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Golf Or Geocaching?


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Just to stir up a little discussion, I'm wondering whether there are any golfers among us? Personally, I don't golf. Never been good at it, and being a "leftie" I can't even borrow clubs to try. Not really interested in it anyway, cause I'd much rather go caching. But I have friends who live for their golf... it's almost as much of an obsession for them as caching is for me. When I think of some of the adventures I've had caching, golf seems way too tame.

 

So, is it just me? Am I the only cacher who views golf as a completely unadventurous waste of time and money? Is it really a great sport/hobby that I'm completely missing out on? Or would you agree that, compared to caching, golf just doesn't provide the necessary adrenaline rush to satisfy the typical cacher?

 

Anyone do both? Which do you prefer?

 

Just curious. Let the games begin. -_-

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I have never golfed with anything less than 3 beers in my system. Tonight I just bought a driver for disc golf. That's fun to me, but I suck. Just like I do with real golf. Beer helps. Trust me on that. Sure you don't play better, but at least you don't care that you are not playing well.

 

Disc golf, like frisbee golf? That I think would actually be fun... I was referring to the "bat the little white ball with a club then ride a little cart the 100 yards to the next hole" type of golf. You know, where the really hardcore players have a glorified sherpa to carry their bag of clubs around for them. (And yet they call it "exercise"?)

Edited by DocDiTTo
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Some people need acres of open land just to make backroom deals, so for them, I'm sure they prefer golf. -_-

 

Geocaching has a much better fun-to-resources ratio. Don't forget all the potential hiding spots golf courses are taking up (they are quite larger than 528' x 528'). :P

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I have never golfed with anything less than 3 beers in my system. Tonight I just bought a driver for disc golf. That's fun to me, but I suck. Just like I do with real golf. Beer helps. Trust me on that. Sure you don't play better, but at least you don't care that you are not playing well.

 

Disc golf, like frisbee golf? That I think would actually be fun... I was referring to the "bat the little white ball with a club then ride a little cart the 100 yards to the next hole" type of golf. You know, where the really hardcore players have a glorified sherpa to carry their bag of clubs around for them. (And yet they call it "exercise"?)

Sorry, I mixed real golf with frisbee golf. The beer parts were about real golf. All I've done are Best Ball Tournaments. I had a real golfer tell me I had a great swing. That was impressive since I was on beer number 4 or 5 at the time, but then so was he.

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Sorry, I mixed real golf with frisbee golf. The beer parts were about real golf. All I've done are Best Ball Tournaments. I had a real golfer tell me I had a great swing. That was impressive since I was on beer number 4 or 5 at the time, but then so was he.

 

I've noticed that beer tends to temporarily improve bowling scores, maybe it's the same with golf. Not sure it would help much with caching though. Although it might lessen the angst with urban micros. But that's an entirely different thread. -_-

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Gofers, you want me to kill all the gofers?????? Been there done that, frustration level is far too high for chasing a little ball around. I'll bust out the hand wedge in the sand trap every time. Tried golfing a few times and really never had a good time even tried the beer thing, spent half the time driving the cart through the woods looking for extra balls to add to my collection..

 

Being a cheapskate extraordinaire I about soiled myself when they told me $20 - greens fees, $20 cart rental, $10 new balls - $50 to chase after a little ball and play by your rules.

 

And some people look at me oddly when I tell them about geocaching.

 

I HATE GOLF.

‘Huh, Huh, Huh – he said (well I leave that one out)

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Disc golf, like frisbee golf? That I think would actually be fun...

 

Never played "real" golf, but I play disc golf a lot. We have a lovely course here at AUM and another up in Birmingham. I have a rather poor game, ending an 18 hole with about 10 over in total (a bit less than 1 over par for everything), but it's fun to do with the family. My daughter loves it and she's getting better, she usually averages 3 over on everything but that's dropping. The back 9 is not her friend as she starts getting tired from throwing nearly twice as often as the adults due to having a shorter drive. She putts better than me, though -_-

 

We got started over in Texas (San Antonio area...there are tons of disc golf courses there), and play whenever we can. I'm the only cacher in the family, so disc golf is my family time and caching is my alone time :P

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I'm a golfer, sort of, Lefty too. (don't ask to borrow my clubs, I learned to play with right handed clubs.)

I don't get out much anymore gettin to expensive.

Caching is cheaper, sort of, (Gas is gettin expensive)

Now if they could put a gps tracker in a golf ball, I wouldn't lose so many. Might be an incentive to play more.

Both sports get you outside, both offer some relaxation and exersize.

In golf if your really,really,really good. A week could net you a Million or so dollars.

