Variety, people say, is the spice of life.

Variety is also the measure of good golf.

Who says you have to hit the ball a mile to be competitive at the highest levels of golf competition?

In Maine, the highest competition for most of us is the Maine Amateur, which for 86 years has been showcasing the best golfers in the state for at least three rounds in the middle of the summer.

Last week, the longest hitters struggled early. Shawn Warren, who can hit a ball nearly 300 yards with his 3-wood, shot a 6-over-par 77 on Day 1. Defending champion Ricky Jones, known for booming drives and aggressive play, shot 75 on the course that one day earlier some of the players called “too easy” to host the tournament.

By length (6,064 yards on Monday and 6,015 Tuesday), the course played very short compared to Sanford one year ago.

“I hate it here,” said Jones, matter-of-factly. “I’m not going to change my game, but you just can’t be aggressive out here. That’s how I play.”

Not all of the top players shared Jones’ dislike. Scott Stone, who fired a first-round, even-par 71 called some of the pin positions “creative.”

“It takes imagination here,” said Stone.

Most successful golfers will adjust their game to the conditions. Warren adjusted. After his 77, he rethought his strategy.

“I’m going to have to change things up,” he said after his first round. “Tomorrow will play different.”

True to his word, Warren hit a driver just three times during his second round, course-record setting 65.

Even hitting a hybrid 2-iron off the tee, he had only wedges into the greens. But full wedges instead of half-wedges. That made a world of difference.

Now, you can’t do what the MSGA did this week at the professional level and play a shorter course. Those guys (and gals) are good enough to hit half-wedges to one foot all day. But at the Maine Amateur level, it made sense.

Golf is a test of all abilities – driver, wedge play, long irons and putting, among others. Just because guys weren’t able to wail away with their drivers on every hole doesn’t make it an easy course.

It makes it a different course, a strategic course and a mentally challenging course.

Likewise for everyday golfers, playing different courses can be healthy and rewarding for your golf games.

Justin Pelletier is a staff writer. He can be reached at jpelletier @sunjournal.com