Great Article from Jaime Diaz in GolfWorld

[Tim Liddy]

Here is the Link:
http://www.golfdigest.com/golfworld/columnists/2009/11/golf_opinion_diaz_1130

[Bill_McBride]

An excellent article indeed, lots of food for thought and even some optimistic points.

But I have a problem with calling Olympic Lake an "intimate" golf course.  Difficult, brawny, counter-intuitive yes.  Intimate, no.

[Ronald Montesano]

Are you allowed to reprint his article on this site, even with attribution?  Why not a simple link to the article?  That seems to be a copyright violation.

[Kevin_Reilly]

Intimate - "characterized by warmth or privacy" - by its definition is an adjective that that is better suited to Olympic than Pebble!   At least it is one-for-two in those characterizations!

To be honest, I think the word really doesn't work as a descriptor for a golf course, generally.

[Eric_Terhorst]

Thanks for posting Tim.

The comments about one of the potential upsides--brown courses that harken back to a simpler time--reminded me of a comment in Lee Trevino's entertaining interview , here:  http://www.golfdigest.com/magazine/interviews/2009/12/lee_trevino?printable=true

Q: Are you worried about the game in general?

Trevino : I'm very worried about it. And the main reason is that with the new golf courses, everybody wants to build a monument to themselves.

They've gotten away from basic golf courses: flat land, bunker here, bunker there, green over there, tee close to the green. And then just play.


Maybe we'll see fewer "monument" golf courses--at least in the US. 

[Matt_Ward]

Tim:

The issue that golf still must address is twofold as I see it -- especialy for the generation X and Y folks ...

1). The overall cost of the game -- especially for beginners and those of modest means

2). The amt of time it takes to play the game -- younger folks are not gearing their time clocks to spend 5-6 hours for a round of golf.

If memory serves -- 20-25% of the game's players are core participants (more then 50 rounds per year) and basically provide upwards of 65-70% of the $$ spent. This crowd is skewing upwards in age.

Golf's game plan, thus far, has failed to go beyond the same cast of characters and despite all the previous warning cries there doesn't seem to be a real end to the falloffs the game is going through. Candidly, the article says there is light at the end of the tunnel -- I don't know if anyone can see anything but real darkness for the immediate future.

[Jud_T]

Great article,

this is what i have been saying here for a while, although significantly less eloquently...I'm actually psyched about golf's future.  firm/fast conditions, 3 hour rounds, access for all, and oh yeah-more match play! 

[Tim Liddy]

Matt and Jud,

Writers like Diaz are at their best when they use their voice for the sector of golf that has no voice. When they help the game of golf, not the business of golf. I wish more writers had the opportunity to write about the silent things that are ruining the game of golf. Corporate America controlling everything golf pros say - about equipment, golf courses, maintenance - forget anything controversial, or how about the R&A and USGA admitting they have left equipment get away from them, etc.

Does anybody else worry that they now hit 400-yard drives on the PGA tour and will use 3 golf courses (because of the needed length) when they play the old course for the Open?

[Tom_Doak]

Tim:

Do I worry about it?  I'm in the middle of writing a book about it.

At the same time, I think you are worrying about it too much, because you hang around Pete Dye and he is so focused on the pros.  The Old Course still works fine for me without all those extra tees, and most people aren't hitting 400-yard drives.  I do wish that the governing bodies cared about those things, because they are setting a terrible example for golfers everywhere ... but those are not the things which will ruin the game for the masses.

[Matt_Ward]

Tim:

I especially like what Diaz provides but frankly the folks within golf aren't talking about the real economics that are holding golf back. The amount of teaching that is really improving a range of golfers is only touching those who are already connected. I grew up in a middle class environment with a dad who worked in the manufacturing side of things. Muni golf gave me an opportunity to sample the game without breaking the bank -- being a caddie at one of the private clubs exposed me to another side of the aisle.

The short run for golf is only tying themselves to the inner core of people. The First Tee program has helped in spot but it's more PR and more about allowing the various sponsors to puff their chests out that they are addressing the deeper issues.

Golf needs to really talk to those who view the game as a dinosaur -- the generation X and Y folks I previously mentioned.

The developers who went full speed ahead with the golf course development in the'90s were only catering to the very top, top end of the game. Ditto the equipment companies with the ramp upof $400 drivers and $50 dozen balls and the like.

Tim, your forcus and that of Diaz is only about the top echelon of the game -- Joe Sixpack and his kids and their kids don't see golf as a recreational alternative -- the cost and time to play are still present.