In geocaching if your really,really,really good. A week could net you a couple a hundred or so caches .

I suck at golf.

I don't suck at geocaching.

What are you good at?

 

TygerD B):P-_-

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A few weeks ago I was out caching near a golf course. The weather had turned very cold and flurries of snow were blowing about as the wind started to gust. The dog walkers, joggers etc had long since gone home, leaving only the addicts at play. As I searched for an elusive micro, on the other side of a low wall, four guys in inadvisable knitwear tried to put their shots, and none of us were going home until we had done what we came to do. I'd call it a draw because I couldn't work out who was more crazy.

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I'm 31 and have had the same set of clubs since I was 16. I used to love to golf and could easily fall back into it. However, green fees and certainly membership fees can get real expensive after awhile. I would much rather go geocaching. I can go out when I want to, not have to worry about a tee time and it is a lot less expensive except for my GPSr, my backpack, swag, compass, hiking stick, wait a minute... -_-

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I tried golf but never really "got" it. At bar association functions, I always joke that I am the only attorney in the city who doesn't play golf. This is true even though I grew up within a bike ride's distance from a good public golf course. Rather than go there and caddy or learn to play, I spent my time hiking through the adjoining woods, looking for golf balls. ("You can tell you're gonna grow up to be a geocacher when....")

 

Now when I visit my parents, I go to the same woods and look for geocaches. And leave golf balls in them.

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Golf does nothing for me. I also have zero interest in playing baseball or football or in watching baseball games and football games; about the only sport I watch is women's beach volleyball. But that is the way of life: different things for different folks; we all like different things. Personally, I would rather sit down and pull out my toenails with a pair of vice-grip pliers, one-a-time, than play golf. I would even rather. . .

 

ohhhh. . .

 

(upon learning that I would be banned for life from geocaching.com forums for writing what I was about to write. . .)

 

ohhh. . . :PB)

 

uh duh. . . B)

 

uh. . . B)

 

. . .never mind! -_-

 

(sigh) B)

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The way I played golf it was about the same as geocaching ... I was usually in the woods searching for something. Geocaches are generally easier to find than little white balls, and the GPS is a lot lighter than a bag full of golf clubs and replacement balls.

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I golf a few times a year. It's different than geocaching....no better, no worse.

 

Golf Pros:

  • Drinking and Driving (the golf cart anyways)
  • Unlike Geocaching, the numbers actually do matter.
  • Nobody looks at you funny when you say you "golf"
  • You don't have to spend 5 minutes explaining what "golf" is to a non-golfer.
  • I have never heard of a golf tee or cup being blown up by the bomb squad
  • A lot of pine trees, and not a micro in sight.
  • Golfing has never (not once!) taken me to a Walmart parking lot.

Geocaching Pros:

  • New and interesting places to see. Like Walmart parking lots! -_-
  • The thrill of the hunt!
  • Some time alone, or with friends or family. I can't take my 4 year old golfing.
  • Combines technology with the outdoors...two of my favorite things.
  • Any age/skill level can geocache.
  • McToys!
  • Meet new and interesting people.

Anyways, I enjoy both. They're different things. You might as well ask "Why play baseball?" or "Why go biking?"

 

And geocaching gives you an adrenalin rush? Oh wait....you must be talking about that Erie trip again. You know what gives me an adrenalin rush? The beer girl on the golf course. Oh yes, to see her coming up over the hill driving her little cart with the cooler on the back. Boo-yah! And I can only assume she finds us attractive and irresistable as we jump up and down and yell "HEY BEER GIRL! OVER HERE!" She loves when we call her "beer girl"

Edited by ThePropers
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Anyone do both? Which do you prefer?

 

Just curious. Let the games begin. -_-

I played golf for 2 years. I was worse when I quit than when I started, becasue I began to care to much about it.

I would come home yell at the wife and dog and be in a foul mood all day.

So much for relaxing to lower my blood pressure.

 

On the other hand as of now I only have 5 finds to my name, but I get out in the woods and do a lot of walking.

 

That is relaxing, and the dogs and wife can come with me with out fear of getting yelled at. :P

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not played it for a while but golf is fun with friends. and beer.

 

caching is different not better or worse.

 

a change every now and then keeps you fresh

 

 

I have to agree that it is totally different, I enjoy the challenge that come from playing golf, but I have a completely different rush when it comes to the challenges faced in caching. However, caching is usually alot cheaper

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I have to agree that it is totally different, I enjoy the challenge that come from playing golf, but I have a completely different rush when it comes to the challenges faced in caching. However, caching is usually alot cheaper

 

Agreed, although I don't find caching to be that cheap nowadays with the price of gas and the amount of driving I have to do to get to a decent cache. I figured I can spend $30 for a round of golf (public course on weekday obviously) or $30 in gas to go caching for the day.

