Another take on the St. Andrews discussion

[Mark Johnson]

What if the following option were presented to you?

make the proposed changes to st andrews and maintain its spot in the open rota permanentlyts

Or

Keep as is forever but never host another open. 



My guess is most people here will choice option B but the general public would pick A


Not saying this is right or wrong but if the r&a wants a tougher test this is likely the decision which ends up being made

[Mac Plumart]

Keep it "as is" and the course might become akin to Prestwick.  Right?

Is that a bad thing?

[JSlonis]

There have been too many "fluke" winners of the Open at TOC.  They just have to fix that place.  I mean guys like Jones, Snead, Locke, Thompson, Nicklaus, Ballesteros, Faldo & Woods have won there.  What else did they ever do in their careers?  

[Patrick_Mucci]

What if the following option were presented to you?

make the proposed changes to st andrews and maintain its spot in the open rota permanentlyts

Or

Keep as is forever but never host another open. 

My guess is most people here will choice option B but the general public would pick A

Not saying this is right or wrong but if the r&a wants a tougher test this is likely the decision which ends up being made

Mark,

It's a good and honest question, but isn't there another choice ?

Dial back the ball ?

[Mark Steffey]

what is wrong with a birdie or two?

i watch some golf on tv, and i generally watch for the same reason i watch BPL instead of MSL, or NBA instead of WNBA.  i prefer to watch the best perform their craft at a level i don't get to experience.  i can go watch me and my friends bogey in  .  i like to see birdies at the end to win a tournament instead of bogeys causing someone to lose. 

[Adam Lawrence]

The likelihood of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews declining to host its greatest championship on its home course, the place golf as we know it was born, is nil.

[Connor Dougherty]

Mac,

I think that the average golfer hardly knows Prestwick, so depending on how you look at it, it could be a bad thing. Obviously TOC is going to be famous because it is/ once was the oldest golf course on the planet, but without a major championship there, people are less likely to know about it.

Now, as Adam mentioned, there's no way the R&A doesn't host the it's most important championship on its home course. However, if Option B were considered because of its history, would the exclusion of TOC, "the grandaddy of them all," lead to a discussion about the evolution of technology?

I would like to think that if Option B were taken, there would start to be a serious debate about rolling back equipment so these great courses could still put up a good fight against the best.

[Adam Clayman]

The general public thinks the Old Course looks like a cow pasture. Why their input would be germane escapes me.

Sad day for golf, today. Last Q school, ever. And,  If the USGA language is anything but perfect, I'm sure I will be giving up on caring one iota.

[Mac Plumart]

Mac,

I think that the average golfer hardly knows Prestwick, so depending on how you look at it, it could be a bad thing. Obviously TOC is going to be famous because it is/ once was the oldest golf course on the planet, but without a major championship there, people are less likely to know about it.

Now, as Adam mentioned, there's no way the R&A doesn't host the it's most important championship on its home course. However, if Option B were considered because of its history, would the exclusion of TOC, "the grandaddy of them all," lead to a discussion about the evolution of technology?

I would like to think that if Option B were taken, there would start to be a serious debate about rolling back equipment so these great courses could still put up a good fight against the best.

Connor, I agree.  It could be a bad thing, or a good thing, depending on your point of view.

To me, the bottom line is that this technology issue is finally coming to a head as now the Old Course is being mutilated.  The Stewards of the game appear to have rushed this through and tried to sneak the changes in.  This serioulsy makes me doubt their integrity, leadership, and agenda.  I feel that the Joshua Crane mentality may have finally won over Behr/Mackenzie and, to me, this is sad.  Nevertheless, I'd be happy to play courses like Prestwick...even if no one knows what it is anymore.

Sad.

[John Mayhugh]

The likelihood of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews declining to host its greatest championship on its home course, the place golf as we know it was born, is nil.

This is what makes the changes so bizarre.

Many of the changes made to historically significant courses have been done to keep "relevant" for tournament golf and to ensure events return to them.  It's impossible to believe that the Links Trust faced this pressure.  Does anyone believe that the Open wouldn't return to the Old Course?  They had a chance to make a statement about the state of the game and the value of tradition, even if it conflicted with the R&A.  But they didn't.