classic or modern, that is the question

[Joe Bausch]

It's a strange world you've moved to and if you are to play this great game, you are forced to choose to play all classic courses the rest of your life, or all modern.  For myself, I thought at first it would be an easy decision.  But upon examination, it is not.  For sake of argument, put the year for classic/modern at 1960.  Would you play the rest of your life on courses before 1960, or after?  But more importantly, WHY did you choose classics or moderns?

[astavrides]

Most of the great classic courses are private.  Many of the better modern courses are public.  Should I take that into account before I answer?

[Joe Bausch]

Most of the great classic courses are private.  Many of the better modern courses are public.  Should I take that into account before I answer?

Ignore the availability issue.  Yes, it is 'flawed experiment'.   

[Alex Miller]

Oh god this is a tough question.

Can I use Fazio's Re-do of ANGC as the date of design? Are we talking date of original design? Are we talking the state of the courses in 1960 or are courses like Bethpage Black, which has been modified for the better since '60 in their current state? It would help to know.

Whatever the case, I think I'd have to go with the classic courses. The sheer number of quality courses seems much greater than the number of quality modern courses. There's even some longer ones to satisfy modern hitters, that is if we are assuming we take them in their current state.

[Andy Troeger]

Whatever the case, I think I'd have to go with the classic courses. The sheer number of quality courses seems much greater than the number of quality modern courses. There's even some longer ones to satisfy modern hitters, that is if we are assuming we take them in their current state.

Interesting comment here...I'd have said the exact opposite. Ignoring availability, my favorite three courses are Pine Valley, Cypress Point, and Pebble Beach--that's enough to sway my vote. But after a certain point the modern courses IMO have far more depth, but that could also just be a personal preference, and I'm also not one that minds carts as much as some.

[JC Urbina]

  For me at my age - Classic,  between  1898 and 1929.

Easy walks from tee to green,   6,700 yards or less,  cool greens,  bunkers in the middle not on the edges, wide fairways, great land,  No clutter on every teeing ground.   

[Alex Miller]

Whatever the case, I think I'd have to go with the classic courses. The sheer number of quality courses seems much greater than the number of quality modern courses. There's even some longer ones to satisfy modern hitters, that is if we are assuming we take them in their current state.

Interesting comment here...I'd have said the exact opposite. Ignoring availability, my favorite three courses are Pine Valley, Cypress Point, and Pebble Beach--that's enough to sway my vote. But after a certain point the modern courses IMO have far more depth, but that could also just be a personal preference, and I'm also not one that minds carts as much as some.

I should've clarified what I meant by quality courses. If you need to put it on a scale it's probably a Doak 7 or 8. I mean if I have all those to choose from I don't need 1,000 courses. A few dozen will do me just fine. While there are many many modern courses, I think the classics still outnumber the moderns on the high end of the scale. It may be tough to name many classic courses as good as Sand Hills, but it's impossible to name more modern courses.

Btw, for those who would be concerned about classics being pushovers (not many of you I know  ), consider Oakmont, Pine Valley, ANGC and many other major championship courses.

[Anthony Gray]

  New school vs Old school.OK you got me on this one.I'm gooing New School.Because I love Resort Golf, and Eye Candy for my choice for my member club.Old school British isles beats Old school US because of the quirk and love for thier course by the locals and willingness to share it with others.Old school US has alot of repitition.

  Anthony

[PCCraig]

I would generally rather play a low key classic golf course but I have been known to enjoy many of the better modern courses for what they are.

I'll say my answer would be modern...only because if I say classic I wouldn't be able to play any courses that would be coming in the future. And "what's next" intrigues me more than what I've already seen.

Thankfully I'll never have to actually choose!

[Terry Lavin]

Classic wins!  In a walk!

Like Urbina said, most of them are a reasonable length with an easy walk from green to tee.  Most of them are far superior in the Walk in the Park test.  And most of them fit more seamlessly into their terrain as compared to their modern counterparts.  This analysis, of course, is superficial and based on sweeping generalizations, just the kind of logic i favor!

[astavrides]

Classic, because i've already played many of the modern greats, but not as many of the classic greats.  And now they are accessible to me thru the magic of this question.  Or did i just violate the spirit of the question again? 

[Kyle Harris]

Are future builds out of bounds?

If so, then classic.

If not, then modern.

Our best years are not behind us.

[astavrides]

ok, after those two answers, I should probably give a semi-serious one.  If you live in GB and I or were going to play most of your golf there, you'd have to go classic.  And now I'll cop out of the US part of the question...

[Mark McKeever]

Are future builds out of bounds?

If so, then classic.

If not, then modern.

Our best years are not behind us.

I was going to post a preference of classics until I read your post Kyle.  Well said.

Mark

[John Kavanaugh]

I hope you classic guys enjoy your trips to the rust belt of our declining industrial nation while I take in the open spaces of Nebraska and Colorado.  

[Sean_A]

Absolute no brainer for me, classic courses. 

Ciao

[Jim_Kennedy]

I don't know how you could give up playing true links courses if you lived in the UK, so I'd guess classic would be a no-brainer.

I'd choose classic for many of the reasons already cited.

[Bill_McBride]

Classic with a bunch of modern courses thrown in that harken back to those older courses.  And there are a good number.

[Anthony Gray]

Are future builds out of bounds?

If so, then classic.

If not, then modern.

Our best years are not behind us.

I was going to post a preference of classics until I read your post Kyle.  Well said.

Mark

  Look at that tee next to the patio,Don't see that much theses days Mark.Wish we did.

  Anthony

[Kevin Pallier]

Would you play the rest of your life on courses before 1960, or after?

Joe

I think you need to nominate a similar timeframe to be fair. 50 years post 1960 v hundreds of years prior - is biased.

That said - the 1910 to 1960's timeframe produced enough quality courses for me to suggest that I favour them over modern designs.

[Travis Dewire]

  For me at my age - Classic,  between  1898 and 1929.

Easy walks from tee to green,   6,700 yards or less,  cool greens,  bunkers in the middle not on the edges, wide fairways, great land,  No clutter on every teeing ground.   

I think that should be said for all ages


Classics win!

[Bruce Leland]

When the classics were initially constructed, for the most part,  they did not resemble the classics of today(deforestation of classics that became overgrown  aside) so the question of "maturity" must be in the mix of this discussion somewhere.  For me...I prefer Golden Age architecture for the walk in the park test but relish a bit of the avant garde of modern architecture for what was "constructable" with modern equipment, CADD, rendering and GPS surveying tools in the belt.

[Dan Herrmann]

Joe,
Classic, but with a modern club membership paradigm.  Unfortunately, I don't think such a place exists.

[George Pazin]

Modern.

Couldn't live with myself if I didn't play Wolf Point, Barnbougle, Lost Farm, Sheep Ranch, Ballyneal and Cabot someday.

I will admit, it's tempting to just say the opposite of Matt, so we'd have nothing to argue about...

[Jim Eder]

I would go classic as the designs are just terrific and there is the history on these courses. The modern courses that truly are great are wonderful but Jones, Hogan, Nelson, etc didn't battle on them. And I would love to go back and play the lost courses of Thomas. Of course, if someone had me play only the greats of today by Doak, Hanse, C&C, etc I would not complain at all.  But I just love the history of the classic courses.

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