[Melvyn Morrow]

The following is a draft of the Ten Golfing Commandments.  Please feel free to suggest your own. Cheating is covered by the 9th Commandment and all architects and designers, not to mention clients are asked to strictly uphold all with particular reference to  commandments 1 to 6 and not forgetting 10.



The Ten Golfing Commandments.

1.   You shall only Walk unless unable by act of God
2.   You shall build courses only on Land Fit For Purpose
3.   You shall not build courses in excess of 6,500 yards
4.   You shall not ride in carts (unless for medical reasons) nor build cart tracks
5.   You shall not use any sort of distance aids and use your God's given gifts
6.   You shall not have Island Greens or trees, pond on the fairways
7.   You shall not misuse the name of Golf to cover wheeled sports
8.   You must show proper consideration for others on a golf course
9.   You must not give false evidence on your scorecard
10.   You must honour the history and traditions of the Great Game of Golf

Failure to uphold these may damage your health (watch Tigers temper tantrum) and reduce the quality of our game of golf as we have known and played it for centuries – IMHO.

Melvyn

[Alex Miller]

Good stuff Melvyn. 


But why is there a 6,500 yard limit? That's just as bad as an architect limiting themselves to at least 7,000 yards. 

[Melvyn Morrow]

Alex

I had looked to the old records and nearly went to 5,500 yards, but thinking of those who love to hit the hell out of the ball from the Tees I thought it would be the best compromise - also best distance to play 36 holes in a day with a good lunch - right Mr McBride

Melvyn

[Bill_McBride]

Alex

I had looked to the old records and nearly went to 5,500 yards, but thinking of those who love to hit the hell out of the ball from the Tees I thought it would be the best compromise - also best distance to play 36 holes in a day with a good lunch - right Mr McBride

Melvyn

These days I am very happy at 6200 - 6500 yards, but there are many who are not challenged at that length.  A variety of tees with flexibility is the best approach to the distance issue, but most important is Polonius' advice: to thine own self be true (i.e. don't play the back tees for vanity!).

Only 3 commandments prohibiting the use of carts?  You can do better than that! 

[Jim_Kennedy]

1. Thou shalt remember that thee are not Me

[Tom_Doak]

Melvyn:

There are somewhere on the order of 15,000 courses in the world that are over 6,500 yards long.  Including St. Andrews.

I would love to build ONE course under 6,500 yards to show what we could do at that length, and perhaps someday I'll have the chance.  [The last three clients I've asked all said "no way."]  But to say that NO course should be over 6,500 yards in very near-sighted.  Perhaps you should just embrace living in the 21st century instead of wishing it were the 19th.

[Tim Leahy]

Lighten up Melvyn!
Next you will want to ban beer and women from golf courses!

[David_Tepper]

Melvyn -

If you want to reduce the number of golf courses by 2/3's and reduce the number of people playing golf by 3/4's, commandments #1 thru #8 are a great idea!

DT

[Mac Plumart]

Ok...I'm new, so I am not 100% sure when you guys are joking or not.  But just in case you guys are really getting mad at Melvyn, I have to say that I asked him to put together a complete list of sins/commandments in the thread titles something like "Another Hole ruined by a tree"

Based on that request, he posted this thread.  I think he is being funny and not serious (at least not 100% serious).

He also requested others to have their Ten Commandments, so here are mine...

#1---Hole out all putts
#2---No Mulligans off of the first tee
#3---Know the architect(s) of the course you are playing
#4---Fix ball marks on the green
#5---Play ready golf, if there is even the slightest chance of someone having to wait on you
#6---Leave a bunker in better shape than you found it
#7---Always make sure you have extra batteries for your laser range finder
#8---Make sure you load the course you are going to play into your GPS the night before you play it
#9---Play the tips reagrdless of how far you hit the ball becasue real men play the tips!!!
#10--I can't think of any more funny ones...sorry!

In all honesty, 1-5 are legit.

Also, Tom Doak said he wanted to design a 6,500 course to show what he could do.  BABY!!!!!!!!!!  That would be sweet.  I think someone of his stature could convince someone to let him do it and I think it could be amazing and open a lot of peoples eyes...Who was it that said...

"it isn't how far, but how good"

[Bill_McBride]

Ok...I'm new, so I am not 100% sure when you guys are joking or not.  But just in case you guys are really getting mad at Melvyn, I have to say that I asked him to put together a complete list of sins/commandments in the thread titles something like "Another Hole ruined by a tree"

Based on that request, he posted this thread.  I think he is being funny and not serious (at least not 100% serious).  Melvyn is a wonderful guy, but his mission to reform American golf without ever coming over here to play it with us might be a bit self-righteous - or at the very least a bit misguided.

