I can show you how to knock 20-30 yards off the average drive and it will save you lots of money.....

Return your fairways to 1970 mowing heights and ease back on maintinance to eliminate consistancy....in other words as the seasons change so would the firmness of the faiways and greens....softer in the wet spring, firmer in the dry summer (unless its a wet summer) and softer in the fall....

...

Old classic courses needing to be lengthened? Again, for whom? Why?  Are you telling me they are no longer a challenge for their membership? Are you telling me their membership consists of former 15 handicappers that are now 2 handicappers blasting the ball 300 yards because of new equipment?

I can show you how to knock 20-30 yards off the average drive and it will save you lots of money.....

Return your fairways to 1970 mowing heights and ease back on maintinance to eliminate consistancy....in other words as the seasons change so would the firmness of the faiways and greens....softer in the wet spring, firmer in the dry summer (unless its a wet summer) and softer in the fall....

As for courses getting longer I have to ask why? For whom? Do these developers seriously think more than 1% of ALL golfers need to be challenged by 7500 yards?  Do they seriously think that boasting about, and building an 8000 yard course will make them money?

Craig,

That's part of the problem.
It's the perception of the golf course by the golf world and the dilema modern day architects face.

Today, a golf course has to be suitable for EVERY level of player.   If a golf course ignores the long hitter by not presenting a suitable challenge for them, the golf course will be deemed inferior by some, if not many.  You'd be surprised how that can affect perception and marketing efforts.

For better or worse, there's seems to be the need for a "Macho" complex in order for a course to be attractive.
If it's not demanding and difficult, it's perceived as a "cream puff", in need of some beef.

Old classic courses needing to be lengthened? Again, for whom?

For the superior golfer, be they amateur or pro

Why?

So that they continue to present the challenge to the better player as intended by the architect.

And, they have to do this due to the product of hi-tech... distance.  

Are you telling me they are no longer a challenge for their membership?

YES,  that's correct.
The championship course is no longer a challenge for the championship player.   It's that simple.  And, that's why virtually every course has/is lengthened.

Are you telling me their membership consists of former 15 handicappers that are now 2 handicappers blasting the ball 300 yards because of new equipment ?

NO, why do you take that extreme, absurd position.

It's due to young kids who blast the ball a mile.
It's due to the low handicap player who now hits the ball beyond the features on the golf course that the architect intended for him to interface with.

And, it's all due to YOUR friend.
HI-TECH and the DISTANCE it's created.

...
Today, it's all about higher launch angles that produce prodigious carries, and not runout on the fairway.
...

It's due to the low handicap player who now hits the ball beyond the features on the golf course that the architect intended for him to interface with.

Quote

It's due to the low handicap player who now hits the ball beyond the features on the golf course that the architect intended for him to interface with.

Patrick, what is your estimate for the percentage of club golfers who now hit the ball beyond the features?  Would you guess that number is roughly comparable for the publinx golfer?

It doesn't matter if 1 %, 3 % or 12 % of the members are 4 handicaps or better.

AHughes,

They're not doing it for .5 % of their members, or 2 people out of 400.  It's far more prevalent than that.

An element of the motive may be generational.

Some of the young kids at clubs hit the ball remarkable distances and the older members see how they ignore many, if not most, of the features meant to inferface with their game.

Others see what's happening on TV.

Others, who host events, are astounded at where the players are hitting the ball on their home course.

My father, Joe McBride, William Dear and others were superb golfers, having played in many U.S. Amateurs and U.S. Opens, but, when they were in their 70's they never hit the ball the distance that my friends in their 70's are hitting the ball, and none of them are anywhere near the player that my dad and his peers were.  These are fellows whose handicaps are in the teens.

Many of the young players where I play hit the ball so far beyond the features that it's ridiculous.  And, some of the younger, better players are also hitting the ball a mile.
 
The advantage to the long ball hitter is no longer incremental, it's exponential.

There is not a course that I know of that hasn't either lengthened their tees or are about to lengthen their tees in order to present the challenge off the tee as intended by the architect.

Quote from: Patrick_Mucci on February 28, 2007, 09:49:38 PM

Phil Benedict,

If you love the game, distance isn't a critical factor.

You'll play the game irrespective of the distance you can produce.

Patrick,

I do love the game and wouldn't love it any less if the technological advances of the past few years hadn't occurred.  However, we don't live in a vacuum and I have to admit I like the distance the new technology affords.  For one thing, it creates the illusion that I am still in my physical prime when in fact I am well into middle age.  For another thing, I have never really considered myself a good player but have always had above-average length.  I would rather be a good player with average length but haven't gotten there yet.