Bandon Trails vs The Old Course vs Dismal River Old

[Alex Miller]

High handicappers: 90% of golfers
Best players in the world: <1% of golfers
I'd say it's at least 90 times as important. ....

Isn't it a self evident fact that when looking at golf from the monetary-marketing-media perspective, the 99.5% is meaningless?
[/quote]

Not sure if politi-baiting, but that distribution is not the case here. 

[William_G]

Grey:

How many times had you played Trails before you set the course record?  Curious if, on the round when you did, it felt like you had unlocked the puzzle.

Sven

hahaha

you know that's a good question as I was fortunate to have played there a few times with a preview and all in that it opened in May or June and I went low in July of the same year.

we had an early tee time, a #1 hole location, green tees, no caddies, light wind, and no shuttle on 14 yet, and after chipping in for birdie on the first hole, almost birdieng the second and chipping in for eagle on the third, I thought the TV cameras might come on, LOL

there was no puzzle to unlock really per se, just enjoyed being there with my buddies on a beautiful summer day...the putts just all went in including a 25 footer for birdie on the 18th to win a bunch of skins

did make a great par on 10 from the left fairway bunker, having to chunk it out and make par the hard way from 100 yards out

I had just changed how I line up putts and the greens at Trails are the best

I was nice to everybody the whole round   

after all the softening of the course I guess my CR will stand forever 

"it's a cinderella story"

played again in the afternoon and shot 81 in a big wind, still fun, LOL

http://lowround.co/or/bandon/bandon-trails-course-golf-course-541-347-4380

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

The thre have nothing in common but being golf courses.

[William_G]

The thre have nothing in common but being golf courses.

+1

[Mac Plumart]

I agree these three courses are simply not comparable at all, with the exception they have been (or are being) renovated.

To John's original question,

Are changes to improve the experience of high handicappers really that much more important than changes to challenge to best players in the world?

It all depends on the goals of ownership/membership.

[Doug Siebert]

Why are some changes to great courses considered more acceptable than others?  Of course DRO needed to be changed, so that's one big difference.  Are changes to improve the experience of high handicappers really that much more important than changes to challenge to best players in the world?

1. there are many more high handicappers than there are plus handicappers, let alone tour pros
2. TOC is in a class by itself - personally, I'd support ruining every one of the other top 10 courses before I'd want to see TOC messed with
3. even if you don't accept 2, TOC has been around for the better part of a millennium, and in pretty much its current form for nearly a century, while the other two courses you list have only existed a few years

TOC should be maintained in essentially its current form, IMHO.  I know bunkers need to be resodded, topdressing and blown sand needs to be controlled, etc. but that's the difference between maintenance and changes.  It is like restoration work on the Sphinx.  They will seal cracks and protect it from further damage, but they aren't going to recarve the head to put someone else's face on it.

[Mac Plumart]

I know bunkers need to be resodded, topdressing and blown sand needs to be controlled, etc. but that's the difference between maintenance and changes.

Yes, sir!