[mike_malone]

Mark,


I agree with you that lost balls are bad.  I’m wondering if we can create a European effect where you find your ball but have a more random result.

[Jeff_Brauer]

While I am cross pollinating a thread (the dimly lit room thread) sadly, for most courses, I see little future in rough at all.  As we dumb it down to attract more occasional playing Millennials and beyond, I believe golf will find it needs to be ever easier.  While Melvyn Morrow and traditionalists have a fit, the truth is, life is getting easier and our sports pursuits will probably need to adapt.


For some courses, which will follow ultra relaxed rules of golf, I can see not only no rough, but then golfers taking their one foot square of Astroturf everywhere and/or a tee, to make sure they get an easy to hit lie everywhere they happen to be.

[Jim Sherma]

If we are concerned with pace of play any rough long enough that you can not see the ball from 30 yards or so away will be an issue. I like challenging conditions but stomping around the side of a fairway within 20-30 yards of my ball and waiting to stumble upon it is not conducive to enjoyment or pace of play. Allow greens to be firmer and marginal flier lies matter again.

[Joe Hancock]

While I am cross pollinating a thread (the dimly lit room thread) sadly, for most courses, I see little future in rough at all.  As we dumb it down to attract more occasional playing Millennials and beyond, I believe golf will find it needs to be ever easier.  While Melvyn Morrow and traditionalists have a fit, the truth is, life is getting easier and our sports pursuits will probably need to adapt.


For some courses, which will follow ultra relaxed rules of golf, I can see not only no rough, but then golfers taking their one foot square of Astroturf everywhere and/or a tee, to make sure they get an easy to hit lie everywhere they happen to be.

This likely serves the golf industry much better than it serves golfers, or even the game of golf itself.


Soon we’ll have automated chess games with people sitting on either side of the table with no reason whatsoever to engage their brain. Then they will be bored and go do something else.

[Jeff Schley]

While I am cross pollinating a thread (the dimly lit room thread) sadly, for most courses, I see little future in rough at all.  As we dumb it down to attract more occasional playing Millennials and beyond, I believe golf will find it needs to be ever easier.  While Melvyn Morrow and traditionalists have a fit, the truth is, life is getting easier and our sports pursuits will probably need to adapt.


For some courses, which will follow ultra relaxed rules of golf, I can see not only no rough, but then golfers taking their one foot square of Astroturf everywhere and/or a tee, to make sure they get an easy to hit lie everywhere they happen to be.

This is how sand golf courses are played.  You bring with you a piece of astroturf and put it down next to your ball and blast.  There are more sand courses here than grass for obvious reasons.

[Mark_Fine]

What many don't realize is that the average golfer would prefer to hit a golf ball out of 1" or 2" rough then off a tight lie in a bent grass fairway.  A good golfer would feel the opposite.  Let the average golfer have a play in the shortish rough, why crucify them? 


This site really should decide what kind of golfer/s we are talking about (most of the time).  I am starting to believe that the focus here is mostly on how course design impacts the top 1% of golfers and not the 99% that really comprise the worldwide game. 

[Jeff Schley]

What many don't realize is that the average golfer would prefer to hit a golf ball out of 1" or 2" rough then off a tight lie in a bent grass fairway.  A good golfer would feel the opposite.  Let the average golfer have a play in the shortish rough, why crucify them? 

Absolutely my preference indeed.  Helps get the iron under the ball, I can't spin it anyway so helps with my ball flight.

[Jeff_Brauer]

The long rough issue reminds me of the time Jim Colbert switched to Callaway Red Dot balls.  While he liked them, he figured the bright red dot might help him find a ball in the rough more often. I took a dozen to Scotland later that year, and yes, it was amazing how often the red dot was visible.  Of course, by that measure, we should all be playing day glow balls (which I do play in cloudy weather) for that possible avoidance of a lost ball penalty. (which is probably reduced or eliminated under casual rules as "unfair."


And agree many courses will switch their fairways out to blue from bent for play and enviro/maintenance issues, perhaps using low mow blue in the FW and regular blue/fescues in the rough.  Many courses plant bent fairways for those award winning photos, but might be best served by using lower maintenance, and high handicap friendly turf choices.

[Sean_A]

What many don't realize is that the average golfer would prefer to hit a golf ball out of 1" or 2" rough then off a tight lie in a bent grass fairway.  A good golfer would feel the opposite.  Let the average golfer have a play in the shortish rough, why crucify them? 

I think, myself included, many average players would prefer to hit some shots from light rough (not 2 inches!)...mainly long approach shots or the occasional flop shot.  That said, I don't want to have the flop shot as the easy get out of jail shot when I am off the mark with the angles.  Short fairway grass can be a friend or enemy in this regard.  I don't think it matters much for the best players, they can cope with whatever unless its seriously strangling rough.  All in all, light rough near fairways (especially if trees are part of the formula) and fairway grass near greens seems a reasonable compromise for handicap players. 

Ciao

[Ed Brzezowski]

What many don't realize is that the average golfer would prefer to hit a golf ball out of 1" or 2" rough then off a tight lie in a bent grass fairway.  A good golfer would feel the opposite.  Let the average golfer have a play in the shortish rough, why crucify them? 


This site really should decide what kind of golfer/s we are talking about (most of the time).  I am starting to believe that the focus here is mostly on how course design impacts the top 1% of golfers and not the 99% that really comprise the worldwide game.

Mark I was thinking the exact same thing. We spent a half hour at a meeting discussing how to stop two gorillas from being able to hit a hole with a driver and a wedge. While the other 223 members have no issue, most not being able to get home in three.

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