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Ran Morrissett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Grade for Links Trust?
« on: December 30, 2003, 12:01:41 PM »
For X decades, The Links Trust has - as part of its responsibilities -  overseen the management and running of the Old Course at St. Andrews. How would you rate their performance as stewards of The Old Course? Like other courses that host big events, changes in technology have made their task especially challenging.

Despite such advances in technology, has The Links Trust  materially changed any of the playing corridors or greens? NO, the fairways haven't been narrowed, which seems to be the crutch that is most often (mis)used. They haven't gone on a tree planting program ala Augusta National (plenty of irony in that statement). The green sizes haven't shrunk nor have they been ringed by thick, choking rough. Furthermore, not one of the green slopes (and I'm thinking in particular of those that slope from front to back) have been altered.

Has The Links Trust  tried to shift The Old Course with the times? NO, the blindness off the tees tells the story there. Plus, walking is still viewed as a crucial part of the game and remains mandatory save for medical exceptions.

Have playing conditions been made softer in an effort to stretch out the course? NO, the Open that Tiger where the fairways were baked, tight and "puttable" is  but one example but has anyone played any course where the fairways are so consistently tight??

Has The Links Trust stuck their head in the ground and done nothing? NO, they have moved numerous tees back in an effort to have the golfer hit a variety of clubs into the greens. I am told that the placement of the new back tees has not undermined any of the playing angles/strategies of the holes.

Have they added bunkers/hazards? I am not sure though they have dramatically altered the appearance of the bunkers by making all of them revetted. In David Joy's superbly compiled book entitled The Scrapbook of Old Tom Morris ( a true must for any golf library), one gains an immediate appreciation for the far greater range of bunker "styles" that once dotted the Old Course ( which I assume would add proportionately to the variety of recovery shots required). I have been told that due to the heavy play, The Links Trust opted for the less random, free flowing bunkers of years gone-by but ... I don't follow that logic as well as I should perhaps :-\  This is my sole reservation re: The Links Trust and their management of The Old Course (what they have done to The Eden Course is for a different post).

Overall, I would give them a B+. One thing to their credit: they have never had to fix past mistakes/neglect of their own doing unlike so many famous clubs/courses that have had to undertake restoration efforts.

Relative to other all-universe courses that I place in the same league (NGLA, CPC, RM West, Pebble Beach, Sand Hills, Royal County Down, Oakmont, Merion, Pine Valley, Shinnecock and Ballybunion Old), maybe only half of them would get the same grade or higher. Thus, whether  measured against its peers or not, I think a tip of the hat is most definitely due to The Links Trust - who agrees/disagrees?

Cheers,
« Last Edit: December 30, 2003, 12:08:17 PM by Ran Morrissett »

Sr Fortson

Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #1 on: December 30, 2003, 12:08:23 PM »
Mr Morrissett,
  I agree that the Trust has done an outstanding job on maintaining the integrity of the golf course.  The new tees are unobtrusive and bring many of the bunkers/hazards back into play for the tour pros.  Some of their dealings with tour operators I don't feel have been in the best interests of golfers.  And, I do know from talking to a number of locals that they feel the commercialization of the place has gotten out of hand.  But, overall, I agree with you.  B+

A_Clay_Man

Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #2 on: December 30, 2003, 12:15:15 PM »
Aren't they the cradle? Thank God they revere themselves, properly.

here here

Michael Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #3 on: December 30, 2003, 12:19:39 PM »
I applaud the Links Trust for marking the sprinkler heads with yardages, which makes a round of golf more fun in addition to speeding up play.
Metaphor is social and shares the table with the objects it intertwines and the attitudes it reconciles. Opinion, like the Michelin inspector, dines alone. - Adam Gopnik, The Table Comes First

Mike Hendren

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #4 on: December 30, 2003, 03:04:28 PM »
I second Sr. Fortsonator's post.  Their restraint with respect to The Old Course has been exemplery, but I suspect their accomodation to the visiting golfer has suffered with the up-front sale of tee times to tour operators.  This was noted by several locals this fall.  They can hardly be blamed for funding their entire budget for the subsequent year by selling these blocks of time for cash in advance, however.  I understood that this practice might be challenged by the locals in the year to come.  

The sole disappointment from my trip this year was standing on the first tee of a near empty New Course at 3:00 p.m. yet being denied a round because "the starter has gone home."  Apparently, unlike the Delta House, they didn't need the dues.  As my caddie the next morning stated "That's not Scottish."  

The Eden is indeed another story.  I liked the original holes immensely and after receiving Doak's MacKenzie book for Christmas am even more outraged than before.  The Eden deserved every bit of "protection" afforded The Old Course.  I honestly believe I could have designed better replacement holes.

Regards,

Mike
Two Corinthians walk into a bar ....

Bob_Farrell

Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #5 on: December 30, 2003, 03:14:38 PM »
Mike:

I agree with both your, and Sr Fortson's assessment of the Links Trust handling of both the course and the sale of the block times to the tour operators. They have made it extremely difficult for individuals, or groups to gain access to TOC by guaranteeing the income, and in a good deal of cases, doubling it, since no-shows, of which there are more than ever now, are merely supplanted with those willing to take their chances and wait for an opening. When they get it, the Greens Fees come in yet again.

