Minimum and maximum hole lengths

[Zack Molnar]

I saw this post by GD and it showed an picture of an old Augusta national scorecard. On the card, it has a maximum and minimum hole length.
http://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-day-at-augusta-national-when-an-amateur-routed-ben-hogan-arnold-palmer?mbid=social_facebook


Would this be a good tactic to help people play holes at a more appropriate length for their abilites and speed up play? Or would people still gravitate toward the maximum length?


Was this a common occurrence in previous eras? Are there any courses that do this today?

[BCrosby]

Charlie Harrison is a friend. He was captain of the Georgia Tech golf team and one of the best amateurs in the 1950's. He has lost track of how many East Lake club championships he has won. He won his last one several years ago when he was 79. If you let him (and we always do) he will go on for a couple of hours about his round at ANGC when he beat Hogan and Palmer. As I recall, he tied the course record at the time, later broken by Nick Price and others. To this day Palmer jokes about how he'll never play Charlie for money again. You shouldn't either.


The work Charlie does for the East Lake Foundation and the First Tee Program is inspiring. The first time I met him he was on the practice tee at the First Tee facility helping kids with their swings. Charlie is about 6'3''. He towered above the kids, a patient, gentle giant as he moved down the line. He still gives kids free lessons and is loved by everyone.


Charlie is one of the few living connections with Bob Jones. Jones, also a former GA Tech golfer, spotted Charlie's talent early on and became a mentor.


I'd guess that the max/min numbers on Charlie's scorecard from ANGC simply indicate the middle and back tees. 


Bob


 

[Peter Pallotta]

Bob - you may have already done so (and are just holding out on us), but please sit down with Mr. Harrison for 3 or 4 hours with a tape recorder in hand and just talk and talk and talk, and then write a real New Yorker style 10,000 word essay on top-flight golf in the 50s, using "the Match" as the narrative through-line for broader ruminations about    Mr.  Harrison in particular and the sport in general. (Btw, what of the much-discussed tensions between Mr Hogan and Mr Palmer over the years - was that in evidence during the match?). If you don't do this, I am going to have to drive down there and do it myself! (Imagine: you're in the study and you hear a knock at the front door and Betsy says "I'll get it" and then, a few moments later, you hear her say: "Oh, Robert - it's for you, dear. One of your charming internet friends has decided to drop by...unexpectedly". And as you come to the front door you see me standing there suitcase in my hand and a golf bag slung over my shoulder, and Betsy with a tight smile says: "I wish you would've told me you were expecting someone. I could've prepared lunch....")

Peter

[BCrosby]

Peter

That's a damn good idea. Knowing Charlie, he would be all in too. He loves to tell stories and knew everyone in golf over about a 20 year span. My only disappointment is what he remembers of Jones. Jones was a golfing mentor but they weren't close friends. Which is not surprising given the difference in their ages. So Charlie does not have many personal Jones stories. What he does remember is golf in ATL in the 50's and 60's and the social issues that were in the air at the time. That stuff is worth preserving, especially in Charlie's voice[size=78%].[/size]

I just got off the phone with the Bets. I asked her if it would be ok if we had a mysterious visitor from the shores of Lake Ontario who wanted to come down to rag on me for not doing a story on Charlie. She said it would only be ok if it is that Peter Pallotta guy. So you are in like Flynn. (Our as they say in Tom Paul's house, in like William Flynn.)  Drinks and dinner it is.