If they’re lengthening courses like St. Andrews, Augusta and Winged Foot, golf’s on the wrong track

Do golf’s governing bodies really know where the game appears to be going? Is it stumbling in the same direction that tennis did some twenty-thirty years ago when it fell off the earth in popularity? I hope not, but if it is, the reasons are different. The major culprit that is driving golf from a thriving sport to one that is struggling to hold its own in participation is the building of longer and tougher courses in order to keep up with today’s equipment improvements…the reason…to protect scoring. I am one of those who also believes that a par 5 should require three shots to reach (that’s why it is a par 5) or, on occasion, two shots if the player hits a great drive and uses a long club for the second, but still at some risk. When a player reaches a 540 yard hole with a drive and a seven iron, something just doesn’t seem right, but rest assured, that is happening. To protect the scoring challenge new courses are being built longer and old ones renovated to be longer. The examples are disturbing. I am talking lots of courses, including great ones like… The Old Course at St. Andrews , Augusta National , Winged Foot , etc. Is that supposed to be telling the world that these aren’t great courses anymore? Well it certainly seems so…but it really isn’t true. They are still great courses, providing the new equipment isn’t overpowering them. Changing the courses by adding length is the wrong answer. Here is why. Longer courses mean more land is required to build them, that’s $$$, more equipment and materials to maintain them, more $$$, additional staff to care for them, yes, extra $$$, more time to play them (meaning fewer rounds and the need for a greater fee), that’s also $$$. Because of this the cost of golf has and will continue to escalate. Want to know what the two primary reasons the two primary reasons why people drop out of the game or never start. Time and money…and as the old saying goes, “Time is money.” So what is the answer? The first one that most people come up with is simply to reduce the distance the ball can go so as stop the need for lengthening. While that may seem easy, it has some red flags largely because of the potential litigation from manufacturers. The average player would also resist at first, but not if the hole lengths were shortened to accommodate the ball’s reduction. (I would personally like to see that happen.) Another is to tighten the fairways particularly in the long hitter’s zone and lengthen the rough for tournaments. This would definitely reduce some of the low handicapper and pro advantage. And a final way is to forget trying to protect scoring. Let them shoot in the fifties, have a good time, play faster and cheaper. But don’t price the game out of business by sticking to lengthening the courses. It is the wrong solution for the greatest game ever played.

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If they’re lengthening courses like St. Andrews, Augusta and Winged Foot, golf’s on the wrong track

Hoof it! Don’t let golf cars spoil our game

Golf started out as a walking game…for that matter, it still is in most of the world outside of this country. If you haven’t experienced golf beyond the continental limits of the USA you may not fathom the reality that exists elsewhere…that is, pulling a “trolley,” (a cart to us) or packing your bag and doing it in less than four hours. Doesn’t there seem to be a connection between the fact that we live in the fattest country in the world, where obesity is epidemic, yet choose to eliminate the most important exercise element that is built into the game, walking, and substitute a vehicle for transporting our equipment, and more importantly, ourselves. It disturbs me to see young people, particularly high school students, driving a golf car when they should be ‘hoofing it’ and lugging their bag. They should do it not only for the exercise, but also, for the camaraderie which is greater by far in a walking foursome than in two riding carts. I know there are resort courses and others who require that you take a golf car to play there. What they really require however is that you pay for one. If you can get someone to drive (I tell my playing partner that my doctor won’t let me ride) the facility doesn’t care as long as they get the money…which of course is what riding is mostly about. (Exempted are the infirm who couldn’t play otherwise.) If your companion also wants to walk and get something physically worthwhile from the outing, you simply alternate driving/riding every other hole, which is a good compromise. Walking gives you additional time to enjoy the experience and puts you into a better rhythm pattern for making a good swing. Rather than speeding up to your ball, to get out and hit, you can establish a better tempo by walking. Mark Twain once said, “Golf is a good walk spoiled.” Today he would say, “If you want to spoil a good walk, ride in a golf car.”

