Adrian, we play golf in the same country but it's clear our experiences of the game and the people we play with are at polar extremes.
I recorded the semi-finals and finals (that's all that was shown on TV over here) to see what all the talk was about. I loved CB. More interestingly, all my mates who watched loved it, too. Even more surprisingly, my wife and kids (who are all golfers but don't watch much TV golf outside the Majors and Ryder Cup) sat glued to the TV. Cameron, who is 14 and a member at Elie, actually asked how he could get to play there. He has never shown any interest in playing at any other US Major venue. Not Augusta, not Pebble and certyainly not WF which everyone over here I have spoken to thought looked absurd.
Pepper may have a point about safety, her other points, on my TV viewing are based on a different perception of the game.
Tim, I'd like to get your comments in context. What did you think of the set-up at Pebble this year? It strikes me that at CB a smart, well executed shot gains benefits. 14 and 17 at PB didn't. You want Mickey Mouse golf? Well both Pebble and Whistling Straights did a better job of approximating to Clown's Mouths than CB, in my book. What did you make of PB and WS?