The "Golf Board" - What are your thoughts?

[JJShanley]

But I'm not going to try one, even though it might be fun.

Professional players are required to walk the course.  I don't think amateur players are required to, but I don't know that for a fact.

But instead of walking to stay in shape, Americans burn fuel to have motors move them around in order to play a game. But that's the way of this very privileged world we live in.

I would try one for the sake of it, but I've no interest in using one regularly until I reach old age.


You make a great point about the pros.  You see a lot of folk trying to look like the pros, in terms of dress, equipment, even staff bags.  While the pros DO (must?) have someone to lug around their gear, a good chunk of amateurs don't want to bother with one aspect of pro golf: walking the course.


Again, super final point.


I actually feel more rushed on a cart than I do walking, even if it gets me around in the same or less time.

[Dave McCollum]

I don't think traditionalists need to worry.  At $6500 a pop, 1.5X the price of a cart, kind of prices the kids out of the market.  Take your average cart rental, multiply by 1.5, add in the green fee, initial training, insurance, etc. and you have an expensive toy in an already expensive recreation.   

[Mark Pavy]

I think some of you missed my point about millennials. It's not about the board. It's about having an bunch of old white guys directing your leisure time.


Pointing the finger at time commitments, slow play, and expendable income is all well and good. But if you want the real reason why golf isn't popular for the 21-35 crowd, look in the mirror. We're not the most inclusive bunch.

Nothing new, golf never has been strong with the 21-35s.

[Steve Lang]

   I'll simply waiting for the AGBA or IGBA sanctioned SPEED GOLF events to be televised...

[BHoover]

I went ice fishing today. A GolfBoard would have been perfect to haul our gear out to the center of the lake.

[MCirba]

Carrying our bags three of us played briskly (3 hrs 20 min) and I walked 5.52 miles on a wet, hilly course.

When this became the measure of a great round we lost the game. Now the guy posting the standard is concerned about progress.

John,

I'm not sure what you mean exactly but I think it's fundamental to enjoyable golf that a round happens under 4 hours and ideally it's on foot.

I played/walked 7 rounds in Scotland/England this past year and the longest was 3 hours, 20 minutes, largely because of winds of 40-50 mph.   The course was full, but people there know not to dawdle and are prepared to play when it's their turn.

At Lytham another GCA'er and I went out as a twosome behind a FIVE-some of members at the crack of dawn.   We thought we were in trouble until we realized that we couldn't keep up with them.   Our round was less than 3 hours but they finished a hole and a half ahead of us.   

I'll never understand why the game takes longer than that.

[BCowan]

I went out as a twosome behind a FIVE-some of members at the crack of dawn

Are 5-somes infiltrating the UK now too?  Or is this off season policy? 

[John Kavanaugh]

I would be led to believe that half if not more golfers define their round by the length of time it took to play. I doubt that the Scots ever did. Golf should be played on your free time and if it's free what's the point of measuring it?

[MCirba]

I went out as a twosome behind a FIVE-some of members at the crack of dawn

Are 5-somes infiltrating the UK now too?  Or is this off season policy?

Ben,

I'm not sure of anything except they were members looking to play early.

From my POV, if 5 can play in about 2 hrs, 30 minutes pushing trolleys, they should be given medals, not prohibited. 

[MCirba]

I would be led to believe that half if not more golfers define their round by the length of time it took to play. I doubt that the Scots ever did. Golf should be played on your free time and if it's free what's the point of measuring it?

John,

I'd agree the Scots likely never measured their rounds only because there was really no need.   There seems to be a very considerate cultural expectation that it's rude to play slow and delay others.

I think people only started measuring their rounds when it began to cut in on "non-free" time, which is what happens when a round of golf takes over 4 hours for most folks.

[BCowan]

I would be led to believe that half if not more golfers define their round by the length of time it took to play. I doubt that the Scots ever did. Golf should be played on your free time and if it's free what's the point of measuring it?

Jkava,

  That is some good stuff there.  I think the Scots want to utilize more of their free time in the pub afterwards.  Drinking the good stuff, something you might enjoy.   

