Geoff Ogilvy is at it again - The Perfect Golf Course

[Mark Bourgeois]

I liked how Ogilvy emphasized walking to the first tee carrying one's own bag. Who could we get to join him in a made-for-TV match (2 v 2, alternate shot maybe?) where players carried their own bags and had no caddies?

Chad Maulsby.



For those keeping score all we need now is for someone to post Ogilvy means RCP and this thread will join the long and growing list of Dismley Cinqueports Bingo winners.

[Sean_A]

Ogilvy had a Major handed to him on a silver platter. He reminds me of the welfare recipient who gets free healthcare and thinks he is a pioneer of human rights. Dear Geoff, go fuck yourself.

Wow. Tough POV.



Damn, and here I thought he won because he had the lowest score.  Silly me. 

J

You are silly for thinking the lost shots in the first round count the same as the last   

Mark B

Easy now...and I can't believe I am saying this...but you need to drop into Deal for a few days.  I don't know if you will fall in love with the course, but I wouldn't be surprised if you did and found it to be one of the best you have played.  I have asked the question before concerning why Deal isn't seen as a shoe in top 100 course...to date...no serious (if one doesn't take the views too seriously  ) replies have come my way.  As a terrain man carrying on about Westward Ho!, you should make the effort... 

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

I find it difficult to disagree with what he's written.
atb

[Mark Bourgeois]

Sean, no need to convince me; everybody on GCA already knows how great the architecture is at all three places.

[Sean_A]

Sean, no need to convince me; everybody on GCA already knows how great the architecture is at all three places.

No worries, the head in the sand approach does have it merits 

Ciao

[Mark Bourgeois]

My loss for not visiting the course possessed of the greatest greens of all the links in GB&I. 

[Garland Bayley]

Ogilvy had a Major handed to him on a silver platter. He reminds me of the welfare recipient who gets free healthcare and thinks he is a pioneer of human rights. Dear Geoff, go **** yourself.

You know John. The first thing that happens with boozing is impaired judgement.

[John Kavanaugh]

It looks like I owe Geoff an apology as I just noticed the article was written by Brendan James.  When I tried to read the link last night the juvenile writing got all jumbled in my mind and resulted in an angry uncalled for reply. If Geoff really wants to piss away his talent by being a voice of reason for the future of golf I hope he takes the time to express himself in his voice. That might be interesting.

[Paul Gray]

It is possible to build a course that over the course of ten years that me, Rory and Garland all shoot the same scores. Infinity tees, unreadable greens and perfectly placed hazards.  Perfection don't come easy.

We're all getting older, John.

[John Kavanaugh]

It is possible to build a course that over the course of ten years that me, Rory and Garland all shoot the same scores. Infinity tees, unreadable greens and perfectly placed hazards.  Perfection don't come easy.

We're all getting older, John.

I did a little bit more thinking about this today and believe it is possible to build a course where everyone eventually has the same target handicap.  The most simple part is developing an algorithm through the use of GPS monitors which determines where each golfer tees off on each hole.  This in turn is not a predetermined sequence and must be recalculated after each hole.  The most difficult part is finding a membership who both agrees and understands which and how to play by the rules established for the club.  It goes beyond just length and evaluates strengths and weaknesses of the golfer.  This is exactly why I would project a ten year period to hit the sweet spot.  But once hit the pure joy of being able to play anyone or everyone even up returns me to the innocence of my youth.

[Mark Pavy]

It is possible to build a course that over the course of ten years that me, Rory and Garland all shoot the same scores. Infinity tees, unreadable greens and perfectly placed hazards.  Perfection don't come easy.

We're all getting older, John.

I did a little bit more thinking about this today and believe it is possible to build a course where everyone eventually has the same target handicap.  The most simple part is developing an algorithm through the use of GPS monitors which determines where each golfer tees off on each hole.  This in turn is not a predetermined sequence and must be recalculated after each hole.  The most difficult part is finding a membership who both agrees and understands which and how to play by the rules established for the club.  It goes beyond just length and evaluates strengths and weaknesses of the golfer.  This is exactly why I would project a ten year period to hit the sweet spot.  But once hit the pure joy of being able to play anyone or everyone even up returns me to the innocence of my youth.

So rather than using the existing handicapping system where everyone plays the same course and deducts a number to even the scores, you wish to use GPS monitors, determine players shot dispersion to allocate a distance and position where a golfer should tee off. 

I'm pretty sure something along those lines already exists, not to the nth degree, where golfer's handicaps change depending on what set of tees they choose to play from.

In theory it could be done, length would be a huge factor, not so much the design. If you capped the length of the hole to accepted lengths, Rory would be teeing off the plates and a 27 marker would be teeing off within 100 yards of the hole.

One of the great aspects of golf is the existing handicapping system that allows all golfers to compete against one another, but more importantly allows for any golfer to compete against the only person that matters- himself.

[John Kavanaugh]

My perfect course eventually eliminates the handicap system because everyone plays even up. I would much prefer beating Rory heads up than get 13 shots towards a fantasy victory.

[Tom_Doak]

My perfect course eventually eliminates the handicap system because everyone plays even up. I would much prefer beating Rory heads up than get 13 shots towards a fantasy victory.

"Beating" him because you are playing from 5400 yards?  I guess that would be a form of "heads up" but just a different form. 

It would be interesting to see the results ... instead of giving me three strokes, how many yards would you need to give me on every tee to make up the same difference in ability?  I guess according to the USGA handicap formula it would be about 500 yards?

I remember when I was a kid in NYC, the network sports news had a viewer's fantasy feature every once in a while.  One fellow wanted to play match point against John McEnroe -- he started the match up one set and 5-0 and 40-0, serving for the match -- and McEnroe took him up on it because he thought he could win against a club player even from that deficit.  But he netted a return and lost the match -- and then, being McEnroe, demanded a return match.

[John Kavanaugh]

Tom,

It's as much about the nuance of comfort as it is about length. I wouldn't need to give you any difference in length at all if holes were set up against my weaknesses and to your strengths.  I have played most of my golf with the same guys for the last ten years. We usually know who is going to win a hole based on the tee of the day and the pin placement.

[Mark Pavy]

John, you're just replacing one handicapping system with another more complicated one. There maybe no numbers involved, but it's still a form of handicapping.

The guys I play with are very competitive and love a bet, the handicaps range from 0-36, you would not believe the methods we've come up with to ensure security in fairness and confidence in laying out some bets. For a period we replaced the number deduction system with "free throws" and "free kicks". From memory, the 36 marker was allowed 27 throws and 9 kicks to be taken whenever they choose, the betting games we play determined a strategy of when it was most advantageous to take the throws and kicks. The system was surprisingly accurate. Try it, if you play off a 13 hcp, you will shoot around par if you are allowed to throw the ball 13 times (that are not included as strokes).