“So Many Golf Courses, So Little Time!”

Every time we arrive in a new area and start searching for a golf course to play, I can’t help but think: “So many golf courses, so little time.” There always seems to be an overwhelming number of beautiful, challenging, or prestigious golf courses to choose from, but limited time and resources prevent us from experiencing them all.

I mean, come on – the choice is abundant with hundreds, if not thousands, of unique golf courses – far more than any person could play in a single lifetime. As a passionate golfer who travels specifically to play, this saying reflects my desire to experience as many different landscapes and course designs as possible, while I am still physically able to play this game.

Our Golf Bucket List to Golf in Every State is hard to complete when there are so many courses to choose from. Honestly, it’s hard to choose!

Do we play the local municipal course, or do we play the higher-end semi-private track? Do we play the golf club a friend has recommended, or do we try to tackle the one GOOGLE says is number one for the area?

And I can’t ignore my fear over not playing every possible golf course – a.k.a. FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) – which is all too real when driven by my desire to experience a variety of designs and prestigious locations.

If I really think about this, golf is uniquely designed to trigger FOMO. It is a game rooted in “if only” scenarios and social bonding. When I miss a weekend trip, a casual foursome, or even just a particularly nice sunset round, I am not just missing a hobby – I feel like I am missing an opportunity to connect and create a lasting memory.

For me, the anxiety is rarely about the score. It’s about the narrative.

• The “Exclusive” Invite: Seeing a group playing a private course I’ve been trying to get on for years.
• The Social Media Feed: Scrolling through story after story of a golf trip I didn’t join, feeling the weight of not being part of the “highlight reel”.
• The Perfect Day: Knowing the weather is flawless, the greens are fast, and I am sitting at my computer.

I have noticed I live in a world where golf is constantly on display.

The “golfstagram” culture makes everyone look like they are playing incredible courses in perfect weather every single day.

I have to admit that checking my phone to see what fellow golfers are doing, while I’m trying to relax, only fuels this envy. It’s a toxic comparison game where I compare my mundane morning to their curated afternoon.

I guess you could really call it – Golf FOMO!

And sadly, this has transferred off the course as well.

I used to think that a successful trip was measured by the number of checkmarks on a map. I would arrive in a new city – with a meticulously curated, hour-by-hour itinerary, only to end up physically exhausted, mentally drained, and haunted by the nagging feeling that I was missing something better just around the corner.

This is the tyranny of Travel FOMO – where the pressure to maximize every moment turns a supposed visit into a high-stakes scavenger hunt.

And now it seems when we are planning where our next travel destination will be, I find myself saying – So many things to see, so little time!

But you know what? I don’t think traveling should feel like a competition or a job. As I have become a more “experienced” RVer, I am starting to believe the real goal of travel is to experience joy, not to tick off a list.

I am realizing that by embracing the fact that I will miss out on 99% of the world’s experiences, I am finally free to deeply enjoy the 1% I am actually in.

My Reads from the Reds – The grass is greener where you water it!

Fairways and Greens – We are 18 Holes and Counting.   

Written by Kathy Festa