When will Ogilvy show up at a GCA event?

[Steve Kline]

http://globeandmail.golfcanada.ca/professional-tours/pga-tour/rbc-canadian-open/?articleId=2105612

Sounds like he would have more fun with us than playing almost all the events on Tour.

[David Harshbarger]

I love his idea about 7 clubs, a blade putter, and balatas at Merion.  I'd love to see a throwback tournament, maybe during silly season, where they play equipment circa 1925, or 1955, or 1975.  Wouldn't that spark interest in some?  There's no reason old new tech standards couldn't exist side by side, is there? 

[Scott Warren]

Does anyone else reckon GO's seemingly deep and genuine love of architecture could be at least part of his problem competing this season?

I just wonder, when you speak so openly about hating the courses you're competing on, how much can you really go all in.

maybe his Thursdays and Fridays would be better spent at Bonnie Doon?

[Steve Kline]

I love his idea about 7 clubs, a blade putter, and balatas at Merion.  I'd love to see a throwback tournament, maybe during silly season, where they play equipment circa 1925, or 1955, or 1975.  Wouldn't that spark interest in some?  There's no reason old new tech standards couldn't exist side by side, is there? 

That would be a great silly season event and one I would actually watch.

[Mike_Clayton]

Scott,

He has been injured and frustrated for a lot of this year - and he has also played some very good golf on courses that don't match his idea of the way the game should be.
i think the The Lakes is a good example of a course that suits his game and matches his principles - and he was the best player there at last years Open on a course that bought out his best golf.
BTW - 5 at Bonnie Doon is turning out really well. 3 and 6 also look good.

[PCCraig]

It's certainly refreshing to hear a top level PGA Tour member say he'd rather play Sunningdale and Chicago than the courses he has to play while on tour! (Interesting he didn't mention WFW as one of his favorites).

[Peter Ferlicca]

Ogilvy was my favorite player on tour when I started watching golf 8 years ago, before he won the US Open.  I always knew he knew his stuff, hahaha.  With that silky smooth swing and dogging on all the courses they play on tour, how could you not like him.  I know he is a member at Whisper Rock in Scottsdale, but I wonder what is his favorite course in Arizona. 

I say we make a petition to get Ogilvy to join us at a GCA event, he would have a blast chumming it with a bunch of GCA nerds.  We will do it on a week when the Tour is playing a dog track. 

[John Kavanaugh]

I doubt if you young guys understand that at the 97 Masters Davis Love and Justin Leonard were both playing persimmon and blades.  I have let a tour pro hit my hickories and you can see very little difference from his modern clubs.  The biggest issue, as always, would be putting.  To me, watching guys putt poorly is boring.  Modern clubs help us a bunch more than they help them.

One other note, I just imagine the guys at old school clubs are old school themselves.  I don't see alot of fan boys hanging out at Sunningdale and Chicago.   This answers the original question of when will Ogilvy show up at a GCA event, uh, about the time fan boys stop.

[PCCraig]

One other note, I just imagine the guys at old school clubs are old school themselves.

You're imagination is seemingly all you have going for you.

[John Kavanaugh]

One other note, I just imagine the guys at old school clubs are old school themselves.

You're imagination is seemingly all you have going for you.

It sure has saved me a ton of money on books.  Who needs em when I barely have time for what is in my head.

[PCCraig]

One other note, I just imagine the guys at old school clubs are old school themselves.

You're imagination is seemingly all you have going for you.

It sure has saved me a ton of money on books.  Who needs em when I barely have time for what is in my head.

 

[Rob Rigg]

Do you guys think a guy like Ogilvie (and say 11 others from TOUR) would consider doing a Persimmon/Blade made for TV tournament at a place like Bandon? Play a different course each day - $X in price money and $X going to charities?

I feel like you'd probably be hard pressed to make it happen.

Is Geoff the only guy out there who really enjoys playing great courses?

Is it just a job for the others?

[George Pazin]

I doubt if you young guys understand that at the 97 Masters Davis Love and Justin Leonard were both playing persimmon and blades.  I have let a tour pro hit my hickories and you can see very little difference from his modern clubs.  The biggest issue, as always, would be putting.  To me, watching guys putt poorly is boring.  Modern clubs help us a bunch more than they help them.

