Sam
My dear friend, please do not judge people on the weakness of your own resolve.
What Old Tom faced back then was a game in flux, balls that were expensive and prone to destruction by splitting its seams. Clubs that were basic and limited, but then at that time only 30 odd clubs existed some sharing the same course. Equipment was limited and did not allow players any form of consistency. It was not until the gutty appeared on the scene that it gave some 60 years for the gutty to establish itself as the first reliable ball unaffected by wet or damp conditions. The cost of the gutty was 6 to 8 times cheaper than the featherie and when you read of reports of the average loss of the ball per round on TOC was around 6 at 2 shilling 6 pence each compared to 6 pence for the gutty, a round could be expensive. However the cheaper ball allowed more to play, interest grew and clubs started to mature in to effective clubs that offered golfer options. All this was the development of golf into a playable game for the majority of people with leisure hours on their side.
By the turn of the 20th Century ball and clubs were consistent for the game as well as being more affordable for those with leisure time upon their hands. A consistency in ball and clubs and at an affordable price. The real problem is it did not stop there, instead of maintaining the quality of the tools for the game the R&A allowed the ball and clubs to keep on developing, not for consistency of the equipment but to reduce scores.
Technology is good, I think most of us agree on that point, I just think that development needs tight controls. Improve the equipment with modern materials but not at the cost of allowing it to reduce scores. The consequences of this error is the slow destruction of many of our great courses and worst still great Holes designed by some of the greatest legends in our game. Golf does not need to be played over 7,700 or 8500 or 10,000 yard courses, we can achieve as much fun and skill on 5-6000yards courses if only the equipment would match the courses as they were circa 1900-1930.
With the current thinking courses will just get longer and longer, but for very little extra return for the golfer apart from more time and money required to play maintain and build these long courses. Also 36 Holes in a day is a satisfactory, certainly for this player with a stopover for lunch.
I do not see the sense in longer courses, what are they achieving, apart as I said above overall expense and the destruction of some of our great Holes.
For me working to a constant state is far more valuable for the quality of the game and its future and this is all Old Tom and the Morris family ever wanted. AS for aids, carts, range finders, distance aids I fear would have been defined as cheating in Old Tom eyes and you would be removed off his courses with or without the approval of the R&A.
Sam, we have a different mind-set today vs. the guys event back the 1950’s. Values were different and behaviour was important. What we might value today would not have been tolerated in their day, remember this was the time for us when titled people had great influence and a word from them could finish you both at work and socially.
There is nothing wrong with technology, its knowing how to use it and containing its wilder options, something that IMHO our governing bodies have not understood.
Melvyn
Ed
Stop thinking in the 21st Century when looking at the game in the 19th Century. Put on your 19th Century hat on and you may understand.