He also requested others to have their Ten Commandments, so here are mine...

#1---Hole out all putts  Even in match play?
#2---No Mulligans off of the first tee
#3---Know the architect(s) of the course you are playing  You don't  want to know some of them!
#4---Fix ball marks on the green
#5---Play ready golf, if there is even the slightest chance of someone having to wait on you
#6---Leave a bunker in better shape than you found it
#7---Always make sure you have extra batteries for your laser range finder
#8---Make sure you load the course you are going to play into your GPS the night before you play it
#9---Play the tips reagrdless of how far you hit the ball becasue real men play the tips!!!
#10--I can't think of any more funny ones...sorry!

In all honesty, 1-5 are legit.  See above!

Also, Tom Doak said he wanted to design a 6,500 course to show what he could do.  BABY!!!!!!!!!!  That would be sweet.  I think someone of his stature could convince someone to let him do it and I think it could be amazing and open a lot of peoples eyes...Who was it that said...

"it isn't how far, but how good"

[Garland Bayley]

Melvyn -

If you want to reduce the number of golf courses by 2/3's and reduce the number of people playing golf by 3/4's, commandments #1 thru #8 are a great idea!

DT

David,

What's your proof?

[Anthony Gray]

  Always wear something orange.

[Mac Plumart]

Bill...

Fair enough on Melvyn's mission, but I just wanted to let people know that I asked him to do it and the way I asked was in a light-hearted way. 

Bill...holing out putts in match play...you got me on that one!

Mac

[Jason McNamara]

Ah Melvyn, you have this wonderful talent to make the perfect the enemy of the good.  I have to admit, I am relieved you're not related to other Scots:

Melvyn Hunter Fleming: "All antibiotics other than penicillin are not true medicine.  Only quacks use vancomycin."

Melvyn Hunter Watt: "Airplanes are the devil's work: they canna be powered by steam engines."

Melvyn Hunter Napier: "Curses be to the inventor of the calculator."


Please know I'd share a 'proper' round with you any time.   

[Ian_L]

#1 Be respectful of others and the course.
#2 Have fun.

[Bill Brightly]

Here are a few that might make my list

NEVER take a divot on a practice swing on the tee. (If you do, conceed the hole!)
Fix three ballmarks on every green. Leave the course in better shape because you played that day.
One practice swing only.
Wipe your feet when you leave a bunker
Kill every white pine that you see. If no white pines, a spruce will do, unless in Canada.

[David Stamm]

Thou shalt not let Rees or Fazio touch a classic course.

[Tom MacWood]

1.   You shall only Walk unless unable by act of God
2.   You shall build courses only on Land Fit For Purpose
3.   You shall not build courses in excess of 6,500 yards
4.   You shall not ride in carts (unless for medical reasons) nor build cart tracks
5.   You shall not use any sort of distance aids and use your God's given gifts
6.   You shall not have Island Greens or trees, pond on the fairways
7.   You shall not misuse the name of Golf to cover wheeled sports
8.   You must show proper consideration for others on a golf course
9.   You must not give false evidence on your scorecard
10.   You must honour the history and traditions of the Great Game of Golf

I like 1, 4, 8, 9, and 10. I don't understand 5 or 7.

I'd add you shall not misuse the name of OTM, or any other legend, to promote your golf course.

[JC Jones]

The lawyer side of me would advise you to amend #1 as I think "act of God" is susceptible to several interpretations that you do not intend and does not have the preclusive effect desired.

[Bob_Huntley]

I think Melvyn's coda is a good start. Personally my commandment would be in the singular. Smell the flowers and enjoy the day. What more need be said?

Bob

[Anthony Gray]

I think Melvyn's coda is a good start. Personally my commandment would be in the singular. Smell the flowers and enjoy the day. What more need be said?

Bob

  The spirit of the game lies in this post.

 AG

[Mike Benham]

#1 and #4 are redundant ...

[Will MacEwen]

Is cycling a wheeled sport?  I really don't get the connection there.

Here is a good one:

If the way other people play has no direct impact on you, don't preach about how they are playing and why your concept of golf is not only superior, but the singular definition of real golf.

[DMoriarty]

I think Melvyn's coda is a good start. Personally my commandment would be in the singular. Smell the flowers and enjoy the day. What more need be said?

Bob

2.  No flowers.

But I can live with the rest.

[Mike Wagner]

NO full practice swing.
Always let faster players play through.

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