The President's Putter: Leading edge of the bifurcation wedge?

[ForkaB]

In today's (London) Times, John Hopkins notes that:

".....the Oxford and Cambridge Golfing Society....is talking privately about using a lower-compression ball that will not go so far in their annual President's Putter competition.  They are attempting to stop the headlong dash of a wonderful game that, increasingly, bears little resemblance to the game we know and love."

Go for it, old chaps!

[Dan Kelly]

Go for it, old chaps!

... he said, Ryely.

Time for the old chaps to start talking publicly -- though I suppose that's not their style.

[THuckaby2]

Now that is very interesting to read, but I surely hope they take as little credit for this idea as we have for paraphrasing the name of their event...

THE KING'S PUTTER - March 2003 - old balata balls (and old clubs) used in round 2 at Pajaro Valley, in alternate shot match play.

 

[Mike Benham]

Tom -

I too was going to note the King's Putter on this thread but only to remind those that the King's Putter event is far more prestigious ...

[PThomas]

and who is in possession of The Putter right now?..oh yeah, I forgot for a second ....

peace and love to all my CA friends

pt

[THuckaby2]

Mike - of course that goes without saying.  Those pretenders over in England... sheesh....

 

TH

ps - damn you Paul.  You had to go and remind me of this sorest of all points in my golf resume.  

[PThomas]

I deserve your damnation, Huck...sometimes the little devil in me pops out and I CAN"T control him

we just won't tell anyone how you'd beat me like a drum in a straight up match....

[THuckaby2]

I dunno Paul - I have good and bad days.  Don't be so sure whose drum would get beaten by whom.

 

Now back to this topic.. after silly me did about the 8000th example of threadjacking in my sullied history here....

What's the take of those who might know about potential R&A action based on this?  By that I mean, there have to be many R&A members who play in the President's Putter... or at least a few... will the seed be planted if this occurs?  Will something come to fruition from it?  Is that a good thing?

Lots of questions, and no I am not Pat Mucci and thus do not know the answers already.  I am genuinely curious.

 

[Rick Shefchik]

I realize the participants in the President's Putter are good players, but this strikes me as Reverse Bifurcation.

Wasn't it supposed to be the pros who scaled back, leaving the rest of us to continue to hit our 240-yard drives with whatever ball we chose to use?

[THuckaby2]

I realize the participants in the President's Putter are good players, but this strikes me as Reverse Bifurcation.

Wasn't it supposed to be the pros who scaled back, leaving the rest of us to continue to hit our 240-yard drives with whatever ball we chose to use?

Good point/question.   That surely ought to be the intent.  But this is a very prestigious event with a lot of great players, and well... if this is going to happen it has to start somewhere.  Seems to me an event like this, beholden to no one, is a viable starting point.

TH

[Brent Hutto]

If it's a starting point for anything it's a starting point for everybody making up their own equipment rules. I think within a couple of decades the whole concept of everyone from beginners to Tour pros playing under the exact same Rules (including equipment) will be seen as an anachronism. That will be a shame, almost as much a shame as the fact that cart-golf has become the normal expectation in so many places.

[ForkaB]

I realize the participants in the President's Putter are good players, but this strikes me as Reverse Bifurcation.

Wasn't it supposed to be the pros who scaled back, leaving the rest of us to continue to hit our 240-yard drives with whatever ball we chose to use?

Rick

The PP is limited to golfers who played for either Oxford or Cambridge.  There are more than a few legitimate flat bellies/ex/current-Walker Cup players and the rest are not chopped liver.

[Rick Shefchik]

Rich: I'd still give them a pass on the Pro V1.

It's when you start doing it for money that I think you ought to play with a scaled-back tournament ball.

[THuckaby2]

Rich - I understood the great players in The PP... but see my questions above re connections to R&A and what if anything this might mean... any thoughts there?

Methinks this might have BIG implications.  But methinks me would also love input from those who know the connections involved.  

Brent - that is the danger of this, without a doubt.  One of the coolest parts of golf is the illusion that we can play just like the pros.  Separate rules would suck.  BUT.. like Rick S. says, this is kinda the tail wagging the dog... If amateur events like this take the lead, wouldn't the pros at some point follow along?

TH

[Brent Hutto]

I think nowadays the professional tours are going to do whatever a) gets them the most TV viewers and b) lets them play the courses they want to play while scoring roughly in the same manner as a couple decades ago.

To date, the TV-viewing public's desire to see the long ball and lots of birdies has somewhat trumped the fact that a few classic courses are no longer usable if you want to treat an eagle on an "Par 5" as something special. Then again, the PGA Tour seems to be on a gradual process of owning all the courses they play on so maybe it's all just criterion A.

[THuckaby2]

Brent - I think you are right.  We shall see where this all goes.  In any case a scaled-down ball has to be better than 8500 yard golf courses, which seems to be the direction this might go if it hasn't already....

Chicks do dig the long ball.  I know, having won the long drive at my tournament yesterday.

 

[PThomas]

and how far was the award winning poke Huck?

[THuckaby2]

Paul - oh me, oh my - for me it was a good one.  505 hole and I had 195 for my 2nd.  By my math that's 310 yards.  I should make up a better story, but it was downwind and slightly dowhill, to a pretty firm fairway.  Low hard runner that probably carried 230, got a turbo boost by drawing off a fairway canted left, and ran out to glory.

The big thing was though that it was IN THE FAIRWAY, a requirement for winning.  I win quite a few in this manner with this group.  But this one might have one anyway.  I feel like shivas today.  Me big hitting bit heap long boy.

Now back to your regularly-scheduled topic....

TH

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