 

Regardless, I enjoy both, among other things.

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... I figured I can spend $30 for a round of golf (public course on weekday obviously) or $30 in gas to go caching for the day.

 

Regardless, I enjoy both, among other things.

For those of us that can't regularly take a day off work to play either game, the cost goes up to about $50-$80 for golf vs. $30 for caching.

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I golf a few times a year. It's different than geocaching....no better, no worse.

 

Golf Pros:

  • Drinking and Driving (the golf cart anyways)
  • Unlike Geocaching, the numbers actually do matter.
  • Nobody looks at you funny when you say you "golf"
  • You don't have to spend 5 minutes explaining what "golf" is to a non-golfer.
  • I have never heard of a golf tee or cup being blown up by the bomb squad
  • A lot of pine trees, and not a micro in sight.
  • Golfing has never (not once!) taken me to a Walmart parking lot.

Geocaching Pros:

  • New and interesting places to see. Like Walmart parking lots! -_-
  • The thrill of the hunt!
  • Some time alone, or with friends or family. I can't take my 4 year old golfing.
  • Combines technology with the outdoors...two of my favorite things.
  • Any age/skill level can geocache.
  • McToys!
  • Meet new and interesting people.

Anyways, I enjoy both. They're different things. You might as well ask "Why play baseball?" or "Why go biking?"

 

 

That basically sums it up...I do both, actually in a golf league, at a hobunk country course, which me and my partner hoof it, for the exercise...lots of yardage, when you don't follow the principle of "the shortest distance between two points is a straight line)..oh yeah and the beer rounds out the day. There are those, alot within our league, that are possessed w/ golf, talk it, wear it, dream it, talk it, spend way to much money on it ($500 on a driver, 250 on a putter) I got the wal-mart variety (i.e. The parking lot cache). It's great cameradrie, but I equally like those peaceful jaunts in the woods seeking the caches. In fact, If i had to choose, Geocaching would be the choice, just have to figure out how to get a golf cart rigged out for caching B) ....and work in a beer girl :P

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I used to golf. I walked off the course halfway through a round because I wasn't having any fun. It's a lot of mental attitude. Five months later, I was ready to go back, but my wife had quit work to stay home with the daughter and we couldn't afford golf. I still have my clubs, but haven't been on a golf course in almost 17 years. I really don't miss it.

 

Geocaching is less espensive, you can go when it rains, and you don't have to wait around for others to get out of your way. You don't have to haul your equipment around in a huge bag because you can carry everything you need in a small backpack.

 

17 years ago, I would have probably answered golf. Today? No Contest. Geocaching.

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We left our house about 7am Sunday morning to get a cache about 3 hours away. On the way we passed a few golf courses and noticed there were golfers out there. I thought why on earth would someone get up that early to golf. Then I had to chuckle because I'm sure the golfers didn't drive 3 hours to get to the really cool golf course. -_-

 

I've tried to golf a few times, but it was not relaxing to me and I just never took a shine to it.

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A friend of mine has built a 12 hole golf course around his house.( There is really only 11 holes, but that is a story for another time) It goes from his mowed lawn into some brush and off the side of a hill over a stream and onto an island. Their are holes with flags. There is no real putting surfaces so you need to be creative. The rules of golf have been adapted to meet the needs of the course. Many of the rules were created with the help of single malt. Every time out on the course can be a real adventure. The name of the course is Saint Divits.

 

As for real golf on a real course, it can be a fun way to spend an afternoon. The right course with the right friends.

 

I do not see this as an either or situation. Everything has its place.

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I have never golfed with anything less than 3 beers in my system. Tonight I just bought a driver for disc golf. That's fun to me, but I suck. Just like I do with real golf. Beer helps. Trust me on that. Sure you don't play better, but at least you don't care that you are not playing well.

 

Disc golf, like frisbee golf? That I think would actually be fun... I was referring to the "bat the little white ball with a club then ride a little cart the 100 yards to the next hole" type of golf. You know, where the really hardcore players have a glorified sherpa to carry their bag of clubs around for them. (And yet they call it "exercise"?)

 

Why do you feel it necessary to belittle those that DO enjoy golf just because YOU do NOT?

 

And as far as calling it "exercise", I'm sure 7000 yards is considerably more than the vast majority of cachers walk to find THEIR golf ball, no?

