Changing your opinion

[Grant Saunders]

On the back of a comment made by Leo Barber in the sociable routing thread, what are some examples of features or ideals which you have changed opinion on.

  The more I discuss and think about this the more actually I realise just how much I now enjoy this feature.

For me, I used to loathe playing golf in the wind. I was a high ball hitter and relied on my stock high draw as shot of choice. As a result, I really struggled playing in any sort of significant wind and it affected my scoring ability.

Now I have learned to enjoy the challenge created by the wind and the different types of shots required. I get a huge kick out of hitting a low little knock down cut shot or a big hook that rides the wind in towards the target. I often now feel somewhat disappointed when playing on a calm day.

This isnt a case of having become more proficient at the game and in fact quite the opposite as I no longer shoot anything close to the numbers I once achieved.

I also now embrace courses that feature restraint in bunkering as opposed to one time viewing prolific bunkering as the sign of a strong course.

[Sean_A]

In the past 5-7 years my big change has been not to place such an emphasis on a natural looking design.  What matters most is interesting features and if they don't look natural they can still look right.

Ciao  

[Leo Barber]

As a young greenkeeper I used to love stripes!!!  Straight up and down, checkerboard, whatever.  Boy I got excited when congressional striped their fairways by hand for the 96 PGA (or Open?).  Now I cannot stand them.  They make me physically sick.

I remember when the Supt from Royal Melbourne visited NZ in the early 90s and following his talk and photo session I sideled up to him and asked if he had thought about striping his fairways!!!  I cringe to think about it.  He ended up employing me however (clearly he felt I needed saving) and so my journey into GCA commenced and my love of striping came to an end.

[Stephen Britton]

Raking bunkers has changed for us. We used to rake bunkers the tradional American style full face raked. Now we broom the faces and rake the base in the Melbourne sand belt style of raking. It has limited plugged balls in the faces and also allows the ball to come to rest at the base of the bunker.

[Leo Barber]

Sounds like "Bunkers 101" Steve.  I am not sure what excites me more, you saving the thread or you producing the broom haha.  Leaf rakes or spring rakes?

[Stephen Britton]

Sounds like "Bunkers 101" Steve.  I am not sure what excites me more, you saving the thread or you producing the broom haha.  Leaf rakes or spring rakes?

Brooms on the faces, no boards like RM. Spring rakes on the base. "Rake the base, not the face"  or should I say "rastrille de plano, no de loma" is on the white board in our break room for the bunker crew every morning.

[Ivan Morris]

I've changed my opinion on raking bunkers too - don't rake them at all. Smooth them out with your foot or club and move on.

[Mike_Trenham]

Grain.  I used to complain about the amount of grain on my clubs greens.  Now I realize it only accentuates the slopes, makes downhill putts a challenge at 10 feet on the stimp meter, and rewards well placed approach shots.  It also adds to the art of reading putts and adjusting for speed / line.  Plus it gives our course a feel of a course from its era.   Now up hill putts are still slow so the knucklehead members think they are slow when running 12 which is the max they should run.

[Carl Rogers]

How about evolving your opinion ...

I have come appreciate the scruffier look of courses with minimal rough.

I like courses that are many shades of gray when it comes to the placement and planning of the tee shot ...and then the many shades of recovery shots.