A guy at the muni in Tucson said he plays the bonus hole before his round starts, and I can't stop thinking about it
He told me he uses it as a warm up because there's no scorecard pressure, which sounds smart until you realize he's basically practicing a hole that only matters when two guys tie at 34.
Tried that once at my local course because I hated the first tee jitters. Played the bonus hole twice before my round and it actually helped me loosen up, mostly because nobody was watching and I could just swing easy. But you're right that it's a weird thing to practice, since I've only ever gone to a bonus hole maybe twice in three years of playing. Now I just hit a few putts and stretch instead, way less confusing.