Michael
This is where these sites fall down when you get idiots deciding to act like children with no interest in the subject matter or the real conversation the adults are holding.
Your statement is just childish, you seem to try to make the position of others stupid, yet it your own inability to conduct a good and fair debate on the subject matter that seem to get to you, hence you come out with illogical statements .
I never said anything about the tee markers or whether we should even have markers. Nevertheless for the distance challenged among us who have to use aids to help them play the game, it’s probably helps them by giving them a starting point. But for the purpose of having an adult conversation I will say it causes me no problem as we are all blessed with the same knowledge before we start each hole as its plastered on the board in front of us. Tell me why should you have access to all these distance aids be they in markers, in books or via electronic devices because I sincerely believe that judging your next shot is very much part of the Game of Golf.
Your premise that it’s not logical is utter rubbish, part of the skill factor is and will always be judging distances, now the skilled player can utilise his natural inbuilt skills to get close to his target. Why are we given away a hard gained skills of being able to judge distance to nerds who have no commitment or interest to the game otherwise they would be out training their eyes to measure distance. It’s a skill that we need to protect to enable the whole experience of the game to win through – make it easy diminish the enjoyment of the game, stop them thinking and why bother with the game in the first place.
This is not a rant its fundamental to the rewards and skill of the game, now I can with regret accept that the R&A do not understanding but golfer of the quality and commitment that we have (not all, alas) on this site should certainly understand, after all they are Members because they say they love the game.
The problem here I suppose is that I am like a bull dog and will not let go. Yet distance aids are unfair, we know they are wrong, many of you here know they wrong and unfair shortcutting the hard earned skills picked up from years of playing the game.
But take the piss Michael, throw crap into the ring, then look at yourself and ask do I care about golf or do I just play it. If you just play it then find another site because this is meant to be about GCA and mate, like it or not distance is entwined with it.
Grow some balls Michael, and look to protecting our game and us, the golfers, allow us to pass on a real game of golf not to just our children but our grandchildren and not see it being transformed into an online game. Don’t tell me you really believe in this crap you posted “Apply your fundamentalist logic to this query: If it's cheating to have a plaque marking a spot 150 yards from the center of the green on a par four or par five hole, why is it not cheating to have a plaque on a par three telling me it is 150 yards from the tee to the center of the green? Michael, you are far better than that.
I do not care if I am popular, but I do care about the Royal and Ancient Game of Golf. Where is the logic in fighting each other when the game continues to suffer. There is no future in doing sweet nothing. Is it not time to say that as you have circumvented the skill route, (by using aids) you are cheating. What was the recent post, it takes 10,000 hours to become a Pro or should that read 100 hours if you are allowed to use all the aids available, but no I expect you will not want to accept that I may have a point, you may prefer to see that game destroyed before you agree with me on anything. I hope that is not how your mind works.
Melvyn