Is Flynn the father of the modern aerial game ?

[TEPaul]

a clay man said:

"The complete reliance on the aerial game has done nothing but made irrigation companies an essential part of course construction, just so somebody can hold the green with a seven wood, while not allowing another golfer to shape a shot and play it short to run or to kick off a soggy feature?"

a clay man:

Another very fine point!

[TEPaul]

"Would it be more accurate to call him the father of the excessive use of the one dimensional aerial game?"

I just don't think one can say this about William Flynn or his architecture at all. He never wrote or said anything like this and his architecture just doesn't show that at all. Flynn was a great advocate of the ground game as an option! Don't anybody try to point to some hole of Flynn's where you absolutely had to fly the ball onto the green because that doesn't prove a thing about the aerial game in architecture. Every single architect I've almost ever heard of who was any good at the art had some holes like that. That was nothing more than variety. Look at Merion, Cypress, Oakmont, Pine Valley, NGLA, any of the old great ones way before aerial game dominance and you can see this.

[TEPaul]

If someone on here thinks the ground game option is limited compared to the aerial option they should spend a little more time in Europe in the wind on courses that're designed to provide for the ground game. Even among handicap golfers over there they use an inventory of ground game options and club selections and shot choices using the ground many of us Americans have never even dreamed of.

I've played a lot of golf over here in a lot of conditions but I'd never heard of the 50 yd "putt" with a 5 iron into a green in the high wind until a European 10 handicapper at Royal Port Rush taught it to me a couple years ago. Worked beautifully!

Then there was the time a few days later at County Down in some really high wind I had about 60 yds into a green with a roaring right to left wind and I told my caddy I was sure my L wedge would work if I just put it up in the air and borrowed about 15 yds for the wind. I'll never forget he said; " I don't think you should try something like that--just put the ball on the ground under the wind." So I said; "No, I can do this with an aerial shot"--- and I hit it just the way I wanted with that borrow for the wind and my next shot was from the light bushes about 20 long and left.

We might think the ground and it's options are limited but they sure don't over there!

[ChipOat]

The father(s) of the aerial game, in order of importance, were:

1) the inventor of the fairway watering system (by far the most important - made the aerial game considerably more important and, on many now less dry holes, compelling);
2) the USGA Executive Committee members who voted to go to the 1.68" ball in 1932 (made the aerial game easier).

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

America is in America.
Europe is in Europe.

I wasn't sure if you were aware of that.  

[TEPaul]

Pat wonders;

"TEPaul,
America is in America.
Europe is in Europe.
I wasn't sure if you were aware of that."

Pat:

That you weren't sure I was aware of that doesn't surprise me--about 98% of the time you're not sure. There used to be a ground game in America too. What happened to it?

Belay that question--the chances are about 98% you wouldn't be sure.

[Patrick_Mucci]

TEPaul,

I was just checking