Do the USGA and R&A

[Patrick_Mucci]

Is there a difference between "protecting par" and lengthening a course?

NO

Isn’t redesignating a par 5 as a par 4 a simple counterexample?

No, it's just another method of protecting par.

I’m not sure whether asking a question of Mr. Mucci is an auspicious choice for my first post, but I suspect it may be…

-Alan

[AKikuchi]

Is there a difference between "protecting par" and lengthening a course?

NO

Isn’t redesignating a par 5 as a par 4 a simple counterexample?

No, it's just another method of protecting par.

I’m not sure whether asking a question of Mr. Mucci is an auspicious choice for my first post, but I suspect it may be…

-Alan

We are agreed on that- lengthening a course is just one of many methods of protecting par. But to me that implies the answer to Matthew’s question would be “Yes”. There is a difference. Protecting par is an undertaking much broader than simply lengthening the course.

I suppose alternate/related questions might be:

“Is lengthening a course ever done for reasons other than protecting par?” (I think perhaps this was the question you were answering in response to Matthew)

“Does lengthening a course always have the effect of increasing the average score relative to par?” While likely, this is somewhat academic. We don’t get to see what would happen without the changes, as Tom noted.

[Patrick_Mucci]

Is there a difference between "protecting par" and lengthening a course?

NO

Isn’t redesignating a par 5 as a par 4 a simple counterexample?

No, it's just another method of protecting par.

I’m not sure whether asking a question of Mr. Mucci is an auspicious choice for my first post, but I suspect it may be…

-Alan

We are agreed on that- lengthening a course is just one of many methods of protecting par. But to me that implies the answer to Matthew’s question would be “Yes”. There is a difference. Protecting par is an undertaking much broader than simply lengthening the course.

I suppose alternate/related questions might be:

“Is lengthening a course ever done for reasons other than protecting par?” (I think perhaps this was the question you were answering in response to Matthew)

“Does lengthening a course always have the effect of increasing the average score relative to par?”

Yes

While likely, this is somewhat academic.

No, it's not,

adding length makes a hole more difficult, ergo making par is more difficult,

We don’t get to see what would happen without the changes, as Tom noted.

Of course we do, the hole continues to play as it always has

[Adam Clayman]

Mother nature does more to raise scores than the governing bodies ever could. Once again, Shinney in '04 proved the pros are only collectively great when conditions are optimal for their ever increasingly one dimensionality.

Everybody should know that par changes. Why don't the governing bodies? It changes everyday (if you're lucky enough to play somewhere the wind's direction changes frequently). It changes for the individual, based on their experience, ability and the specific golf course's design and scorecard.