[BCowan]

I went out as a twosome behind a FIVE-some of members at the crack of dawn

Are 5-somes infiltrating the UK now too?  Or is this off season policy?

Ben,

I'm not sure of anything except they were members looking to play early.

From my POV, if 5 can play in about 2 hrs, 30 minutes pushing trolleys, they should be given medals, not prohibited. 

Mike,

   I guess we will have to agree to disagree.  That is where culture decays and why golf boards are even discussed.  You can make a case for anything now.  Why not a jetpack and play in 1 hour?  The last bastions of good culture (The Scots) is being demised.  It's time for me to now focus on backyard golf options (Off the grid).  Everyone gets medals these days, they have no value.   

[MCirba]

Ben,

Well, we can always blame England. 

Seriously, if someone is on foot and doesn't delay other groups then I have no issue with group size. 

For instance, it's been traditional for singles to have no standing on the golf course.  I usually play with others but some of my nicest moments have been during solitary rounds.   

[BCowan]

Mike,

   I'm sure when you play as a single it is late in the afternoon after work.  It isn't at 930am on a Saturday morning during peak season.  I enjoy Buddy Up and playing by myself late in the afternoon depending on available golfers.  Singles should have no standing during peak times.  I feel bad that you don't understand how important it is to maintain 2 balls and 4 balls during peak times.  The same people that complain about the Golf ball, turn their head when other customs come under assault.  Look the Other Way Society. 

[MCirba]

Mike,

   I'm sure when you play as a single it is late in the afternoon after work.  It isn't at 930am on a Saturday morning during peak season.  I enjoy Buddy Up and playing by myself late in the afternoon depending on available golfers.  Singles should have no standing during peak times.  I feel bad that you don't understand how important it is to maintain 2 balls and 4 balls during peak times.  The same people that complain about the Golf ball, turn their head when other customs come under assault.  Look the Other Way Society.

Ben,

Perhaps you're misunderstanding me as there is little I disagree with in what you described.

That fivesome teed off literally at the crack of dawn and as I mentioned, we were originally a bit upset because we thought they might delay us with some bad weather being predicted for later in the morning.

On the other hand, they were all members, so as guests of the club playing unaccompanied we certainly didn't feel any right to complain.   

The fact that they played in just over 2.5 hours as a fivesome on a golf course that is quite testing was remarkable.   I suspect if they held us up in the least they would have simply waved us through.   

[A.G._Crockett]

I find this somewhat mystifying, I must admit.  At the risk of sounding like an even older fart than I actually am, if THIS is an answer for golf, then the game is in even bigger trouble than we suspected.

[MCirba]

A.G.,

I'm hearing if one can perform a looping 360 off of one of Rees Jones' mounds they win a free game.

[Kalen Braley]

AG,

As I said in an earlier post, if you could fire up the time machine and go back 90 years ago...those guys would have said the same thing about the following generations, including yours... yet the game still flourished and has grown massively since then.

That being said, I don't think cronyism culture is going to kill the game going forward, I think its going to be an economic death blow.  The vast majority of the upcoming generation just aren't going to have the disposable income for even the public munis, much less the daily fee/private/club model.

[Matt Frey, PGA]

Here's a video of some Golf Boards in action at this year's PGA Show Outdoor Demo Day near the GRAA Pavilion: https://youtu.be/r17WvReHI90

[Dan Kelly]

https://www.cartoonbank.com/search/-/search/results?p_p_state=pop_up&_listenersearchresults_WAR_searchportlet_struts.portlet.action=%2Fview%2FshowDetail&_listenersearchresults_WAR_searchportlet_pageNumber=1&_listenersearchresults_WAR_searchportlet_search=Steps&_listenersearchresults_WAR_searchportlet_match=a&_listenersearchresults_WAR_searchportlet_sort=d&_listenersearchresults_WAR_searchportlet_searchFeatures=cncartoons&_listenersearchresults_WAR_searchportlet_tagId=cncartoons032003


That is for John Kavanaugh.

[Dan Kelly]

Messed it up. Never mind.

[John Kavanaugh]

Dan, thanks. The golfboard people have yet to respond to my inquiries. I'm guessing they are not aware of my broad appeal.