Right, the tee issue.....
Way, way back in the late 80's and early 90's when I was just a kid I could play my home course, a 6,500 yard links, with grown men in their prime and octogenarians alike, all playing from the standard daily tees (the only tees permitted, outside of competition), the course could play anything from short as short on dry summer fairways and longer than long on a windy day in February and NEVER was it a problem for any of the participants.
Fast forward twenty years and the back tees are in play everyday, with plans afoot for new 'tiger tees.' Seemingly, and accurately, the elite kids in five years time will need access to a 7,000 yard course which, as it goes, is all but a prerequisite for Open qualifying now. We are but one of thousands of courses with these sorts of otherwise unnecessary costs and the smaller the club, the more painful the potential burden.