[Kyle Harris]

Are you allowed to reprint his article on this site, even with attribution?  Why not a simple link to the article?  That seems to be a copyright violation.

Fair use.

We're using the article to generate discussion - not traffic or income.

[Adam Clayman]

The problem will not be solved by giving the fairways a brown patina. Why? Because the majority of these recent designs (85'-- now) rely solely on the Aerial game. Firming up that type of canvas will only piss people off.

Designs in the mainstream will need to be thoughtful enough to allow for the firmness to work, on multiple levels. One, to re-capture that adventurous spirit lost on the instant gratification sluts societies helped ween.

  Causes for the ignorance and arrogance are; Maximization, and taking advantage of price elasticities. When RJ Harper took Pebble's green fee, and sent it into another atmosphere, moderation was ignored. The game was doomed. The subsequent race to the finish line is now littered with dead bodies left in the wake of excess.

Conclusion;

Mike Keiser should lower the price of everything at Bandon Dunes.
 

[David Stamm]

I think the question becomes can golf in general make the financial adjustments necessary to survive and eventually begin the road to thrive again with a more modest, fiscally conservative approach. When the market bounces back, can those that are making the decisions control themselves and not go overboard again? I'm actually excited about the future of the game because I think this time we're in will serve as a warning and wake us all up to the fact that golf cannot and was never meant to operate under the pretenses of the past decade. Leaner and meaner should be the rally cry, and most everyone will be happier for it. JMO.

[Ian Andrew]

Fair use.

We're using the article to generate discussion - not traffic or income.

My wife works in copyright in Canada - while admittedly its not the same rules as the US - this would be against copyright law here.
Besides... web sites generate income through traffic - reprinting the article here - removes traffic.
That's why Geoff excepts part - but not all - of the the articles.


Tim,

Thanks for pointing the article out. I think his article is spot on with where we are and our hopes down the road.

[Tim Liddy]

Thanks guys. I think it's best to remove the article and leave the link.

I also think Diaz's Australia's comments are terrific. Melbourne is on my mind because of our recent trip, but when you combine MacKenzie's strategic design concepts (and artistic principles) with firm and fast maintenance practices, especially around the greens, it is a great example for affordable and exceptional golf. I sure Tom D will discuss more about MacKenzie in his book but to have him (MacKenzie) in Australia early, setting an example for successive golf courses, elevated the standard of the golf in Melbourne to a very high level.

[Matt Day]

Australian golf in general should be looked upon as a decent model. Its got great council/municipal courses at affordable green fees where people learn the game through to the private clubs that at world prices are still great value for money.

Maintenance budgets and staff numbers are a lot lower than the USA yet the conditioning is not that far off.

[Gib_Papazian]

Gentlemen,

The laws of unregulated economics are inviolate over the long haul. The market will self-correct and some courses will either have to renegotiate their loans, sell out to a new owner or throw the keys back to the bank. It is as simple as that.

Adam - who is an unbelievably savvy investor - hit it spot on perfect. All these idiotic golf courses (read: Jack and Rees) that depend on the aerial game - and whose green complex configurations are not elastic enough to remain playable with less water and maintenance - are going to have to be changed. The future might be very bright indeed for the Neal Meagher, Forse, DeVries and Eckenrodes of the world. A cottage industry will inevitably spring up biased towards smart, quick redesign experts who can affordably rearrange golf courses burdened by the indulgent excesses of owners and architects with bulbous egos. We know the type, "Open Doctors" who forgot that somebody has to actually play their golf courses - not just look at them with awe and fear on the other side of the ropes.

Things will sort themselves out and hopefully when the nation recovers from this hideous funk, everyone in golf will be forced back to Earth with rational green fees, club dues and affordable equipment. I'm not sure how a golf boom in China will effect the industry; will they become new customers or competitors? In any event, the game will survive and probably emerge with a far stronger underpinning than the floating Hindenburg all these high priced disasters were based upon.             

[Sean_A]

The game is broken for who?  IMO, its broken for those in the business and its their worry to do whatever it takes to make money again.  For the average Joe golfer the game is far from broken.  All we hear seem to focus on is the tops of the waves, be it good or bad.  An awful lot goes on in the swales which gets ignored - that is where the game resides and it always has done. Is the game broken?  No, its only harder to make money from the game these days.

Ciao

[Brian Phillips]

Sean,

I think you are spot on there.  These could be the golden times for golfers to pick up great greenfees or memberships.  It is certainly a  buyers market at the moment.  This downturn is I am afraid to say exactly what golf needed. More service, less bling.