I can certainly understand the situational opportunity presented by the featuring of the new Pinehurst set up and two opens in one month played on the new - oldstyle version of the course. Yet, while Adam urges journalists, broadcast commentators, green chairmen, and us pot stirrers to call attention to what we anticipate will be a exciting and different set of tournament playing conditions that the ideal goal has been staged by C&Cs restore/remodel, it is still more than likely, fleeting and probably confined to the short term attention and memory of the contemporary time it is staged in. If the weather and conditions are ideal during those tournaments, we may get some folks who are core golfers to sit up and take note. But, it is the fun factor that Adam seeks to call attention to, and our fun will be limited to the vicarious process of watching those tournaments on Pinehurst II those weeks- not playing it where the fun can be experienced to give the core golfers something tangible to compare with.
I think the process of inculcating the fun factor of golf over more natural settings, f&F and mitigated by inputs to basically soften and ease the challenge is only going to come about in dribs and drabs. There is just too much Augusta Syndrome perception ingrained in the movers and shakers culture, where private clubs and high dollar resorts are driven to present the soft and green field of play, and the field will continue to be pounded into the mold, or built up to the model of ideal signature holes fit for calendar photos to market the product.
Superintendents at private clubs on average will continue to have to respond to the unreasonable expectations of the facility directors/chairmen or whoever is in charge of the marketing or member drives. They need to keep their jobs, and will bend rather than tell these decision makers the the reality of what can be had for more economical inputs, and that it really could lead to a new dimension in fun, if only given the chance and job security to make some ground presentation conversions.
We can continue to spread the word, and the efforts of someone like Richard Mandrell and his affordable golf symposiums can keep sounding the drum. Adam has made the point that it isn't just the affordable factor, but the fun factor, and stimulating the imagination of golfers to a better way to play. But, conventional wisdom and club-resort culture and marketing is a powerful influence to overcome.
We have the rare clubs (like HVCC or the prairie courses, maybe Rustic Canyon) as examples of where F&F is either resident natural, or a goal. I've seen this last week where Dismal is going to the extra length of the second course and a general club philosophy of promoting the 'fun factor' as a core principle of their membership make-up. What they have is the natural meld of what is native to the area with the fun factor by design and promotion. But, it seems the rare "opportunity presented" is in those examples rather than the trend of a new core golfer aesthetic or playing ideal.
To some extent, the fun factor is by necessity more likely to grow and be realized at the low end budget courses, where they have no choice but to cope with dwindling resources, and happenstance realization that while lean and mean - it is a lot of fun style golf. So, I think the advantage of realizing these goals is more likely to happen at those low budget, affordable venues.
So, I'm afraid the Pinehurst opens will be a drive-by lesson, and the power of conventional club-resort marketing perspectives will continue to dominate. Our GCA.com mantra or mission is a tall order, it seems to me.
Adam, I think they should franchise the "Believers Cup" format, and spread the word that way...