Guess I'm a different breed. I work from home so my places are home and home and home. I'm fine with it.
Golf course is as close as I come to the op
Same. Was the softball field. But now basically all my socialization is the golf course.
I do want to add that text threads have become a big social resource for me. I am in the following text threads with different groups of guys that probably have daily activity:
Main golf text thread - very active, daily banter
Two threads of guys that play in the same golf tournaments throughout the year - pretty active
One golf/all things sports thread which my college roommate and brother in law that has pretty consistent banter
Multiple golf group threads for various clubs that I play with that is mostly just coordination for tee times and gambling groups but some banter
Dynasty FF text thread - near daily banter
Multiple fantasy groupme chats which are active daily during the season
A softball group text thread that is still active even though I'm not
A lawyer buddy thread from my very first office where we mainly reminisce and ***** about our jobs
A semi-active text thread with my two closest childhood friends - usually that is only active when one of our favorite sports teams beat the other
And, of course, the FFA
Given the above, I still feel like I get the same or similar experience to like a college dorm setting or hanging out at these "third places." It's very common for me to watch a game on my own (most likely with my kids around me doing their own thing) yet feel like I'm in a bar setting with the constant text chatter as we all watch the game together. I suppose the downside is that it closes off meeting new people, but I believe I have a very wide range of social groups I'm active in already.
So, Joe, not to hijack your thread here but what about the added element of text/chat/online threads to the analysis of "third places"?