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Yardages vrs score - long hitters vrs short hitters.

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Josh Tarble:
I think this is a difficult subject for me to really come up with a compelling argument for either side.

On one hand, I do think the pro game is a little ridiculous and it's hard to see courses become obsolete to those <1% of all golfers.  They really do just over power most courses.

On the other hand, I don't think the game has ever been more fun for a large portion of golfers.  I know new equipment has drastically improved my game, the way I am able to attack architectural features and generally enjoy the game.  

Garland Bayley:

--- Quote from: Thomas Dai on April 12, 2013, 02:01:47 PM ---GJB,

My use of the 8,500 yds you mentioned was not meant as a criticism, more as illustrative.

Now that you've got Dustin Johnson fizzing it 357 yds over the trees on the corner of the 13th at ANGC I reckon the figure is probably more like 10,000 yds for the modern day super-fit athletic gym-junky giant size player who eats the most appropriate food, drinks the most appropriate fluid, travels in a way that is less tiring, is generally pampered and uses a technology backed custom fit ball and clubs.

All the best.

--- End quote ---

I reckon you're wrong, because it was possible to hit that shot 40 years ago.

Thomas Dai:
GJB,

Perhaps the trees weren't as high 40 years ago!

Also, didn't they extend the tee a while back? Plus, even if someone did hit it over the trees 40 years ago, and Sam Sneed I think was supposed to have done so with lower level trees before WWII, would they have been hitting an 8-iron for their second shot, which is what I believe DJ hit to the green?

Jason,

I'm just using DJ for illustrative purposes, no personal criticism of him or his work ethic etc is intended, in fact I wish him all the best. As to 'generally pampered', this is not meant as a personal criticism of DJ either, whose personal arrangements I'm not aware of, but generally speaking when someone else unloads your baggage from a private jet into a chauffer driving courtesy car which then speeds away to a rented house with a personal chef, well that not's exactly how most of us arrive at a competition is it?

Now, to return to the long hitters vrs short hitters debate, if a par-5 were to be a legitimate three shot par-5 for the likes of DJ then it would have to be I reckon about 817 yds long. How comes 817 yards? Well, 357 driver, 310 yd (say) fairway metal plus a 150 yd (say) wedge and then 2 putts. Yip, 817 yards.

Personally, I don't want to lengthen courses. In fact I reckon lengthening them over time has played into the hands of the longer hitter.

Me, I'd like to see what would happen if tournament courses were actually shortened, maybe down to even not much more than 6,000 yds so factors such as pinpoint accuracy, shot placement, spin control etc become rather more important. Let's see how skillful the players are rather than how powerful they are. Without using narrowed fairways or long rough or excess trees, I'd like to see the use of courses with clever dog-legs and slopes, dead ground, uneven lies, visual impediments, penal hazards, slick very firm greens with multiple contouring where you needed to finesse shots into slopes in order to let the ball flow or spin towards tight pins.

Actually, I'm telling a big fat pork pie, what I'd really like to see is a premium pro-tour tournament held at Askernish with all the players having to carry their own bags and play with a maximum of only 7 clubs which must comprise persimmon heads, steel shafts and blades with a balata ball and no more loft than 56* and no yardage books. Thinking again, maybe the first round could be played with these clubs, and then the 2nd round played with hickory and Yee Olde generation balls. After a cut, round three could be played with persimmon and blades and balata again and then for round four the hickories and Yee Olde balls could be used once more. They'd be a fifth round too, played with modern equipment and balls and caddies and yardage books. Now, if only I had enough £$£$£$ I might even pay for the whole damn thing myself including paying for all GCA'ers to come over and watch! If only.

All the best

Jud_T:
Thomas,

DJ's second shot on the par 5 was a 9 iron!

David_Tepper:
"that not's exactly how most of us arrive at a competition is it?"

Thomas D. -

That may not be the way most of us (guys like you & me) arrive at our competitions, but that is the way many, if not most, of the top players in the world arrive at their competitions. One level of competition has little or nothing to do with the other.

Good luck with your fantasies. May you live long enough to see some of them realized. ;)

DT

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