Rory McIlroy: "Give me Medinah over a links course"

[Scott Warren]

Good interview with Rory McInroy in this week's 'Sport', a free weekly mag they hand out on the tube.

One of the questions jumped out at me and I thought it might be of wider interest.

Q - So what would be your favourite course?
A - "Funnily enough, I probably prefer parkland courses to links courses. The exception would be St Andrews, which is just a very special place. But if you asked me to choose, say, between a great links course like Turnberry and a great parkland course like Medinah, then I'd say Medinah. I grew up on a parkland course; it just suits my style of play more. If I'm being honest I'd say I'm pretty pleased we play on links courses only a couple of times a year!"

[Gene Greco]

    I hope this kid wins The Open.

How refreshing is it to hear such candor?

[John Moore II]

I think the weather might have as much to do with his statements as any. It wears on you to play in tough weather, and typically, links golf is contested in less than ideal weather. He'd probably have a different opinion if all links golf were played in conditions like those seen at Royal Liverpool in the 2006 Open.

But it also has to do with what you grew up with. Someone who grew up on the links courses will be inclined to like playing on them better. Where someone like McIlroy, who grew up on a parkland course will like those better, most likely.

Well, and lets not kid ourselves, it also has to do with the fact you don't get the odd bounces and breaks at parkland courses most of the time.

[Scott Warren]

I think the weather might have as much to do with his statements as any. It wears on you to play in tough weather, and typically, links golf is contested in less than ideal weather.

How much GB&I links golf have you played, John?

[Garland Bayley]

Good interview with Rory McInroy in this week's 'Sport', a free weekly mag they hand out on the tube.

One of the questions jumped out at me and I thought it might be of wider interest.

Q - So what would be your favourite course?
A - "Funnily enough, I probably prefer parkland courses to links courses. The exception would be St Andrews, which is just a very special place. But if you asked me to choose, say, between a great links course like Turnberry and a great parkland course like Medinah, then I'd say Medinah. I grew up on a parkland course; it just suits my style of play more. If I'm being honest I'd say I'm pretty pleased we play on links courses only a couple of times a year!"

You must be pulling our legs. I thought Rory grew up on Royal County Down. Our member there from this website says he's seen him play there but, not being in the same league has not played with him.

[Scott Warren]

No, he definitely grew at Holywood. I would imagine as an elite Northern Irish junior and amateur he played a bunch at Portrush and Co. Down, but I could be wrong.

[Michael Barnett]

Scott,

I could be mistaken, but not only did he play alot at Portrush, he also holds the coourse record there  (61). 

[John Moore II]

Good interview with Rory McInroy in this week's 'Sport', a free weekly mag they hand out on the tube.

One of the questions jumped out at me and I thought it might be of wider interest.

Q - So what would be your favourite course?
A - "Funnily enough, I probably prefer parkland courses to links courses. The exception would be St Andrews, which is just a very special place. But if you asked me to choose, say, between a great links course like Turnberry and a great parkland course like Medinah, then I'd say Medinah. I grew up on a parkland course; it just suits my style of play more. If I'm being honest I'd say I'm pretty pleased we play on links courses only a couple of times a year!"

You must be pulling our legs. I thought Rory grew up on Royal County Down. Our member there from this website says he's seen him play there but, not being in the same league has not played with him.

Rory grew up in the town of Holywood, according to his bio. The is roughly an hour away from RCD. Certainly I would say he has played there, but the bio lists Holywood Golf Club as his home course.

[Tim Pitner]

I don't agree with McIlroy but his candor is refreshing.  

I'm hardly alone, but I'm predicting greatness for Rory.  His swing looks so solid, the ball-striking pure through the bag--he drives it extremely well.  And he seems like a fine young man.  Go Rory!

[John Moore II]

I think the weather might have as much to do with his statements as any. It wears on you to play in tough weather, and typically, links golf is contested in less than ideal weather.

How much GB&I links golf have you played, John?

OK, I suppose that was one of those statements you talk about on another thread. However, how often do we see links golf in the championships played in weather similar to that seen at Medinah, or even Loch Lomond? We typically see links golf contested in less than ideal weather and we typically see parkland golf played in fair weather, at least weather with little wind. And I did grow up on the coast, playing courses with a mile or less of the ocean and it was rare to play in winds less than 10mph. The one course I played that actually bordered the sound played in 15+ mph winds nearly all the time.

[JNC Lyon]

This quote by McIlroy is further proof that being a tour pro does not make you knowledgeable about golf course architecture.  Frankly, I'm surprised that there are so many positive responses towards McIlroy.  Isn't Medinah the sort of course that represents everything BAD about the modern game? 

I guess I don't put a lot of value on a person's "honest opinion" on a subject when that person knows nothing about the subject.

[PCCraig]

Has he played Medinah??

[Tim Pitner]

This quote by McIlroy is further proof that being a tour pro does not make you knowledgeable about golf course architecture.  Frankly, I'm surprised that there are so many positive responses towards McIlroy.  Isn't Medinah the sort of course that represents everything BAD about the modern game? 

I guess I don't put a lot of value on a person's "honest opinion" on a subject when that person knows nothing about the subject.

