Golfer expectations are one of the most powerful forces shaping our game. Everything from the cost of a round, to pace of play, to how much water a course uses is influenced by our desires and expectations. Unfortunately, we may not always think about how reasonable our expectations are for a particular course, or about the long-term effects our preferences could have. A new year is a great opportunity to reassess priorities and think about how changing our mindset can help change golf for the better. Here are five reasons to rethink our expectations:

Expectations come with a price tag
When it comes to golf course conditioning, amazing things are possible. Superintendents routinely deliver incredible results on difficult sites, through challenging weather, and with plenty of interference from us golfers! However, those amazing conditions require more than a green thumb and skillful management, they require resources that are directly tied to the cost of playing a course. While golfers should always expect a good experience for their money, we shouldn’t be surprised when a course with higher green fees offers a higher level of conditioning or dials in a few more details.

We can’t always get what we want
Like many businesses, golf courses face a growing list of challenges that make it hard to deliver everything a customer might want. Superintendents are struggling to hire and retain staff, essential materials are scarce and increasingly expensive, and equipment upgrades are facing long lag times. What was routine in the past may not be possible this year, or in the years to come, and we may have to adjust our expectations accordingly.

We can help get what we need
What we ask for as customers guides how courses spend money. While there are plenty of things that might be nice to have in terms of course conditioning or presentation, most golf courses don’t have unlimited resources, so choices have to be made. If we’re less concerned about bunker consistency or weeds in naturalized areas, that makes it easier for courses to focus more resources on the playing surfaces that matter most, like greens and fairways.

Don’t forget about fun
Sometimes high expectations for conditioning can make courses less fun to play. The desire for faster green speeds is a great example. There are many courses – including some of the most famous in the world – that sacrifice outstanding hole locations and make golf more frustrating for many players because the expected green speed is too fast for the putting green contours. Lush green rough is another example of how expectations can overstep enjoyment. It might look nice from the tee and offer a “championship test” but dense rough means a long day for someone with a wayward driver – and the players following behind them.

Think about the future
Golfer expectations influence how courses are designed and built, how much space they require and the resources needed to maintain them. When we think about the footprint of our game, and the economic and environmental sustainability of golf, we should also think about the role our expectations play in the equation.

If there’s anything the disruptions of the past several years have shown us it’s that golf is still a great game even if the experience is different from what we’re used to. Just because we’ve come to expect certain things in terms of course conditioning or presentation doesn’t mean those things are necessary for us to enjoy the game. It also doesn’t mean that we can’t adjust our expectations to fit a new reality or our own changing priorities.