I read with interest comments made on both Geoff Shackelford & GCA sites that some do not believe that TOC at St Andrews is worthy of holding ‘THE OPEN’. Well, perhaps we should look at the game rather than the course before we go making statements that perhaps our minds and abilities are unable to cash. TOC is open to all, it has to play to all, it is in such demand that a ballot is required. The course is prepared for the less able players/golfers with the locations of the pins situated in a more than friendly position during the days and weeks that the course does not hold a Tournament or Championship. Pin locations are changed as the Majors come to town, so irrespective of wind the course can prove to be rather testing at times, with the wind, it tests the worlds very best. The problem is not the course even with the outrageous mods the R&A have inflicted just because of their refusal to address the equipment issue in particular the ball. Don’t agree then take your Hickory clubs out for a round on a normal day and tell me the course was not challenging. We can argue till the cows come home but modern equipment technology is fast replacing skill, that’s what is changing the face of golf – again the simple test is again to resort to Hickory and play the course. Even the long hitters are required to conform to the equipment as modern golfers conform to the modern high tech equipment – alas all seem to have forgotten the course. Improved equipment helps players reduce their score. It’s a crude way to glorify the players without allowing the course to compensate for the equipment technology, it is a very unfair on the course, the game and ultimately the spectators as they are watching aid assisted golfers and not seeing the rear skill of the real golfer. TOC is just fine if the R&A would leave it alone – they never understood it in the 19th Century, they continued that through the 20th now they seem determined to do the same through the 21 Century. For the sake of Golf address the real issues and stop trying to ruin some of our great courses with your clearly ignorant tinkering. Tinker were the problem is – the free for all equipment race or are the manufacturers just too strong – have you allowed them to get this strong by your constant inability to address the real issues.
Posted on: Sun, 29 Sep 2013 22:27:21 +0000
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