Has Mr Peter Dawson visited his work site on The Old Course?

[Mark Bourgeois]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/golf/20587163

The R&A's chief executive insists the changes are all relatively minor and that the current works will be completed within a fortnight. "It's men with shovels and wheelbarrows rather than bulldozers," he said.

A picture of the 11th at http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qU_hf67Q3c4/ULZHqniJblI/AAAAAAAAAxY/SPZrOGh8kW0/s1600/IMG_0409.jpg

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[Ally Mcintosh]

In fairness, there isn't a bulldozer in site there... But yeah - point taken.

Although his office does overlook the first tee so I'd be amazed if he hasn't taken a walk or two out given the amount of attention it is receiving...

[Mark Bourgeois]

Ally, perhaps I am being unfair. The men may well have used 'shovels and wheelbarrows' to dig up the 11th green, then dump it in the, erm, motorized wheelbarrow there. And maybe the backhoe was used to transfer the dirt dug up with shovels from the wheelbarrows to the motorized wheelbarrow.

[Jim Colton]

From Twitter:

Adam Lawrence ‏@adammlawrence
Fascinating Old Course tour with Peter Dawson. Report will appear on http://golfcoursearchitecture.net  tonight or tomorrow. Frozen rain didn't help!

[Mark Pearce]

Yet another of Mr Dawson's statements that suggests that he and the truth are not on good terms with each other.......

[Ally Mcintosh]

I don't know if I've ever seen work done in the modern age with ONLY shovels and wheelbarrows... That's not to say they won't be using them.... I think his point being there is no big machinery on site - which appears to be the case.

Can't believe I'm defending him.

Normal service will resume in my next post.

[Mark Bourgeois]

Ally, maybe he deserves to be defended on the point that in some technical sense the work was done with shovels and wheelbarrows.

Your point though raises the real bone of contention.

He is making the argument that all work done with shovels and wheelbarrows is minor by definition. He is making this argument not to professionals, who know better, but to laymen. He is making yet another attempt to discredit his critics as hysterics while deceiving people.

I guess we should expect no less of someone under great pressure after the fact to justify actions he didn't think through in advance.

He is learning the painful lesson that an argument or position exposed to weathering either destroys it or strengthens it. This is why we see politicians -- the ones who actually are elected -- vet appointments, policies etc before they make them.

[Neil_Crafter]

I have a question, is Mr Dawson a golfer? We know that Dr Hawtree is not.

[Adam Lawrence]

Yes, he is. He is an Elie member.

[Mark Pearce]

Yes, he is. He is an Elie member.

Is he?  I know he's a member of Northumberland.  Can he and I really share two clubs?  I imagine, in reality, that he's a never present member of many clubs.

[Marty Bonnar]

Yes, he is. He is an Elie member.

Is he?  I know he's a member of Northumberland.  Can he and I really share two clubs?  I imagine, in reality, that he's a never present member of many clubs.

As soon as I saw Adam's post, I thought: "and cue the Canary", Have a word, Mark?

bestest,
M.

PS When ya comin Fife-bound next? Leven awaits...

[Neil_Crafter]

Yes, he is. He is an Elie member.

Thanks Adam, I figured he would be. Just checking though.

[Mark Chaplin]

Neil - Oxford & Cambridge Golf Society, Halford Hewitt, Pine Valley, Elie, Northumberland and I'm sure a couple more. It would be fair to say Mr Dawson knows his way around a golf course and especially the links.  He lost the final of the English Amateur in 1969 at Royal St George's

[Bryan Izatt]

Mark,

Presumably he's an ex officio member of those clubs.

Are you sure that it is the same P Dawson at the English Golf Union in 1969.  There is another Peter Dawson who became a professional golfer and played on the Euro tour.

Here is a short blurb from the R&A when he took over from Bonallack:

"in 1964 Dawson won the Essex boys title. Both (he and Bonallack) were members of Thorpe Hall Golf Club.

After that, Dawson, educated at George Heriots School and Westcliffe High School, graduated from Corpus Christi College in Cambridge with an MA degree in engineering and business studies.

His subsequent career in engineering saw him operate for more than 25 years in senior board positions. A former scratch handicapper - he still plays off three - Dawson is a member of Northumberland Golf Club and joined the R&A five years ago."

So, he is/was a golfer, but his experience is in business, although he was apparently on the R&A rules committee before moving up.

Seems he's turning 65 in 2013.  Maybe he'll retire at 65 like his predecessor.