A Christmas Thread in honor of Pat Mucci

[JC Jones]

[Mac Plumart]

Please forward this to the PGA players.  Tell them to read the last sentence!!

[Adam Clayman]

I'm particularly drawn to the line giving the player the right to see the putt from both sides of the hole. While the author adds that it shouldn't take a long time, I find it helpful to suggest to players afflicted, to do this procedure well before it's their turn. Even going so far as to place one's bag, or enter from the cart path, in a direction that will allow this time savings to occur while they approach their ball on the green.

The overall theme of consideration of others is truely at the heart of the sports essence. If one can get over themselves, and think about others, all of life would be a better place.

(Yes I did just get done watching Scrooge)

[Patrick_Mucci]

JC,

Thanks,

When people ask how to grow the game, I believe that speeding up play is one of the answers.

Today, everyone seems pressed for time.

Getting play down to three (3) hours would do wonders for the game.

Especially for young married golfers with families.

[Adam Clayman]

Pat, And shorter courses are really the only way to do that.

See Geoff Shaq's great piece on Kingarock, posted yesterday.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Adam,

Golf has a unique sub-culture.

As Shivas says, "Chicks and golfers love the long ball"

Golf seems to create an atmosphere where "macho" trumps prudence.

Many golfers want to play "back", usually from tees beyond their ability, especially if the course is one of notoriety.

Golfers want to play the same tees the PGA Tour Pros play.
You may recall a thread where Shivas and perhaps Tom Huckaby expressed their desire to play ANGC from the tips.
Having played with Shivas and Tom, two good golfers, it's my firm belief that the tips at ANGC are well beyond their ability.
Yet, I understand the urge.

Perhaps it's part of the inherent challenge of the game, to aspire to meet a challenge beyond one's ability.

Moving to forward tees can also be viewed by the golfer as a sign of defeat, that his game is too weak for the tees he's been playing, and that's a difficult understanding to come to.

The short course issue is a difficult one today.

While in Nebraska, at Wild Horse, I saw a young high school boy, drive the ball beyond distances that the PGA Tour greats of just a few years ago, never imagined.  So how do you present a challenge for that golfer with shorter courses ?
You don't want him hitting 4-irons off every tee.  He should have his driver tested.  So, it's a dilema.

The key would seem to be that golfers should play from tees within their ability.
The problem is, so many think the back tees are within their ability, even Shivas and Huckaby, two good, knowledgeable golfers.

[Jim_Kennedy]

At the Masters in 1947 Gene Sarazen and George Fazio were the first players to tee off for the final round. They finished in 1h 57m,  with Sarazen shooting 70 and Fazio carding a 76. GS was 14 off the winning score and Fazio was 19 off. Their 'idea' never caught on.

The purse for the 1947 event was 10 grand, the winner, Jimmy Demaret, took home 2.5 grand.  That's roughly equivalent to a 100 grand purse and a 25 grand first prize in 2010 dollars.

In 2010 the purse was 7.5 million and Phil Mickelson took home 1.35 million of it.

Good luck getting the pros to play fast when one stroke ='s tens of thousands of dollars.

Merry Christmas.  

[Adam Clayman]

Well Pat, somehow I think your wonderful points about people's desires, still goes to the essence I mentioned and that is consideration of others. Or, in this case, NOT just thinking about your own desires.

TePaul's Big World is never more relevant.

As for the big hitting Nebraskans, most, if not all those greens are well enough protected, that without pin point accuracy, way laying at the ball should eventually result in the need for remarkable recover, hole after hole. At some point prudence would dictate, laying off, and playing the higher percentage shot.

Funny how golf was a better game when the implements were less well suited for the task.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Adam,

It's not as if a 6,200 yard course wouldn't present a challenge for me, I'm sure it would, but, would it provide for a thorough examination of my game, from driver, to fairway woods, to long, medium and short irons, to a short game and putting.

It would take a unique 6,200 course to present that examination.

Certainly, there aren't many 6,200 courses up to that standard.

If my iron game hadn't gone in the tank, I'd still play 7,200 yard courses.
My driver, 3-wood, short game and putting are up to that task, sadly, my irons aren't...... but, I'm working on it.

I don't know how, at this stage, without rolling back the ball, you can shorten courses and have them remain as a desirable challenge for ALL golfers.

The creation of a golf course that can appeal to today's broad spectrum of golfer is a dilema that I've asked every architect I've come in contact with.  How do you accomodate the diverse games brought about by modern tech ? ? ?

Perhaps, like PBP, you restrict play by ability, measured by handicap.

I'll never forget a day that I was at FH and a member, about to tee off, had the suggestion made to him by the Major Domo, that he'd enjoy his round a lot more if he moved up to another set of tees.  It was great advice.  Clearly the member's game was not up to the challenge presented by the tees he was about to hit from, yet, ego, pride, habit or a combination of all, had him biting off more than he can chew.

Now, a private club, run in an authoritarian manner might be able to accomplish the task of having members playing from tees commensurate with their game, but, how do you accomplish that elsewhere ?

[Jim_Kennedy]

Pat,
It could probably be accomplished w/cash. Charge more the farther back you go. Issue bag tags in colors that correspond with the tee the player 'purchased' and have a ranger corp monitoring it.

[Ted Cahill]

I would love to see a smart course owner, looking to increase buisness, who advertised/offered 3.5 hr rounds.  That it was understood by the players that if they didn't keep that pace, marshalls would move them up and nobody got prickly, sensitive about it.  Could you imagine how many hard core golfers would flock to these courses?  Hell, I'd gladly pay more if I knew a brisk pace of play was guaranteed. 

[Steve Lang]

   How about a less punitive plan?  An incentive is given to play in less than x hours, credits or debits build up.. WORKED AT MY DAD'S MUNI..

or DARE I SUGGEST.. SOME REALLY DO NEED CARTS?

[Patrick_Mucci]

Pat,
It could probably be accomplished w/cash. Charge more the farther back you go. Issue bag tags in colors that correspond with the tee the player 'purchased' and have a ranger corp monitoring it.

Jim,

I think that's a great idea.

I also think you have to combine it with a fast play incentive for all groups.

One can experience a 5 hour round if you get behind the wrong foursome.

At a club I've played at for 45+ years, if certain members were in the same foursome, and teed off ahead of me, I'd go to the practice range and pool for the day, rather than aggravate myself.

I lost one of the great rounds of my life, when I was on my way to the course record at Boca Rio, only to come upon a group of slow players on the 14th hole who wouldn't let me through.

When the Caddy Master asked me how I played that day, I related the story.
The next day the Green Chairman called me to tell me that he was suspending every member of that group for a month.
That Green Chairman was not to be trifled with.
I asked him not to do so since I was a new member and didn't want to create any ill will.
Subsequently, several unpleasant events took place with a member of that group.
In retrospect, I should have let the Green Chairman suspend him