Changes at the Old Course

[Rich Goodale]

Rick

Your still is definitely the RHB, but I am not convinced it is a shot from the Open.  In 2004 the Open was at Troon.
Ciao

That's definitely not the Open, as there would be a huge stand behind where the small crowd is congregating.  It's probably from the Dunhill, which is played annually there with much smaller crowds.

[Scott Macpherson]

Rick

Your still is definitely the RHB, but I am not convinced it is a shot from the Open.  In 2004 the Open was at Troon.
Ciao

That's definitely not the Open, as there would be a huge stand behind where the small crowd is congregating.  It's probably from the Dunhill, which is played annually there with much smaller crowds.

No, certainly not The Open (no grandstand) or the Dunhill, as for the Dunhill they have a big marquee tent back there (I call it the Viagra Tent because it's a semi-permanent erection  ). My guess is maybe the Links Trophy, or another amateur event.

Scott

[John Crowley]

I'm playing TOC on Monday. It will be interesting to see the changes. I agree with Tom... I don't think there is a legitimate reason to justify what was done.

Golf in Scotland has become BIG business. It is attracting big players like Kohler and Trump. I cannot believe how fast the American ideals and standards are being incorporated into the Scottish model. The next thing you know the courses will have attendants meeting your car and lifting your clubs from the trunk... wait, they are already doing that at the Castle Course. 

With luck I will play TOC a couple times the week of 25 May.
Will be looking for the changes and will probably agree they were not needed.
I'll be getting my own clubs out of the boot and will definitely not be playing the Castle - once a lifetime was enough.
John

[Brett Hochstein]

Regarding Road, I'm mainly with Sean in that the surrounding contour outweighs the general look and depth of the thing (though I much prefer the older rugged look).  The recent version and one I was was familiar with in 2009-10 worked very well as someone daring could putt around the bunker though risk going in it if not hitting it hard enough.  That feature to me has always been the bunker's greatest asset, aside from its vexing placement of course. 

The other images in the youtube video don't have enough context to fairly show if that was evident or not, but the 1st (1970) and 3rd (1995) versions seem like it might have been too wide to play around on the ground.  I do remember seeing old writing somewhere about an American (Bobby Jones perhaps?) being short of the bunker and the Scottish crowd being shocked to see them play it the proper way along on the ground around the bunker as opposed to flopping it over and probably ending up on the road.  So to me that ground game option isn't a new addition.  I haven't seen the new work to be able to pass judgment, but I would say I'm cautiously skeptical.  Don't really care for the other work (putting it quite mildly), especially that at number two.  I hope someday there is an opportunity to undo it.

[Ally Mcintosh]

Regarding Road, I'm mainly with Sean in that the surrounding contour outweighs the general look and depth of the thing (though I much prefer the older rugged look).  The recent version and one I was was familiar with in 2009-10 worked very well as someone daring could putt around the bunker though risk going in it if not hitting it hard enough.  That feature to me has always been the bunker's greatest asset, aside from its vexing placement of course. 

The other images in the youtube video don't have enough context to fairly show if that was evident or not, but the 1st (1970) and 3rd (1995) versions seem like it might have been too wide to play around on the ground.  I do remember seeing old writing somewhere about an American (Bobby Jones perhaps?) being short of the bunker and the Scottish crowd being shocked to see them play it the proper way along on the ground around the bunker as opposed to flopping it over and probably ending up on the road.  So to me that ground game option isn't a new addition.  I haven't seen the new work to be able to pass judgment, but I would say I'm cautiously skeptical.  Don't really care for the other work (putting it quite mildly), especially that at number two.  I hope someday there is an opportunity to undo it.

What if you preferred the look of the surrounding contour better as it was? Regardless of how the ball now feeds in to the bunker (I don't know if this has changed materially or not) I was always an admirer of the front left nose to the green. That has been altered.

[Brett Hochstein]

Regarding Road, I'm mainly with Sean in that the surrounding contour outweighs the general look and depth of the thing (though I much prefer the older rugged look).  The recent version and one I was was familiar with in 2009-10 worked very well as someone daring could putt around the bunker though risk going in it if not hitting it hard enough.  That feature to me has always been the bunker's greatest asset, aside from its vexing placement of course. 

The other images in the youtube video don't have enough context to fairly show if that was evident or not, but the 1st (1970) and 3rd (1995) versions seem like it might have been too wide to play around on the ground.  I do remember seeing old writing somewhere about an American (Bobby Jones perhaps?) being short of the bunker and the Scottish crowd being shocked to see them play it the proper way along on the ground around the bunker as opposed to flopping it over and probably ending up on the road.  So to me that ground game option isn't a new addition.  I haven't seen the new work to be able to pass judgment, but I would say I'm cautiously skeptical.  Don't really care for the other work (putting it quite mildly), especially that at number two.  I hope someday there is an opportunity to undo it.

What if you preferred the look of the surrounding contour better as it was? Regardless of how the ball now feeds in to the bunker (I don't know if this has changed materially or not) I was always an admirer of the front left nose to the green. That has been altered.

 

It was my thought in 2010 that everything, save minor cosmetics inside the bunker, was about perfect.  This includes that front left nose.  I'm truly afraid of what I might see on my next trip there.  Maybe I will be surprised, but I'm not counting on it.