How many golf courses have you played in your life?

June 13, 2013

Al and Mary pictured during their round at Pebble Beach Golf Links earlier this month

Most of us would have to think pretty hard. Some would only be able to name a handful, while others would have a long, growing list. But we’d bet most of us would not have the detailed record SCGA member Al Schumacher does.

It wasn’t until 1990 that Al Schumacher began to take golf seriously. In fact, the former B-52 mechanic used to be an avid bowler. After a business partner began bringing him to scrambles at a local golf course, Al slowly caught the golf bug.

“Every bowling alley looks the same,” Schumacher stated. “They’re the same length, have the same markings, the same pins.”

Golf is a tougher sport in comparison. Al continued to explain that playing a new course is a real treat for him. “No course is the same. You have to really focus and learn how to adjust your game to the course you are playing.”

Since then, Al has logged every course he has played, beginning in 1990. Learning golf at the age of 50 was one accomplishment, but being able to look back upon the last 23 years and have a scorecard for every round played is an impressive testimony to his life.

“As of April 18, I had played 744 different courses,” he said. He’s also played in 35 states, nine countries and has played 480 golf courses in California alone. Some of his favorite rounds were at Pebble Beach Golf Links, The Olympic Club, Harbour Town Golf Links and Riviera CC.

“My friends say when I do something, I go overboard,” Al explained.

Twenty-one binders are filled with scorecards of each round he’s played. If you ask Al what his best score was, he’ll not only be able to tell you the score, the date and the course played, but he can show you the actual scorecard used that day.

But Al hasn’t done this alone. His wife, Mary, has joined him on this journey and played 425 courses of Al’s 744. She laughed when looking back on the first years Al began to play and remembers thinking, “I better learn to play or I’ll be a golf widow.”

The two are traveling partners, visiting many countries and states including Sweden, Aruba, Hawaii and Texas. Al, born and raised in Southern California, enjoys the time he gets to spend with his family and is always looking ahead to what new courses he can play during his next trip.

Al, who is an SCGA member through Roger Dunn Golf Shops, is also an avid SCGA Member Outings participant, playing in more than 30 events over the last three years. Member Outings are a great way for avid golfers to play new courses in Southern California without the tournament pressure. To learn more about SCGA Member Outings, click here.

The SCGA enjoys speaking with members about their accomplishments on and off the golf course. Have a story you would like to share? Email [email protected].