Duncan
Interesting point of view, but I fear it has more to do with perception of what we have come to understand golf means. By that I am saying that many of us in conjunction with the public at large have an expectation that golf is represented by what is seen at The Opens and other Majors. Alas I believe this is another departure from the traditional ways of the game because golf in not all about the aerial game or equally achieving a low score. I may go one step further to say that this has become the modern interpretation of what golf is all about.
The modern golfer has lost focus on what golf is and means in the most singular of pursuits that of a low score. All is sacrificed to achieve that aim, yet that is not what golf is actually all about. We have forgotten, we have all but turned our back on what makes golf, GOLF. Believing adamantly that it is all about achieving the lowest score, but that is only part of the game which has been allowed to overshadow what actually makes the game, that of playing the course, taking on the challenge of both Nature and Designer by navigating the course to the best of our abilities. It’s reading the GCA, it’s plotting out the line to the Hole while avoiding or accepting the test of the hazards protecting that route. However with the aid of technology most of this can be overcome via an aggressive aerial game, defeating the very concept of the original game. Penal, Hell some course have been nearly rendered as lame ducks.
We have forgotten that it’s about traversing the course taking on or avoiding hazards subject to our confidence in our own ability of pushing ourselves to learn more and thus improve our skills. Nevertheless this is the heart and soul of the game, it’s what makes it tick, it is what pushes the golfer and makes him think as well as develops his creative skills. It is for me what made the game so interesting in the first place, you need to plan your shots and not go wham bam thank you Mam that the modern equipment Accommodates so well. And let’s not forget the aids available to minimise thinking.
Golf is not taught these days, all that seems to be conveyed is technique of grip and how to strike the ball, hardly any mention of GCA, how to face, let alone work out the approach to the pin from the Tee. We have moved into the realms of technology, master that while not forgetting to keep abreast of all the latest high tech equipment and gadgets and irrespective of real skill you may well muddle through. Sorry, but that’s not golf in my eyes, that in my eyes is throwing in the towel before the game has even started.
Nevertheless the modern golfer is not finished yet, if his skill levels are next to zero or just poor he can and does blame the course, saying it is just too penal. Sorry, that’s just plain bollocks, it’s the result of turning your back on learning, of not really taking time to understand or to take an in depth interest in the finer arts of the game.
Do not believe, me then go out and look at the course(s), look at the options available to you and that for the lesser gifted player. If one but just stops and THINKS, utilising a little bit of planning, the course has many possibilities for the novice or the average handicapped player. But the problem is that many want to walk before they can run, they want to perform outside their skill level and then refuse to face the consequences of their action, but instead of blaming themselves, its easier to blame the severity of the course, its just too penal is their excuse. Problem is that many agree because they never knew that golf was more that the achievement of a low score.
We also need to look at the golf Courses and also their location. There are courses that are physically challenging to a walker let alone a walking golfer, it will and does sap energy from the walker, but that also part of the game and allowances must be made, be it shorter drives, more accurate chips or simply more limited distance ground hugging shots. Surely it must help if we try to learn the game before trying to play it.
We can, if so inclined, excuse the newer younger golfer (although much harder if you are an experienced average scoring older player) as they are never taught the refinements of the game. They are introduced from the start with modern technology in the form of equipment, the need not to walk or even think with the use of electronic devices. So there we have it in a nut shell, the lacking of the knowledge of the full extent of how the game is played linked with the requirement not to think All thanks to the aids, which deprives the modern golfer of ever experiencing the joy of a good game regardless of his/her score.
Penal, it’s in the mind, because IMHO the courses nowadays can hardly be accused of being penal in the true sense of the word.
Melvyn