Merion, Fish Bars and Yardage Finders

[Melvyn Morrow]

On the topic “Where are my guys “ reply#26 by Pat‘s main complaint is not Merion, Fish Bars or Yardage, it is the fact than only Tom (D) bothered to post any comment.

Many if not all on GCA.com. has at one time or another experience it more that once, in fact some have had their topic removed as apparently it has nothing to do with golf, its culture or golf course architecture.

Pat through his wisdom on site has taught me many things, but I am not certain if he has travelled to our shore to sample our golf culture. In fact, I’m not certain that many have travelled to Fife to experience golf at ground zero, which I believe is the latest terminology. Pat you will no doubt tell me if I am wrong.

Merion, the debate in long and we all have over the period made good and bad comments about it and the participants. However the debate has moved on, further information has come to light the actual architectural design is slowly coming about which will in the end produce a brilliant history for the club, which I expect, will probably outweigh all the other clubs worldwide. The result of meeting of minds of debate and arguments on this site. GCA.com has hosted the – lets call it - a serious debate. That is something constructive and certainly involves GCA.

As for Fish Bars, - that our culture, that how we celebrate our games. It at times is part and parcel of Fife’s Golfing Hospitality. Yes, it is easily misunderstood but it’s as important to many as the 19th hole and as part of our modern golfing traditions. It is as relevant as Trumps new course – in fact perhaps more so because it’s the locals who took our friend and overseas guests to the place as a celebration of the morning or days golf. Having it removed when other OT topics like 24th June topic called OT saying Spain 0, USA 2 – sorry Rich but just what has that to do with golf or this site.

The removal of the Fish Bar was unfair and I regret showed no consideration or understanding of our culture. It has a place in OT topics for the very fact that it was through the locals golfers that our overseas friends have got to know the place. Perhaps one day Ran & Ben will be our guests after a game and enjoy the delights of Anstruther Fish Bar or an Arbroath Smokies. Sorry Pat but Anstruther has an Old Tom Morris course which can be fun – that’s Old Tom Morris my great, great grandfather, you seem to have problems remembering his connection to me – ops there I go name dropping again, sorry.

Yardage Finders, well I think the current topic covers that rather well. Nevertheless, I will say it has everything to do with golf and GCA. I with others on this site feel it has a negative effect on understand of the architecture of a golf course when players are spending time looking searching and seeking distance markers or looking through a Rangefinder to a specific spot missing out perhaps the just as important contours and hazards over the course.

Therefore, I am sorry Pat I do not agree with you and I am disappointed that an OT topics like Fish Bars have been removed. I expect that had it been in the USA it may still be on line to read.

Our golf, culture and hospitality are important to us and perhaps should not have been dismissed so quickly. I suspect that the OT topic of the 24th June is full to bursting of American culture so has been allowed. Something does not seem to quite balance here, but like golf, life is not fair.   

IMHO, all three topics were justified if one bothers to read the actual contents. 

Melvyn

 

[Anthony Gray]

  Melvyn,

  Thank you my friend for coming to the defense of my "Fish Bar" thread. For the traveling golfer many not only search out the great courses but the great experiences that go with them. That was the nature of the fish bar thread. My first visit to the old grey town I was asked by many of the locals "Have you been to the fish bar yet". I must admit I thought it was a game they were playing with a naive foreigner. Bar in the US means a night club and the thought of a fish nightclub is of course confusing. On a return visit next year some locals took me ti Anstruther for the fish bar fish and chips experience. What a treat to not only golf but partake in a little culture also. We also toured the fishery  museum next to the fish bar. Wow has that area been overfished. The fishing industry is that area in not what it was in the past much like the coal industry where I grew up in West Virginia.
   So if you go to St Andrews for the first time ..do the fish bar. Do the crabs by the peir in Bandon. Do the Giants Causway at Portrush Alto de Chavon at Teeth of the Dog and the lone cypress at Peeble Beach. Live Laugh Love.

   Anthony

 

[George Pazin]

Threads get deleted for many reasons. Threads get ignored or draw responses for many reasons.

It's pointless to try to guess the reasons, especially as our hosts are remarkably tolerant and generous in virtually all areas, as our the overwhelming majority of posters. For the most part, we are asked and allowed to police ourselves. Every now and then, a decision is made to remove something and it's rarely for no good reason. I suspect most know the reason(s), in those rare instances.

If you wanna go OT, you gotta play nice. If you wanna see more architecture, you gotta post more architecture. If you wanna draw posts to your threads, you gotta work the threads (particularly if it's a course many haven't seen or a topic that seems interesting to everyone, but in reality may only interest a few, and those few aren't always paying attention).

I hope I can join you for a pint in the cradle of golf someday, Melvyn.

[Melvyn Morrow]

George
 
Words of Wisdom and well said

Does it just have to be one pint?

Melvyn

[Adam Clayman]

Melvyn, You make an excellent case for the way things could be. However, to ignore the wishes of our benefactors when they say
 

A free access board for the discussion of golf course architecture related matters. (note: non-architecture threads/posts are deleted).

  is not exactly playing by their rules, is it? Do we not agree to play by the rules when we tee it up? Why should this DG be any different?

As I recall, the Fish Bar thread was not labeled OT. A simple courtesy to those who wish to abstain from such.

There have been a zillion threads started where the poster is seeking out these ancillary experiences when they are about to visit an area for the first time. Most, me included, are more than happy to share, and in turn, learn, about cool stuff all over the globe.