My Dumbass Mistake: Weekend Madness
So I decided to finally play Buchanan Golf this past Saturday morning, thinking “Hey, weekend, sunshine, perfect!” Boy, was I dead wrong. Rolled up around 9:30 AM feeling all eager. Pulled into the parking lot and damn near had a panic attack. Cars everywhere. Like, everywhere. Walked into the pro shop and felt like I was at a rock concert. Line snaking out the door, people grumbling, kids running around. Tried asking about a tee time… the guy behind the counter looked exhausted, just sighed and said, “Next available? Maybe 3 PM… if you’re lucky.” Three PM? Seriously? I just turned around and walked out. Pissed off and laughing at how dumb I was.
Time to Get Serious & Track This
Okay, lesson learned. Weekends are brutal. If I ever wanted to actually play this course without losing my mind, I needed a better plan. Got my stubborn head on and decided: Weekdays only. For two whole weeks, I basically stalked Buchanan.
- Tuesday Trial: Went back bright and early Tuesday. Aimed for 7:00 AM opening. Got there at 6:45 AM. Parked right up front. Pro shop was… quiet. One other guy buying balls. Booked a tee time for 7:15 AM right then. Glorious. Walked out onto the first tee. Saw maybe two other groups ahead. Played 18 holes in just over 3 hours. Sun was up, air was cool. Felt like I owned the place.
- Thursday Check: Did the same thing Thursday but later, around 10:30 AM. Parking lot was about half full. Pro shop had a short line, waited maybe 5 minutes. Teed off at 10:50 AM. Course was busier than Tuesday morning, sure. Had to wait on a few tees, but pace was still decent. Finished in about 4 hours. Definitely acceptable.
- Weather Watch: Kept an eye on the forecast like a hawk. Noticed that cloudy but dry days (even slightly cool ones around 60°F) were way less popular than those perfect 75°F sunny ones. Played one misty Wednesday morning – maybe 10 cars total. Smooth sailing.
The Big Realization & My Schedule Now
After putting myself through this mini-experiment, the pattern slapped me in the face:
- The Sweet Spot? Crack of Dawn Weekdays: Seriously, those first couple of hours after opening? Tuesday through Friday? Gold. Minimal people, cooler temps, fastest rounds. You feel like a pro.
- Late Mornings/Early Afternoons (Weekdays): Okay, but not amazing. Expect some company, maybe a bit of wait. Still worlds better than the weekend zoo.
- Just Forget Weekends… Unless you truly hate yourself or have zero other options. Even trying “early” on a weekend felt crowded compared to a weekday morning. Unless you book weeks out (who remembers that?) or get insanely lucky, prepare for chaos.
- “Bad” Weather is Your Friend: That light drizzle or overcast sky that makes lazy golfers stay in bed? Your gain. Course is empty.
Planning your tee time at Buchanan ain’t rocket science, but man, showing up blind will bite you. Save yourself the headache I had. Aim for the early bird slot Tuesday-Friday. Embrace the slightly weird weather. Thank me later when you’re swinging freely while everyone else is stuck in the Saturday parking lot hellscape.
