
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To expand on Curt's original post...
Several friends up here in flyover land refer to golf as "whack-f#%k", as a noun actually, as in "Wanna play WF this weekend?"
I probably suck worse at climbing than golf, but I've been playing bad golf much longer. The "pro-caliber shot" thing is very true & one of the real attractions.
I've volunteered at a couple of PGA Championships (Hazeltine - fun gig!)and am consistently amazed at the SOUND of touring pros' contact -- I simply cannot make that sound, and it ain't an equipment thing! Sounds almost like a .22 rifle shot at impact. Plus, they all seem to swing SSSOOOO SSSLLLOOOWWWW - a good reminder for ANY golfer!
PSA - Please remember to repair ball marks, replace divots & PLAY FAST, ferthechrissakes! Do you really need to plumb-bob the 2-footer for your all-important 7th stroke?
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LilaBiene
Trad climber
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TWP, you get it!!! You really get it!!!
The only thing that gets me out of bed before sunrise is to watch the frost melt off the greens & play the back 9 @ my favorite public course - I don't think there's a single flat surface and most lies are some form of optical illusion. Many of my happiest days started playing those 9 holes all by myself. It's a completely different level of consciousness.
And the days I played sans (hideous) shoes...balance took on a whole new meaning.
Couldn't say how many times I've been asked if don't I just want to go on ahead and get a cart? I just smile & throw my clubs over my shoulder. Whatever for?
It's also a hoot that when you hit a spectacularly errant missle, the appropriate protocol is to holler a four-letter word.
Edit: It's impossible to play like a robot because virtually every shot/lie is different and requires an adjustment in your touch/approach...
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k-man
Gym climber
SCruz
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Golf.
The game where you shout four, shoot six, and scribble five.
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mucci
Trad climber
The pitch of Bagalaar above you
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A game of honor.
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TWP
Trad climber
Mancos, CO
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Climbing and golf?
Where can you play both games the same day on world class venues for both sports and spend less than $30? Another teaser: the two venues are within 30 miles of each other as the crow flies. No, it's not Yosemite and it's not in California.
Anyone intrigued? Come visit me and we will climb at Indian Creek until we burn out. That only takes one or two pitches at Indian Creek. Three if you are burly. Your climbing score is "par" if you follow, onsight without falls on those 2 or 3 pitches; birdie if you led on sight without falls the same; eagle if you lead North Six Shooter (or equivalent 5.11 climb) without a fall.
After climbing, drive less than 30 miles to play golf in Monticello Utah at the Hideout. Dinner in town at the prime rib place is about $20 per. Return to camp (for free) at IC. Now that's Adventure Golf.
Any takers?
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JEleazarian
Trad climber
Fresno CA
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The game where you shout four, shoot six, and scribble five.
When I was still feeling plutocratic enough to belong to a country club, it would have been shout fore!, shoot six, and scribble seven. Our pro joked that if golf pencils had erasers, no one would be eligible for the club championship.
P.S. -- Sounds interesting TWP, but my rehab from my Achilles injury won't let me try any time soon. The little course at Wawona is underrated. Alistair MacKenzie (of Augusta National and Cypress Point fame) also designed Wawona, and it has some nice little holes, with possibilities for lots of trick shots. On Number 3, I sliced a drive that curved between the crotch of a tree and ended up back on the fairway. I could never do that again in 100 tries.
John
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Mighty Hiker
climber
Vancouver, B.C.
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Hopefully Lila will give climbing a try at the FaceLift, and see some of the other side.
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Norwegian
Trad climber
Placerville, California
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i cant drunkfor shite when i play golf;
when i climb,
the mouth of the univrse opens up and
into it i digest.
and out of it i flow stool like
onto go'ds carpet.
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zBrown
Ice climber
mercenario de merced
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Is this relevant? This is in no way directed at Lila, but rather at Tiger Woods. In the first instance women can be upwardly mobile in climbing. Whereas in golf, they most frequently are lagging behind.
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yosemite 5.9
climber
santa cruz
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I don't keep score in golf. I just want to enjoy it.
But I chew myself out if I have to grab pro once or twice to make it up Reed's Direct.
Sounds backwards doesn't it?
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LilaBiene
Trad climber
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'Think I'll wander back over to the "funny misunderstandings" thread and stick with making an a&& of myself over there... ;D
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yosemite 5.9
climber
santa cruz
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One requires your hands be together to advance.
In the other, if your hands are together, you are stuck.
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