[Tommy Williamsen]

I realize that there have been similar discussion previously but....   Why do clubs think they have to continually tinker and lengthen courses?  Why not just let the pros tee it up and let the low score win?  Why can't Merion be used?  Why should we care if they shoot low numbers?  They are going to shoot them on any course anyway, regardless of length.

[TEPaul]

tommy;

Many say the real reason for the mentality of "Protect the course" or "protect par" for such as the US Open which is a mentality that tends to filter down is based on the fact that the regulatory bodies have a reality they'd prefer to hide. And this is a way to do it.  

[Bill Gayne]

Because I have absolutely no interest in watching a tournament that finishes 20+ under and the shots required are driver to anywhere and wedge. It's about TV ratings and people want to see a struggle even if it's through rough, trees, water, narrow fairways, and over the top greens. TV people don't care what Bobby Jones and Alister Mackenzie may have wanted. They want a course that will present a struggle and entice veiwers. Most people watching don't care about the architectural history of the course because they will never see it or play it.

[Tommy Williamsen]

Bill, I understand your point but it seems to me the pros shoot 20 under at many venues.  I wonder if it might be more interesting to watch a tournament where the Fred Funks of the world are also in contention more often.  I think that there might be even more scores bunched at the top of the leaderboard.  They keep changing Doral and the scores just go lower.

[Jordan Wall]

I understand where you are coming from Tommy, I would also like to see some Funks and Pavins win, but even on shorter courses where it is about angles and not as much length I still say Phil, Tiger, and Els are going to be the favorites.  I mean, in all reality, their short game is better as is their putting then say Funk or Pavin, so therefore even taking away length they would still win.  Obviously Funk and Pavin or even Toms are still occassionally gonna come out on top, because by no means are they bad players, but if every player hit the ball just as far as everyone else Tiger and Phil would still win more tournaments because their short game is awesome.

BUT...I do think courses should be left as is.  

Hence the patented ball.

[Jim Thompson]

Tommy,

Just to get this into perspective a bit... If you take a hundred or so +4 handicaps and 10 percent of them play well then 5 under a round is a reasonable expectation.  As for Doral, the wind damage of the last few hurricane's had more to do with the course getting easier than any other factor and i'm pretty sure the folks of Florida didn't ask for that.

Cheers!

JT

[Jim Nugent]

I realize that there have been similar discussion previously but....   Why do clubs think they have to continually tinker and lengthen courses?  Why not just let the pros tee it up and let the low score win?  Why can't Merion be used?  Why should we care if they shoot low numbers?  They are going to shoot them on any course anyway, regardless of length.

Isn't it partly that clubs don't want to see their courses turned into drive/pitch/putt affairs?  

[Mark_Rowlinson]

They've not significantly lengthened Royal Lytham for Open Championships in recent years yet its winning scores have not been particularly low.  There are still four par 4s under 400 yards and a par 5 of 494 yards.  Lehman finished in 271 in 1996 and Duval in 274 in 2001.  Other winning scores in that era were:

1990 270 Faldo TOC
1991 272 Baker-Finch Birkdale
1992 272 Faldo Muirfield
1993 267 Norman Sandwich
1994 268 Price Turnberry
1995 282 Daly TOC
1997 272 Leonard Troon
1998 280 O'Meara Birkdale
1999 290 Lawrie Carnoustie
2000 269 Woods TOC

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