Thanks to The R&A will TOC see out her days as a Pitch and Putt Course?

[Melvyn Morrow]

Am I alone. Am I the only one worried when I watch players Teeing off at the 18th at TOC and seeing their ball finish on the 18th Green?

The R&A say there has been no change since 2002, Quite frankly I do not care, my own eyes tell me that change and control of technology is required  NOW or all our golf courses within the next five years will become nothing more than glorified Pitch and Putt courses.

If this happens it will be the legacy of the R&A, they would have watched The Home of Golf being destroyed while they did nothing. I hope the Town of St Andrews in conjunction with the Links Trust fight back and kick the R&A out of St Andrews, Fife and GB for they will if not careful have been responsible for the demise of the great game of golf which they are  meant to be protecting.

Can these people really be that blind, can they not see these performances in front of their eyes.

Roll back should , I believe be gauges to the game as it was at the turn of the 19th Century at the time of the introduction of the Haskell. The alternative is to re-build nearly every course certainly in GB&I – it is just not possible or currently financially viable, but equipment (ball/club) certainly is.

I think we are closer to forcing a decision than anyone really realised,  It will not just be our courses fighting to survive but the very structure and being of the R&A. IMHO more is at stake when golfers realise, that we are now standing on the precipice due to ignorance and inaction of those we all thought knew better.

I do not know how the rest of the DG members feel but I feel a sense of being kept in the dark, of the real facts being hidden from us - quite simply put I feel betrayed.

Melvyn   

[David Lott]

Total horsefeathers. Bad analysis, impossible remedy, and you have to figure out why you feel personally betrayed by something over which you have no influence, and in which your personal stake is imaginary.

[Jon Heise]

I dont seem to see a lot of players making eagle on 18.  At some point, I think I heard the broadcasters mention that players have been driving that green for a long, long time.  Plus look at the rip all these guys are putting on that drive.  They're going at it harrrd.

[RSLivingston_III]

Until the equipment manufacturers become one of the least important elements of the game...

[Mike Sweeney]

Probably 10 years ago, I drove a 320 yard green down wind on a wetish course. I am not that long, the wind was really blowing.

Melvin has a point however. Wimbledon has a "tournament ball" the World Cup has a tournament ball, baseball has a standard ball, lacrosse, squash.......

Golf is the only sport where players bring their own ball for a tournament. Maybe that should change?

[Mike Hendren]

Melvyn,

I get the impression that if you're ever invited to National Golf Links of Ameria you'll pass on the golf and fight the windmill.

We get it.

Kindest regards,

Mike

[Melvyn Morrow]

David

Clearly you are not interested is doing anything, but I suppose my stake is being involved with the public course like TOC. If nothing else to speak out to say these guys are driving the 18th Green from the Tee.

I suppose it’s because I care even though I have been unable to play for some years now, I still care.

What is the policy of others - the usual of ignoring the problem or go and walk on the other side of the road as you do not want to get involved, Fine that’s your choice others care and feel they need to do something.

I played golf through my life, it matters, it’s important to me perhaps give back something that it has given me.

Melvyn  

[C. Squier]

4 days every 5 years.  That's what you're upset about?

I'd be more concerned about the other ~1820 days when "normal" golfers are out playing TOC.  Do they render the course obsolete?

[David Lott]

Should we form a group and buy it?

That would be cool. I met Herb Kohler once--he might invest.

[Melvyn Morrow]

I sometimes wonder if you guys really care about the game of Golf or is it just have some fun with Melvyn. But rest assured I will not leave it, I will fight, because its worth the effort.

Melvyn

[Scott Warren]

Melvyn,

Other than posting your lament on GCA, what steps have you taken through official channels to effect positive change?

[Ben Stephens]

Melvyn,

Why dont they put the tee back to over the wall alongside the 17th green make it a 370, 380 yarder - like they have extended the other holes maybe this would more likely to have happened if Tiger holed his drive on Friday  .

Golfers these days are fitter and stronger like other sportsmen/women in other sports. I reckon with similar equipment Tiger would outdrive Nicklaus in his heyday 95%.

Like what has happened to Prestwick maybe TOC will be rendered out of date in 30/40 yrs time unless they make some drastic changes to the course like other courses on the Open Rota.

Cheers
Ben

[Bill_McBride]

I was really surprised and pleased to see how long the boys were making #16 play by laying up.  I guess this was accomplished by growing the rough left of the Principal's Nose but still.....

Melvyn, with the firm terrain we all prize, and playing dead down wind, the Home hole is going to be driven by the longest hitters.  Jack Nicklaus was doing this 40 years ago, well before the ruling bodies let the ball get away.  The hole is what it is right in front of you.  It's a 3.5 par following a couple of 4.5 pars, a huge component of the charm of the Old Course.

And speaking of right in front of you, there was a lady referred to as a great grand daughter (or something like that) of Old Tom Morris watching from the first floor window of the shop.  Your relative I assume?

And was that you seen on television swimming today?  Thought of you at once!

[David Lott]

"I reckon with similar equipment Tiger would outdrive Nicklaus in his heyday 95%."