I wouldn't say he knows nothing about the subject--I would instead say he looks at the subject in a completely different way.  He's thinking about scoring and winning--that's it.  And he's 21.  He might be mistaken in thinking about what favors his game.  When you hit it as well as he does, I would think that a links course would be right up his alley. 

[Martin Toal]

Holywood is a pleasant parkland course outside Belfast. It is not high on the list of essential courses to play in NI. McIlroy has made similar remarks previously, so this is a consistent position from him.

I don't think he was necessarily saying Medinah was a better course than a links course, perhaps just one that he had recently played which suits long straight driving and good putting - you know, like his game?

[John Moore II]

This quote by McIlroy is further proof that being a tour pro does not make you knowledgeable about golf course architecture.  Frankly, I'm surprised that there are so many positive responses towards McIlroy.  Isn't Medinah the sort of course that represents everything BAD about the modern game? 

I guess I don't put a lot of value on a person's "honest opinion" on a subject when that person knows nothing about the subject.

I wouldn't say he knows nothing about the subject--I would instead say he looks at the subject in a completely different way.  He's thinking about scoring and winning--that's it.  And he's 21.  He might be mistaken in thinking about what favors his game.  When you hit it as well as he does, I would think that a links course would be right up his alley. 

63 at The Old Course, 61 at Royal Portrush, 64 at Emirates Golf Club, 62 at Quail Hollow. That seems to suggest that just about every course is right up his alley. Perhaps he just doesn't prefer the links.

[JNC Lyon]

Again, these posts speak to major problems of perception.  Course A is not better than Course B because Course A fits a top tour player's game and Course B does not.  Also, the ability to shoot 62 adds nothing to a golfer's knowledge of golf course architecture.

[JESII]

For each person, the course they prefer is the better course...for them. There are no absolutes in this stuff. We can disagree about opinions, but we can rarely call them wrong.

[Scott Warren]

To play Devil's advocate, John L, what is your case against McIlroy's views on golf courses being deserving of your respect?

[Martin Toal]

Again, these posts speak to major problems of perception.  Course A is not better than Course B because Course A fits a top tour player's game and Course B does not.  Also, the ability to shoot 62 adds nothing to a golfer's knowledge of golf course architecture.

He did not say Course A was better than Course B. He was very careful to couch his comments as his personal opinion:

I probably prefer parkland courses to links courses. The exception would be St Andrews, which is just a very special place. But if you asked me to choose, say, between a great links course like Turnberry and a great parkland course like Medinah, then I'd say Medinah. I grew up on a parkland course; it just suits my style of play more.

"I prefer ..... if you asked me to choose ..... suits my style of play"

I love RCD and RP, and I can't imagine Medinah being even close to them, but Rory is entitled to his opinion, which is what he stated. He did not suggest that his opinion was fact.

[Matthew Petersen]

Again, these posts speak to major problems of perception.  Course A is not better than Course B because Course A fits a top tour player's game and Course B does not.  Also, the ability to shoot 62 adds nothing to a golfer's knowledge of golf course architecture.

There's nothing in the question or in his response to indicate he's thinking about GCA at all. Because we're here at this site we tend to think that any discussion of a golf course is fundamentally related to the architecture, but it's not necessarily, especially for a top player. He's talking about what fits his game.

I admire links courses to no end from an architecture perspective, but I grew up in Colorado playing parkland courses and learned to play the game that way--it's easier for me to play golf on courses of that style. Doesn't mean I dislike or don't respect links golf. It's two completely different ways of looking at it.

[John Moore II]

Again, these posts speak to major problems of perception.  Course A is not better than Course B because Course A fits a top tour player's game and Course B does not.  Also, the ability to shoot 62 adds nothing to a golfer's knowledge of golf course architecture.

Actually, I think perception is the key to any kind of greatness. Had a good case of this yesterday on my Nansemond River Golf Club thread. Carl Rogers considers the course to be pretty much trash, I consider it to be one of the 25 best I've played, not a deep list to be sure, but its one of the 25 best I've seen. Those are opinions and neither is wrong. Same with 'attractive' women. I have the opinion that Angelina Jolie is not that exceptionally attractive, obviously others disagree with me. Perception is the key to everything relating to golf courses. What do YOU think of the course, how does it feel to YOU. I guess Rory just likes parkland courses better than links courses, and he says exactly that. Nothing wrong with that.

[Richard Choi]

I don't think it is very unusual for a player who hits as high and far as Rory does to prefer a Parkland style over links.

[Rory Connaughton]

If your living depended on your ability to hit the ball precise distances and have the ball stop on command, parkland golf would almost always be favored over links.  In fact, how many GB&I players grew up playing the majority of their golf on a links?  The only one of recent vintage that springs to mind is Graeme McDowell (maybe Monty) and he had to totally alter the swing he grew up with to become successful as a pro.

Of course the GB&I golfers play a lot of competitive golf on links during their amateur careers and my guess is that they enjoy the challenge etc. but for pros its about putting it in the hole in the fewest strokes possible.

[Garland Bayley]

I guess Rory is showing his preference for parkland courses today at +7 so far.

[Greg Tallman]

OMG - A kid from Ireland does not wax poetic about the wonders of seaside links golf while at the same time bashing Nicklaus/Fazio/Rees... He must have crawled out from under a rock or at the very least be a crack addict.