You want to talk GCA. OK so let’s talk about carts, the tracks to minimise fairway wear and the design complications they generate for the designers. Let’s talk about courses with more blind holes, minimising the effect of distance aids requiring golfers to think GCA as they walk to their next shot. Then we have hazards, there is a large arsenal to choose from so why include Island Greens which are more likely to slow down ones round at best or kill it stone dead at worst. Two aims that are not akin with my idea of hazards.
Golf was born on the links so should we accept trees on the course, do we allow shallow bunkers which give aid to the golfer or do we seek hazards that push or test the Golfer.
Yet the worst offenders are carts, cart tracks and the overpopulation of bunkers, some courses seem to have them breeding like rabbits, Yet any mention of carts and some complain, the subject is boring so many want to talk about the top 100 courses – what has that to do with GCA and is the most boring subject on here list ones top 50 courses but it does not stop it cropping up nearly every week.
You want GCA then talk GCA not just selective subjects because you do not want to talk about carts for the simple reason being that you are a user.
One of the biggest GCA problems is based upon the cart and its effect on our courses – so let’s talk about it
Or is that just a Bridge Too far, to close to home comforts to lay yourself open to being part of the problem. Do the designers on here have the balls to talk openly about their preference and what they would like to have done (not necessary what they have done) to some of their course over the last 10 years.
Let’s talk GCA and have fun , let’s look to the history and learn, let’s see if we can play GOLF on good honest golf courses and not compromise our belief in the game for cheap and pointless thrills that have no place on a GOLF Course, And let’s try and embrace the opinions of others with open minds as they may well have a point that we may not have considered.
The lack or roll back, the destruction of our old and quality courses for the need for distance. Golf is about skill the challenge not just distance. Do we want to see golf go the way of Darts, the boring start of each hole so the need for distance until we get close to the finish (in golf the Hole) when skill is required. Is this not the reason we have designers to challenge the golfer and certainly off the Tee, its just too easy, what has happened to GCA from the Tees – oh yes the simple modern solution copy the R&A on the 17th Road Hole on TOC – wow that was creative, seems we have been doing that every time a new ball comes into play, but what about the GCA guys
Perhaps there is a good reason we have OT subjects – its keeps us all off the subject GCA. But hey guys we have cartball, playing scramble, and any other form of alien golf we can think of as its seems more fun than thinking of GCA.
Melvyn