Check out the Nicklaus heyday swing on video some day and maybe you will rethink. Probably some geek could figure out the clubhead speed, but he had everything--and I mean everything--in exactly the right place, and going in exactly the right direction, at the point of impact. Ditto Snead and Hogan. They would keep up just fine.

[Ben Stephens]

David/Bill,

If you look at the Nicklaus effort he gave it 110 percent his legs were everywhere. Tiger gave his 80 percent - he did not need to whack it which takes some skill and to achieve accuracy rather than distance. He went close to the OOB where most players aimed left.

Look at the size of the arms and the body physique of Snead, Hogan, Nicklaus and Woods. It gets more bulkier and toned as time goes on.

Cheers
Ben

[Richard Hetzel]

I dont seem to see a lot of players making eagle on 18.  At some point, I think I heard the broadcasters mention that players have been driving that green for a long, long time.  Plus look at the rip all these guys are putting on that drive.  They're going at it harrrd.

The ball is ROLLING quite a bit as well. Why not place a POND right in front and around to the left of the green? (JOKE)

[David_Tepper]

Jack Nicklaus drove thru the 18th green at TOC with a 3-wood (and the smaller British ball) almost 40 years ago, the year he beat Doug Sanders in a playoff.

Nick Faldo shot 65-67-65 in the first 3 rounds of the Open 20 years ago.

Things have changed less than one might think, assuming one chooses to do so.

[Sean Leary]

I saw a lot of guys hitting driver off 1 today, so 18 must have been pretty downwind.

Scores didn't seem too low to me. 3rd place is what, 8 under after 3 rounds?

[Ben Stephens]

Jack Nicklaus drove thru the 18th green at TOC with a 3-wood (and the smaller British ball) almost 40 years ago, the year he beat Doug Sanders in a playoff.

Things have changed less than one might think, assuming one chooses to do so.

Did the then smaller British Ball penetrate through the air better and was straighter than then larger US ball and the current modern ball?  

[Ben Stephens]

Jack Nicklaus drove thru the 18th green at TOC with a 3-wood (and the smaller British ball) almost 40 years ago, the year he beat Doug Sanders in a playoff.

Nick Faldo shot 65-67-65 in the first 3 rounds of the Open 20 years ago.

Things have changed less than one might think, assuming one chooses to do so.

Seve, Faldo and Tiger all played a relatively calm TOC where the winning scores was 12 under to 19 under the last TOC Open when it was that windy was Daly + he was 6 under. This one is relatively windy conditions and the winner looks like he will be 12 under plus and also the course is now 400 yards longer!

[Sean Leary]

Jack Nicklaus drove thru the 18th green at TOC with a 3-wood (and the smaller British ball) almost 40 years ago, the year he beat Doug Sanders in a playoff.

Things have changed less than one might think, assuming one chooses to do so.

Did the then smaller British Ball penetrate through the air better and was straighter than then larger US ball and the current modern ball?  

I think they had changed balls at that point but not sure...

[Steve Pozaric]

4 days every 5 years.  That's what you're upset about?

I'd be more concerned about the other ~1820 days when "normal" golfers are out playing TOC.  Do they render the course obsolete?

Clint

Well said.  There are a lot of complaints about length of pros.  The real issue to me is growing the game.  Why would we want to roll back the ball/make the game tougher when handicaps haven't changed much and many courses struggle to fill tee sheets?

If we roll back the ball can we also change maintenance practices so that greens roll at about 6-8 and the fairways are shaggy?

[RSLivingston_III]

Jack Nicklaus drove thru the 18th green at TOC with a 3-wood (and the smaller British ball) almost 40 years ago, the year he beat Doug Sanders in a playoff.

Things have changed less than one might think, assuming one chooses to do so.

Did the then smaller British Ball penetrate through the air better and was straighter than then larger US ball and the current modern ball?  

Ball ads advertised the carry advantages of the small balls and the roll of the larger balls.

Didn't the fence behind the green get added after Nicklaus hit that drive?

[RSLivingston_III]

4 days every 5 years.  That's what you're upset about?

I'd be more concerned about the other ~1820 days when "normal" golfers are out playing TOC.  Do they render the course obsolete?

Clint

Well said.  There are a lot of complaints about length of pros.  The real issue to me is growing the game.  Why would we want to roll back the ball/make the game tougher when handicaps haven't changed much and many courses struggle to fill tee sheets?

Because we could begin undoing the damage that was caused by the longer balls. If you shorten the ball they can start shortening the courses (moving tees up) thus speeding up the game, thus making the game more doable for many people. A shorter ball will also go straighter and be more findable, again speeding up the play of the game.

If we roll back the ball we can move up the tees making rounds quicker. The ball will also fly straighter so mis-hits will be less severe making it easier to find and again speeding up the game.
It will probably make the game more interesting to people again if they can manage to get in rounds in a decent time frame.
That would also be your "growing the game" issues.

[Andrew Summerell]

Melvyn,

Other than posting your lament on GCA, what steps have you taken through official channels to effect positive change?

I, too, would be interested to know what course of official action you have taken to this point.

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