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I tried golf several times, back in the early 90's. The last time, I had an epiphany:

I could become totally frustrated and get high blood pressure for alot cheaper: Go fishing! I already had a pole, and a license was fairly cheap, and every once in a blue moon, I even caught dinner. Sucker fish is an aquired taste for sure, but anyway, No Golfing for me. As a matter of fact, when I am elected dictator, I mean president of the USA, I am going to outlaw golf, and turn all the courses into shooting ranges. Anyone caught teeing up will become the targets! -_-

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...or $30 in gas to go caching for the day.

 

What are you driving? An M1 Abrams?

 

2001 Chevrolet Silverado Z71. And I have killed $30 in gas in a single day of caching. Rural Iowa, 30 mile drive to get to a cache I haven't done, and then 10-15 miles between caches. Then 15 miles back to a town to grab some food/drink. By the end of the day, you've put 150-200 miles on easy.

 

Oh, and for the record.... was an avid disc golfer in high school--virtually every day after school if a t-shirt was warm enough, and every weekend during the summers (worked 7:30-5 on cement crew, too tired after that) Played a little less in college, and now that there's no DECENT course within 30 miles of me, I play once or twice a year. Currently have 6 discs, had up to 18 at one point but gave most to my brother-in-law since he was getting started and needed some. Used to be able to call a bunch of friends at random, tell them to meet me at the course, and outfit each and every one of them with at least one disc for the game.

Edited by dkwolf
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...or $30 in gas to go caching for the day.

 

What are you driving? An M1 Abrams?

 

2001 Chevrolet Silverado Z71. And I have killed $30 in gas in a single day of caching. Rural Iowa, 30 mile drive to get to a cache I haven't done, and then 10-15 miles between caches. Then 15 miles back to a town to grab some food/drink. By the end of the day, you've put 150-200 miles on easy.

 

Amen to that. I'm burning $30 just to get back and forth to work sometimes here.

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If I had to choose between golf or caching I would play golf everytime. I am a bit of a golf fanatic but also really enjoy caching. Living in Buffalo, golf season is short so caching gives me something to do when the snow starts to fly. Also being a parent , finding 5 hours on the weekend to get out of the house and play golf doesn't always work, but you can always find 45 minutes to go find a cache. It is also a great family activity which golf is not (At least while the kids are young).

 

Golf is a little different since I have discovered geocaching. Now when I am in the woods looking for my ball, I find myself examining the trees and saying to myself, "that would make a good spot for a cache."

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...or $30 in gas to go caching for the day.

 

What are you driving? An M1 Abrams?

 

2001 Chevrolet Silverado Z71. And I have killed $30 in gas in a single day of caching. Rural Iowa, 30 mile drive to get to a cache I haven't done, and then 10-15 miles between caches. Then 15 miles back to a town to grab some food/drink. By the end of the day, you've put 150-200 miles on easy.

 

Amen to that. I'm burning $30 just to get back and forth to work sometimes here.

 

Makes us glad that our primary cache mobile is a Honda Civic Hybrid... 40+ mpg -_-

When we don't have the geo-pup we often take my Insight... 60+ mpg.

 

oh yes... and I do golf, I find them both enjoyable... they are both what you make of them. there are some cachers who get mad and frustrated because the cache is 20' from where their GPS says it should be... or because they can't find that micro in under 5minutes.

To me, they are both enjoyable games. yes I get frustrated with both of them sometimes, but they both get me outside. the league I play in plays at a 'pasture golf' course, our total fee for 9holes w/cart is about $12.

Edited by Not So Lost Puppies
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Disc golf, like frisbee golf? That I think would actually be fun... I was referring to the "bat the little white ball with a club then ride a little cart the 100 yards to the next hole" type of golf. You know, where the really hardcore players have a glorified sherpa to carry their bag of clubs around for them. (And yet they call it "exercise"?)

 

Why do you feel it necessary to belittle those that DO enjoy golf just because YOU do NOT?

 

And as far as calling it "exercise", I'm sure 7000 yards is considerably more than the vast majority of cachers walk to find THEIR golf ball, no?

 

Just the biased observations of someone not at all familiar with the game. Don't take it personally.

 

I must ask, now that you've brought it up - does a typical 18 holes of golf really require a 4 mile walk? Or does that distance just apply to people who have a really powerful, yet uncontrolled swing? I've found caches that required a 7 mile round trip hike, but even a 4 mile walk is nothing to sneeze at -- especially if you're the sherpa lugging around those hefty clubs! :ph34r:

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Huh, once again I seem to be in a minority of posters to a thread. :ph34r: I like golf, I like it a lot. I used to play a lot too, as much as once a week. I began to score in the low 90's and occasionally even break through to he 80's. I enjoyed the desire to compete against yourself and another person. can you play better and score better are two different things. Most golf courses are built in very pleasant locations.

