A disenting opinion, likely reflecting bias:
Short grass is no equalizer. It benefits the better player (yeah, yeah, I know it makes them "think" and Pete thinks you have them where you want them when you make them "think") and punishes the higher capper. For the latter it simply becomes an extension of the putting surface as we can't pinch or nip the sand wedge, virtually eliminating that option. Sure, we can bump a short iron, but why bother? Short grass is effectively a half-shot penalty for the higher capper who'd prefer a little turf under the ball.
Don't get me wrong - I love options - heck I 3-putted for par at nos. 10 and 16 at The Old Course, and I'll pitch with multiple clubs from multiple distances. I don't mind short grass - I just can't romanticize short grass as a hazard.
Or is it just me and my heavy handed golf swings?
I see the issue in a different context - fairways are kept too short and rough is kept too long.
Flame away.
Bogey
Good stuff Bogey
So if from age 11 I've dedicated my life to improving at golf, and helping people improve, why on earth am I looking for a feature that is an EQUALIZER? I thought that's what a handicap and forward tees were for.
Remember Tom Doak wrote that in an era when long grass were very overused features on golf courses-most forward thinking courses have responded by creating more "chipping" areas and runoff areas.
I'm well aware of the potential interesting features of short grass, and like it as PART a mix of an interesting balanced TEST, particularly when a ball rolls away from the target, and the terrain alows for an interesting and judged recovery.
But as Bogey says, short grass is often too short, and generally too soft in an effort to keep turf that's too short, alive.
That is in my opinion, particularly at some high end courses, destroying the art of creative chipping and wedge play, due to the softness and tightness of lies forcing putter to be the best option, even for good wedge players.
Shorter grass on the links of the UK is great as a feature because it's generally firm and is not so super short; additionally, they often have creative undulations which requite imagination and might reward a player who hits a creative pitch or chip.
in the US, particularly on modern courses, there are no microundulations because the super is concerned about mowing the grass so short, which is hard to do with smaller undulations.
Short grass is great, so is rough, so are bunkers.
too much of any is boring.
Rough around a green does not cause "hack and hope" for a better wedge player, though a poor wedge player might feel or state that.
being able to create shots and evalute different rough (and fairway) lies is an integral part of interesting and high level golf.
Jud,
Bandon I assume has exciting well thought out short grass surrounds, and fescue may be tight, but it's generally firm like the UK.
I'm not saying ALL short grass is boring, I'm saying too much is.
As Bogey say, do we really want to be playing 40-50 shots with our putters?
and I like to putt off of the green.
Shortgrass can be an interesting feature, but there has to be thought about where to put it and how often, and what sort've features are being traversed
Balance, not groupthink
tried to post this 10 time but board blowing up with replies