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Hoof it! Don’t let golf cars spoil our game

You’re no Tiger Woods – so set realistic goals for your golf game

As a teacher of golf I have a pretty good understanding of what it takes to become a good player…by good, I mean with a five to six handicap or better. But only a very few golfers seem to get it, that is, to honestly understand the amount of effort it takes to achieve that level. Once they find out, fewer still will do it. Now I am not trying to discourage anyone from seeking improvement or from setting an ambitious goal, but know that it takes a lot of time, practice, and a better than reasonable amount of athletic skill to get to that low handicap range…only about 2 percent of all golfers do. It helps to have a coach, a good teacher who can assist a player in finding the answers to the six criteria that influence one’s scoring performance. Those are: 1. Swing Mechanics 2. Correct Practice 3. Physical Conditioning 4. Psychological Strength 5. Knowledge of Special Shots, and 6. Equipment. That is a tall order. Handling all six requires considerable motivation, effort, and a lot of patience. Here is where I have a problem. Most people’s expectation level far exceeds their preparation and talent. Now it is not bad to be optimistic, on the contrary, but it is also of value to be realistic. Golfers who arrive at the course with huge expectation levels (mostly Type A’s or young bucks) get quickly disappointed with bad shots and angry over the results. When in fact, THEY HAVEN’T EARNED THE RIGHT TO BE ANGRY! They haven’t done enough practice to play golf like they see on television, though they think they should. Their anger can easily ruin the day not only for themselves but for their playing companions. It’s a game! So cool it…”You ain’t no Tiger Woods”…who, by the way, spends countless hours training, practicing, working on mind and body, trying equipment, and employing a teacher. After all that, he still can’t do it all the time as well as he wishes. So why do you think you should? The answer: because of the male ego. Hey, I have it too, but work to keep it in check. That leads me to my favorite quote: “If you play golf, you are going to experience a certain amount of disappointment and frustration …but misery is a choice.” Enjoy your golf.

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You’re no Tiger Woods – so set realistic goals for your golf game

Have a golf partner who’s a yakker? Here’s a tip for putting the lid on it

There are few things I don’t like when playing a round of golf. Obviously I am not fond of the “ugly threes”…, those three putts and triple bogeys. But beyond them, even when the score is not great, I truly enjoy simply being on the links…except when I am playing with a ‘yakker.’ You know the guy I’m talking about. The one who insists on giving a detailed description of every shot that didn’t “come off” like he had envisioned. Usually he tries to find an excuse, like saying for the fourth time, “I just got these clubs re-shafted and I’ve got to get used to them,” or “Did you see that? The wind didn’t push my ball one yard toward the hole,” as it sails into the bunker. Fortunately for his type we have a nice little game that my other playing partners can introduce him to if he keeps it up. The game is called, “Oh, really!?” Here’s how it goes: Whenever anyone says something about a shot they just hit that is blatantly obvious, like, “I hit behind it again!” and it is a shot that everyone clearly saw, someone in the group responds with a sarcastic, “Oh, really!?” That costs the ‘yakker’ whatever the determined amount that has been set, let’s say two dollars. (It may depend on how much you actually like the player you are trying to quiet.) So let’s say he’s not your best buddy and has a chip to the flag from across the green which is sloped back to front. His ball breaks easily ten feet below the hole which causes him to exclaim, “That shot must have broken 10 feet left!” He is immediately hit with an “Oh, really!?” (Does he think we are blind?) That costs ‘yakker’ two bucks for the pot. The total is collected at the end and pays for refreshments. Don’t be surprised if it exceeds the first round of drinks. While your other companions just play golf, chat, tell stories, and have the occasional “dammit,” over a poorly played shot, the target of the game just keeps getting socked with $2 penalties because he can’t resist another “Geez, I left another putt short,” or, “That may be the worst shot I hit all day,” or, “Did you see that, I putted it through the break.” Those comments simply cry for an “Oh, really,” from his companions, and they never fail to come. It may not be the game for your best friends (if you want to keep them) but it is very effective for halting the non-stop play-by-play, swing-by-swing, analyst providing the commentary on his own swing… “Oh, really!?”

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Have a golf partner who’s a yakker? Here’s a tip for putting the lid on it