It’s my fourth season as an official “real golfer” (aka “reformed hack”), and there’s one thing I know for sure about golf that mirrors ski life: true enthusiasts don’t need a reason for the new season. I couldn’t be more excited to be out on those green fairways working on my passion/obsession.

But one thing we do always, always want can be summed up in one word: More.

We want more variety. We crave more options. We seek to up our total rounds. The only thing we don’t want more of in this crazy life of hitting a ball over and over is a higher handicap.

So this season, I’m working at finding more ways to fit more rounds and more experiences into the rest of my life. Like this:

I’m calling it the “On the Way There Rounds” more golf strategy. My sister-in-law Tara – whom if you look up “golf obsessed” in the dictionary I’m pretty sure they’ve added her photo – turned me on to this sneaky little round-adder just last week.

We had a family wedding shower to attend about three hours from our home town. To me, that looked like a wonderful day with family but also a sunny weekend day of golf lost (of course family comes first … Right? Right?) So I set aside my sunny weekend golf expectations.

Until Tara showed me how to have my wedding shower cake and savor a golf day too: “On the way golfing.” Tara opened a map of golf courses along the route to our event and studied them, looking for not just tee-time openings, but a course that would be interesting to check out.

She found The Tradition Golf Club at Oak Lane (www.traditionatoaklane.com/) in Woodbridge, Connecticut; a quick jaunt off Route 95 and very close to New Haven proper (you drive pretty much through the Yale community to get there).

We were to tee off near noontime on Saturday and chose to arrive an hour early, something I was thankful for because their driving range as well as putting and chipping areas are primo.

As I practiced putting, I chatted up a regular who told me I’d love the course but gave me one warning: It’s challenging. “Ah,” I said with all the confidence of a former hack who’s still leaning more toward hack than master, “My league course is super hard so I don’t mind the challenge!” (Shout out to Crosswinds in Plymouth. You build courage.)

He wasn’t wrong, and Traditions let us know that right off: the par 5 first hole is the No. 1 handicap as well; the toughest hole on the course.

Other challenges you find are diabolical (but not in a way that makes you curse them; more in a way that makes you want to show them who’s boss) bunkers, super dynamic (read: every putt seems to have more than one thing to overcome) greens, and some of the most challenging par 3 holes around. Their rough means business too; though thanks to the consistency of the grass quality, you adapt.

But it’s all overlaid with the golf accouterments that make any round great. First; the tee boxes, fairways, bunkers and greens are in incredible shape. It’s clear this course is well-loved. And while our 18-hole round included free bottles of water and carts with excellent GPS, we paid just $80. Even in the early season, that’s a deal.

And it’s just plain pretty. Maples and other hardwoods tower high, and the freshly blooming leaves set against the blue sky made for a lovely setting. The course is maintained in a way that just makes it feel beloved.

There’s no water to drink on the course (thus the free water bottles), but the beverage and snack cart was well-stocked and the staff on them super available. It was like any time any of us pondered a craving, they appeared. That’s extra nice – and surprising – on an affordable public course.

On a sunny, warm and busy Saturday, we got our 18 holes in and loved every minute of it, including post-round drinks in rocking chairs on a covered porch as an afternoon shower rolled past (we perfectly timed our round).

And then, as we were meant to, we continued on to our family event destination.

I’ll be doing this often this season, Tara’s “On the Way Golf” set-up. More rounds, new discoveries and all without sacrificing those things we want and need to do. You should too.

(Author’s note: Happy Hole-In-One-Aversary to aforementioned Tara.)