Sometime ago Mike Clayton (I think, Mike can correct me if I'm wrong) posted a link to a story about Geoff playing one of Australia's greats with older clubs - not hickories, but wooden woods and blades and balata balls. My recollection is that the biggest difference was in mishits - the dropoff was rather dramatic. There wasn't as much difference with solid strikes, and certainly most pros hit the ball solid. I do think there would have to be some re-working of the attitudes - bomb and gouge wouldn't likely be as desirable a strategy.

Why do you think putting would suffer more?

Rob -

Considering how many pros won't change their game for The Open, I don't see many willing to step up and play in such an event at Bandon.

Might be just a job for many, but oh what a job...

[David Harshbarger]

Do you guys think a guy like Ogilvie (and say 11 others from TOUR) would consider doing a Persimmon/Blade made for TV tournament at a place like Bandon? Play a different course each day - $X in price money and $X going to charities?

I feel like you'd probably be hard pressed to make it happen.

Is Geoff the only guy out there who really enjoys playing great courses?

Is it just a job for the others?

Wouldn't Mike Kieser be the guy to make something like that happen?  If the format were compelling enough, people would watch.  I think the 7 clubs and a putter format would make it more interesting because the public would perceive the players being handicapped, when in reality, the players would probably come across as even more amazing given the shot making they would deliver.

[David_Tepper]

There used to be a 7-club pro tournament in Britain played towards the end of the season. Herbert Warren Wind wrote about one that was played at Turnberry in the 1960's. The article is in his anthology "Following Through."    

Here is a link to HW Wind's article: http://www.newyorker.com/archive/1964/11/07/1964_11_07_182_TNY_CARDS_000278489

[SL_Solow]

I certainly enjoy Geoff's perspective but here is an underlying assumption in almost all of the posted remarks.  That assumption is that tour pros have similar tastes in architecture to the prevailing view here; e.g. old classics or minimalist moderms stressing width and interesting greens.  I see no evidence that the bulk of the modern pros are in that camp.  Moreover, reading works of many older pros like Hogan and Dickinson, they were not big fans of quirky layouts.  Just because someone is good at the game does not mean that they will have "good taste" in architecture,  That is one of the reasons why Ogilvy is so refreshing.  That doen't mean its just a job for the others; they may simply have different tastes.  I may disagree with them but I recognize their point of view.

[Garland Bayley]

"Not slashenhack, but thinkenswing."

Gotta love the guy.

[Garland Bayley]

How about he and Mike Weir come to Kings Putter. Mike north team, Geoff south team. Play each other with a partner in doubles, and then again in singles. Ian Andrew (member of the site) is responsible for getting himself and Mike there. Mike Clayton (member of the site) is responsible for getting Geoff there. Since they will be going to examine Sagebrush, it will be a tax deductible trip for their businesses.

Clayts against Ian with say 15 strokes could be another singles match.

[Kalen Braley]

Think about the next level here.

Two foozlers.....Myself and Garland, could play Grudge match 3....in the same foursome with Wier and Ogilvy who could be having a match themselves.

That would be epic!! 

[Steve Kline]

If someone made that KP i would be there!!!!!

[David Harshbarger]

If it could be packaged to bring eyeballs, a throwback event could be made to work:

100th Anniversary Greatest Game Ever Played Throwback Tournament

32 of the top golfers, professional and amateur, recreate the excitement of Francis Ouimet's unlikely victory in the 1913 US Open, playing vintage equipment and attire at The Country Club, Brookline MA.  Watch as they dust off Kleecks, Niblicks, Mashies and Spoons for a tournament like no other....

[Phil McDade]

Think about the next level here.

Two foozlers.....Myself and Garland, could play Grudge match 3....in the same foursome with Wier and Ogilvy who could be having a match themselves.

That would be epic!!  

Nah -- truly epic GCA would be a couple of old-school guys, like Trevino and Chi Chi Rodriquez, playing Shivas and Kavanaugh in the betting game to end all betting games on some baked-over muni.

http://www.golfclubatlas.com/forum/index.php/topic,15291.0.html