I Played 90 Golf Courses in a Year—Here’s What That Taught Me About Loving the Game

I didn’t set out to play 90 golf courses in a year because I had something to prove.

It happened during a season where everything in my life felt like it was being stripped back—routine, certainty, identity. Golf was the one thing that stayed. So I leaned into it. I played new courses whenever I could. Public tracks. Resort courses. Hidden locals. Famous names. Forgettable ones.

Ninety courses later, I realized I hadn’t just been playing golf.

I’d been relearning how to love the game—and myself—through it.

Every Course Teaches You Something Different

No two courses ask the same questions of you.

Some are wide and forgiving. Others punish you for the smallest mistake. Some reward patience. Others demand creativity and guts.

What surprised me most wasn’t how different the layouts were—it was how I changed depending on the course.

On some days, I played aggressively and trusted my swing.
On others, I had to slow down, course-manage, and accept bogeys without spiraling.

Golf doesn’t let you show up the same way every time. And neither does life.

Golf Is a Mirror (Whether You Like It or Not)

When you play that much golf, patterns become impossible to ignore.

I noticed:

How frustration showed up after one bad hole
How easily I rushed when I felt watched
How confidence disappeared the moment I tried to “play it safe”

But I also noticed growth.

I recovered faster.
I laughed sooner.
I stopped letting one mistake define the round.

Somewhere between tee boxes and greens, golf stopped being about fixing my swing—and started being about regulating my emotions.

The Scorecard Matters Less Than You Think

If you’d asked me early on, I would’ve told you the scorecard was everything.

But after 90 courses, I can barely remember my best scores. What I do remember:

The walk up a quiet fairway at sunrise
Getting paired with strangers who felt like friends by the back nine
The relief of being outside with no expectations

Golf is one of the few spaces where you’re allowed to be fully present without needing to optimize every second.

And that’s rare.

Style and Enjoyment Are Part of the Experience

One unexpected thing I learned?
The way I felt walking onto a course mattered more than I thought.

When my gear felt personal—when my bag reflected me—I showed up differently. Lighter. More confident. More relaxed.

Not because it made me better technically—but because it reminded me why I was there in the first place.

Golf doesn’t need to feel intimidating to be meaningful.
Enjoyment isn’t a distraction—it’s fuel.

Why This Shaped Funday Golf

Funday Golf exists because of this year.

Because golf doesn’t belong to one type of player, one look, or one attitude. Because you can care deeply about the game without taking yourself too seriously.

Golf is better when it’s:

Welcoming
Expressive
Human

After 90 courses, I learned that loving the game isn’t about perfection.
It’s about presence.

Final Thought

You don’t need to play 90 courses to love golf deeply.

But if there’s one thing I’d take from that year, it’s this:

Golf gives back what you bring to it.

Curiosity. Patience. Joy. Personality.

And when you let yourself experience the game—not just perform it—it becomes something you don’t just play…
you carry with you.