 

Then I discovered geocaching. This was also about the same time as most of my golf buds discovered that growing children need you around more and more, and had less and less time for golf. My work situation had also changed, providing more money for the very expensive golf habit, but allowing less time for it. It was easier to grab an hour here or there for some cache hunting, than to find an entire afternoon to spend on the golf course. Then I discovered geocaching with friends. Now sometimes we go out and cache for 8-10 hours at a time. :P

 

Before I discovered caching, a walk in the woods was looking for a sliced drive on the right side of the fairway. Now I geocache very regularly, and the numbers only matter to me. I still play golf at the occasional vendor/fundraising/corporate outing. Given a choice of how I'm spending my day off, I will opt for the day of exploring the woods, parks and parking lots over torturing the little white ball. :(

 

The one thing in my mind that really seperates the two sports is that I have only met a very small number of geocachers that I would not want to meet up with again for more caching fun. I cannot say the same about the strangers that I have met and been paired up with at the golf course. Infer what you will from that observation. :P:P

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And geocaching gives you an adrenalin rush? Oh wait....you must be talking about that Erie trip again. You know what gives me an adrenalin rush? The beer girl on the golf course. Oh yes, to see her coming up over the hill driving her little cart with the cooler on the back. Boo-yah! And I can only assume she finds us attractive and irresistable as we jump up and down and yell "HEY BEER GIRL! OVER HERE!" She loves when we call her "beer girl"

 

So golf is a hobby that involves driving under the influence and beer-laden women? Ok, it's definitely sounding a little more intriguing than I originally thought. Not quite intriguing enough to get me to try it, but it's definitely higher on my list now than say.... curling. :ph34r:

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Just to stir up a little discussion, I'm wondering whether there are any golfers among us? Personally, I don't golf. Never been good at it, and being a "leftie" I can't even borrow clubs to try. Not really interested in it anyway, cause I'd much rather go caching. But I have friends who live for their golf... it's almost as much of an obsession for them as caching is for me. When I think of some of the adventures I've had caching, golf seems way too tame.

 

So, is it just me? Am I the only cacher who views golf as a completely unadventurous waste of time and money? Is it really a great sport/hobby that I'm completely missing out on? Or would you agree that, compared to caching, golf just doesn't provide the necessary adrenaline rush to satisfy the typical cacher?

 

Anyone do both? Which do you prefer?

 

Just curious. Let the games begin. :ph34r:

 

unfortunately, my fave friend to go caching with is an avid golfer. that means i cache alone for the summer!

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unfortunately, my fave friend to go caching with is an avid golfer. that means i cache alone for the summer!

 

I got "friends" like that too. They'd rather golf than go caching with me. I think their problem is they've never actually gone caching. Maybe I can convert them... especially since my current caching buddy is moving to Chile the end of the summer. :ph34r: Dunno what I'm gonna do.. he's as nuts as me so we make a good pair.

 

I'm not sure there are any golfer friends of mine insane enough to become my new caching buddy. I mean, when's the last time you heard of a golfer running out at midnight because a new course just opened and he wanted to be the first to Tee off?

Edited by DocDiTTo
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I used to be a truly avid golfer, but like others have found - it can be expensive and can be more of a drain on time, especially on weekends. It is tougher with kids, although I look forward to taking them out to both activities now that they are getting old enough to do so.

 

That said, I still get out when I can and try to play in a weekday 9-hole league that's mostly for fun and the odd scramble event as they pop up.

 

Golfing is a challenge that one might consider similar to geocaching in that they both get you outdoors, involved in both physical and somewhat mental activity. And guess what, they can both involve GPS's. One of my first exposures to a GPS was on a golf cart equipped with one. It was fairly limited in scope, but simialr to caching it could give you a reasonably accurate yardage to the hole/cache.

 

The trouble with golf, in my opinion, is that it's much more frustrating to initially learn and make the transition from beginner to being reasonably proficient (say shooting even a score of 90). I consider myself a decent golfer but frankly don't care to invest the time and effort required to make the next leap from mid/low 80's to scratch.

Unfortunately, a lot of folks might consider a golf course a waste of precious space. I don't agree and have seen as many remarkable sights and scenes while golfing as I have caching (thus far anyway, but I have played golf for ~5x as long too).

 

Like caching, golfing is best done with friends and there are lots of creative ways to make it fun and competitive at the same time that don't necessarily involve beer (some do though :ph34r: )

 

There are truly fanatics of both activities. I've gotten up to cache and golf at ridiculous times so neither side seems all that extreme to me.

 

The short answer to the original question is : BOTH!!!

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