Shotmaking, a dying skill?

Little wonder ratings have dropped off, golf has become boring to watch. We constantly see pros.getting home on most par fives with drive and wedge, they no longer worry about rough or sand traps they are able to generate spin from almost any lie. The governing bodies are reluctant to intercede, they want to avoid the possibility of lengthy litigation.

Totally agree with you. Golf these days is no where near as exciting as it used to be. I would love to see the ball brought back and lob wedges banned (as Tiger wants). They are going to have to start building awfully long courses soon, over 8000 yards, to cope with the modern day hitters.

I wish golf could go back to the early 90's - there were some amazing tournaments in those days where a short hitter (faldo) was able to dominate for a period - that will never happen now - if you don't hit it a mile you will never be one of the best in the world.

nick

they need a few blast from the past tournaments where you have to use all old equipment, dress old fashion and what not

you would have to set up more courses like us open
2005 won campbell even par total
2004 won goosen one over total

I dont think lengthening courses is the answer. I have no doubt both governing bodies do not want a legal battle with equipment companies. One way to avoid any argument would be to make courses much more punitive, something manufactures have no control of . Why not introduce pot bunkers, have deeper rough etc.

This is just a guess but I suspect it's about economics. In order to make the course challenging for the pros, it'll have to be a handicap-killer for the amateurs who play on it the rest of the year. Egos being fragile things, golfers will shun courses that make it harder for them to score as well as they think they should.

Because then you'll have all the pro's complaining.

It slays me that for the past couple of years, the PGA pros complain about the conditions at the US Open. You're all playing the same course, you're all playing the same conditions. Shut up, and play. What, scoring par on a TOURNAMENT course isn't good enough? Piss off. Is it the fear that you won't seem 'elite' if you're scoring par?

And the USGA is off their rocker by messing around with equipment. The problem isn't the gear - it's the players. We're seeing better conditioned athletes in all sports. Basketball hasn't changed a thing since the days of Wilt Chamberlain (who revamped the court singlehandedly). I don't think baseball stadiums are any larger. The NHL finally went back to normal sized pads for goalies. Soccer and American football fields haven't changed since God-knows-when.

But we lengthen golf courses, instead of modifying their playing characteristics. We set limitations on useless things like golf club COR. Want to hurt the pros equipment? Make them all play the same muscleback blade. Make them use 9 clubs as opposed to 14. Trying to limit one specification is useless.

Want to stop the pros from hitting driver-wedge? EA Sports created 'Tiger Proofing' for their TW PGA Tour games. Do the same thing to tournament courses. Grow rough in the popular landing zones. Increase the risk-reward on all holes. Grow the rough to 6 or 8 inches. Water down the sand traps. Slick up all the greens.

This is a simple solution, using water and a lawnmower (or rather, using water, and not using a lawnmower). Sure, the green fee'ers leading up to the tournament have a tougher course to play, but the course goes back to green fee style the day or two after the tournament.

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A new highlight: Golfing the home course on Christmas Day.

I say it too often: If it's golf club shaped, you can play with it.

For the record, I'm a club doctor, not a swing doctor.

I dont even think it has to be punitive for the regular joe players
If they add in super rough and dog legs and huge pot bunkers at the 320yrd point the regular joes shots will be before and then after it so it wont come into play.

Longer plays in to the long hitters hands, it means that he has to hit a good drive and a good 7 iron whereas the normal guys jump all over a driver and then another 3 wood, stupid.
Shorter courses reduce the advantage of length, especially off the tee.
Just look at the par 3 comps, anyone can win them.

Shorter, tighter holes with more hazards and dog legs is the way to go.
Stick a few lakes at out at 300yrds and see what Tiger does then.

Forgetting about the top 20 players in the world for a moment, I do think you need to keep in mind that most of the tour players struggle to make the cuts from week to week. The cut is usually 2-3 under after 2 rounds. My point is, is that the courses they play are not that easy now, even for most of them.

This may be of interest to some:

http://www.usga.org/news/2006/february/es.html

When Walter Hagen overheard some fellow pros. complain about the condition of the course they were playing he replied " For the kinda money up for grabs I would be happy to play 4 times round the clubhouse"

auldyn - i love the idea of pot bunkers - like at the Open - when you hit into them it really is like a one shot penalty! I love all the ideas in this post of toughening up the course but i really do feel that courses will need lengthening if the game of golf is to be preserved. Here is why. When jack Nicklaus was in his early years he belted the ball miles compared to his peers. Even so at a par 4 460yard hole, he might hit it 280 and have a 5 iron in - these days for the big hitters - that is a drive and 9 iron/wedge hole. Now which is more difficult?

I guess i just have to except that golf has changed completely and much of the skill has been taken from it IMO

nick

Shot making skill is not needed as much for the long hitters, but remember that only 20 or so players on the PGA tour actually hit it very long. The others have to struggle and needs shot making skills now more than ever.

Also, the long hitters need to be very good with their wedges and putter, so some sort of skill is still needed to contend.

Still, it is pretty boring to watch drive-wedge-putt on every hole...

yeah but what is everyone here trying to do, get better, we would all love to be able to drive wedge putt alot of holes


a 400yard hole for us is about like a 460yard hole for pros

Just because it's boring to watch, doesn't mean it's boring to do