My father and I argue about how the old players wouldn't make the cut in the modern game. I agree with Jack; the modern game is a game of power. The short ball players only shine like twice a year on short courses with tight fairways. The majority of golf fans do not want shorter courses, tighter fairways, distance resistant balls, or any other restrictions on length. We love watching the best players bomb it long, and flop it onto the greens. In this new era, golf can -almost- be described as a sport.
I think the hype of the power game doesn't match the actual reality of what's going on in professional golf. Yes power counts, but the reality is only 19 players currently on tour average over 300 yards a drive. The median distance for the 190 PGA Tour players that are currently listed for driver distance is about 288 yards. And several guys have won tournaments this year i.e. Luke Donald, Aron Oberholser, Rod Pampling, Kirk Triplett and David Toms, and none of these guys can be described as "bombers".
For all the hype about "bombers" the guys that take home the big checks consistently on the PGA Tour hit the most greens in regulation with fewest putts per round. At the end of the day great golf is still about consistent ball striking and great putting. That hasn't really change as much as people think it has.
just to let eveyone know,the pgatour rules staff and the usga have no clue how to setup a golf course for the tour players.why do you think that adding length to a course makes it play harder,it doesnt.why do you think places like hilton head and wechester have the highest winning scores on tour each year.decision making is why.when you have 490 yard par 4 there is not any decision envolved,just tee it high and let it fly.number 13 at doral is another good example 245 into the wind,wow what a tough decision on what i will hit,it can be only 1 club in my bag 4 wood.good thing the guys at the masters didnt lenthen #12 the guys have enough problem now with a 155 yard shot.
the tour has really changed from the 80s,we use to play with flier lies with rock hard greens.now we have so much rough that you would have to replace your line on your weedeater every 30 min..the truly great strikers of the ball have a huge diadvantage now.when i miss a fairway i am in the thickest rough,when the so called bomber misses he has missed by 20 or more yards,where the gallery has matted the rough if there was any..if the tour went back to having a light rough where you could catch aflier with really firm greens and fast fairways,eveyone would see a big difference in the results on who is winning golf tournaments.then giys would have to think there way around a golf course,which in todays game has been lost.why do you think #17 at tpc is playing so hard,guys have to think,come on it is a really easy shot you are only at the max hitting an 8 iron.
so ther you have it,but it will never happen the tour and the tv networks have certain players they need to keep golf on tv.
John: I agree with your comments . It does seem that if you are going to miss a fairway you are better off missing it by a large margin. Also I agree with you about the TV networks having favourite players and this influencing the game. I was a spotter for ABC at The Open at St George's . When Ben Curtis took the lead the radio went mad with " Who the hell is Ben Curtis " comments . Shortly after he was put on the clock. I thought it was disgusting and undoubtedly a ruse to put him off his game and hand it to Tiger. Can you imagine Tiger being put on the clock just when he took the lead in the final round in a major? It would never happen. The same kind of thing happened to Garido when he was leading the Volvo PGA at Wentworth.
What does a player need to make $$$ wise to make a reasonable living on the US tour? How much does it cost just to play the Tour per year.
just to let eveyone know,the pgatour rules staff and the usga have no clue how to setup a golf course for the tour players.why do you think that adding length to a course makes it play harder,it doesnt.why do you think places like hilton head and wechester have the highest winning scores on tour each year.decision making is why.when you have 490 yard par 4 there is not any decision envolved,just tee it high and let it fly.number 13 at doral is another good example 245 into the wind,wow what a tough decision on what i will hit,it can be only 1 club in my bag 4 wood.good thing the guys at the masters didnt lenthen #12 the guys have enough problem now with a 155 yard shot.
the tour has really changed from the 80s,we use to play with flier lies with rock hard greens.now we have so much rough that you would have to replace your line on your weedeater every 30 min..the truly great strikers of the ball have a huge diadvantage now.when i miss a fairway i am in the thickest rough,when the so called bomber misses he has missed by 20 or more yards,where the gallery has matted the rough if there was any..if the tour went back to having a light rough where you could catch aflier with really firm greens and fast fairways,eveyone would see a big difference in the results on who is winning golf tournaments.then giys would have to think there way around a golf course,which in todays game has been lost.why do you think #17 at tpc is playing so hard,guys have to think,come on it is a really easy shot you are only at the max hitting an 8 iron.
so ther you have it,but it will never happen the tour and the tv networks have certain players they need to keep golf on tv.
Some great points there John. If only they listen and act on the player's feedback. Golf is a thinking person's game.
I think the great players, I mean the cream of the crop e.g. Tiger Woods, would still win no matter how the course is set up. However, as you said, there would be a lot of other players winning if courses were set up like they were 20 years ago.
if the tour went back to having a light rough where you could catch aflier with really firm greens and fast fairways,eveyone would see a big difference in the results on who is winning golf tournaments.then giys would have to think there way around a golf course,which in todays game has been lost.
Despite all this Luke Donald, Stephen Ames, Kirk Tripplett, David Toms and Aron Oberholser have enjoyed tour victories this year. Aside from Tiger the only guy that has really "muscled" a golf course and won is J.B. Holmes. At it's essence golf is a game of ballstiking and course management. I don't think that's entirely lost despite how courses have been set up.
I think that everyone talks about how much more power that today's players have and that it just isn't all that much more. Sure fitness is a bigger part of the game now but there have always been people who are just naturally strong. The major difference is equipment and I believe that if the players of yesteryear had today's equipment in their prime that many of them would hit similiar lengths on drives.
A case in point is Palmer who used mainly brute arm strength to swing a club and yet he drove a 315 yard par 4 during a british open and this was with the "old" style balls and a persimmon driver.
I think we can both agree that guys are hitting it longer than ever. What I don't see is that length necessarily translating into better golf or even more winning golf. The guy who had the longest driving average on tour last year Scott Hendt, couldn't keep his tour card. And Hank Kuehne reknown for his driving distance is having trouble this year making cuts.
Driving it long is the sizzle but ball striking and course management skills are the steak. Me, I'd rather eat steak!
That's more or less true actually....but Augusta is gonna play 7445 yards.
...I dunno how exactly it'll play....but that's damn long yardage...
I guess we'll have to just wait and see what happens.
Thanks!
I'm waiting for the latest version of the TGM book to come out in April, but I've already learned quite a bit here and I'm eager to learn more.
And once again in the Players Championship a "Bomber" didn't walk off with the trophy. I think Stephen Ames averaged less than 280 yards a drive. He also played one of the best final rounds of golf I've seen in a while.
As far as Augusta I'm with you, I'm very curious to see how the new setup affect scoring and who will play well.
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