Taking your chances on the Ballot is a total crapshoot now. In 2000 when I was there, for the Tuesday Ballot, there were only 4 available times for those attempting to gain access. That's a little ridiculous!! Thank God the person pulling the names is a member of my club!!!

As for the Eden, well if they had put the stupid drivning range where they built the new holes they wouldn't have had the debates they elicited with the new holes. That may be their single worst decision with respect to the courses.

The B+ is certainly warranted.

BF

Mitch Hantman

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #6 on: December 30, 2003, 05:31:41 PM »
Ran,

I would agree with your post, and would add that the Links Trust could easily double their green fee and get it, so they are to be applauded for keeping things within reason.  

Also, if you apply for a time well in advance, you can obtain a tee time.  Not bad for a shrine.  

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #7 on: December 30, 2003, 06:32:33 PM »
Was that a joke about the yardages marked on the sprinkler heads?  There are sprinklers?  Given those huge greens, how is the distance measured?  Center?  Front?  I will be there to check all this out in May.  And can't wait!

ForkaB

Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #8 on: December 30, 2003, 06:33:59 PM »
In my day a B+ was pretty damn good, but with todays grade inflation, who knows?

Ran, my only comments on your comments are:

--they certainly have narrowed the fairway on 17 (or at least changed the wispy links rough on the left to cabbage).  By doing so, they have taken away the chance for a heroic shot over or bounding around the Road Hole bunker.  'Tis a pity.....
--I applaud most of the tee lengthenings but take great exception to the new one which encroaches on the fairway of the 8th hole on the New Course.  Naughty, Naughty!!!
--When they finally learned (about 10 years ago) that they could charge just about anything theyt wanted to for a round over TOC, they could have done two things:
   1.  Keep prices low, limit access by ballot or even "merit" (shock, horror!).
   2.  Adopt the "Show Me the Money!" strategy, which, alas, was what they did........

In the language of my day, I'd give them a "Gentleman's C", which probably equates to a B+ these days. :'(

A_Clay_Man

Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #9 on: December 30, 2003, 07:39:24 PM »
Rihc- Ran seemed to be grading on a curve with ANGC. That takes your C to an A+

Whatever that guy Burns wrote,

Adam

Michael Moore

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #10 on: December 30, 2003, 08:48:38 PM »
Metaphor is social and shares the table with the objects it intertwines and the attitudes it reconciles. Opinion, like the Michelin inspector, dines alone. - Adam Gopnik, The Table Comes First

Bill_McBride

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #11 on: December 30, 2003, 10:37:26 PM »
Michael me boy, my questions were also very serious.  Is it of any assistance at all to know the yardages as marked on the sprinklers?  Again, I haven't been there yet but will be in May.

Robert Thompson

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #12 on: December 30, 2003, 11:35:28 PM »
Bill: my understanding is the yardage markers have been at TOC for a bit -- and I do think they have the ability to speed up play. I, for one, don't see how having accurate yardage hurts anyone -- gosh, they hand out stroke savers before you head out to play at TOC.
That said, I think the real experience still includes a caddie -- especially the first time round with all the blind shots. Afterwards, I think the yardage markers would be helpful.

Robert
Terrorizing Toronto Since 1997

Read me at Canadiangolfer.com

Andy Levett

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #13 on: December 31, 2003, 07:50:00 AM »
I'm at work  ::) so can't look up the exact quote but I do like what MacKenzie said about TOC - something to the effect that it was so good because nobody who 'knew' anything about golf course architecture was involved in its creation. It's also interesting that it appears to have been treated for so long as a historic monument not to be tampered with more than necessary without that attitude ever really rubbing off on the custodians of other GB&I courses.

Regarding strokesavers, I take the point about pace of play but can't think of another course where a booklet can  do more for a player's enjoyment and score.



Darren_Kilfara

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #14 on: December 31, 2003, 11:45:36 AM »
I'd give the Links Trust a B-minus, or maybe a C-plus. I agree almost completely with Ran's points; however, the unique ancestry of the Old Course gives it a "sacred cow" status that isn't possessed by any other course in the world. One could easily argue that the Links Trust has made just about as many changes as it could have in the past ten years to the Old Course and the way it operates - you simply couldn't responds to architectural trends and fads (removing blindness, softening/narrowing fairways, etc.) without provoking universal uproar. Sounds to me as though Ran is judging the Links Trust in absolute terms instead of relative terms, even though the latter judgment is ultimately much fairer...

I agree with Michael that yardage markers on the Old Course are thoroughly welcome. The course is difficult enough to fathom with the help.

Cheers,
Darren

BCrosby

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re:Grade for Links Trust?
« Reply #15 on: December 31, 2003, 12:39:11 PM »
I think the Links Trust has done a terrific job. They know exactly what they have. They have successfully resisted "modernizing" TOC in any material way. They are to be applauded.

If the Links Trust gets a B+ (or worse), who got the A's?  

The Links Trust is not infallible, but nobody oversees a public, popular and historic set of courses any beter than they do.

Bob

P.S. The MacKenzie quote is as follows:

"The real reason St. Andrews' Old Course is infinitely superior to anything else is owing to the fact that it was constructed when no-one knew anything about the subject, and since then it has been considered too sacred to be touched."

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