Should golf courses be made more extreme?

JustOne

JustOne

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Apr 6, 2009
Messages
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www.justoneuk.com
I love watching golf on the tele but sometimes it seems a bit mundane, not a lot happens that's really exciting and it's whoever is putting better on the day that wins. We all like the Masters but is it because we know the greens are so hard or the course is so tough? We know (and love) all the nasty holes worldwide eg: 17th TPC Sawgrass, 16th TPC Scottsdale, Road hole St Andrews etc.. and enjoy watching the pros play them... they become the attraction of entire floods of fans could/should we not make entire courses like this?

Loads of deep bunkers, really awkward carries over water to a green only 10ftx10ft, 700yd holes and 50yd holes with a cliff at the back and a bunker at the front...heck fill it with crocodiles or something!

As you can tell.... I thought watching the golf last night on the tele was a bit bland.... apart from topless women caddies (another great idea I just had) is there a way to make it more enjoyable?

I didn't want to side on the current argument of 'Winner Takes All' where there is only one prize as I see this as being detrimental to professional golf but perhaps even a few winner takes all tournaments per year might help....

Thoughts?
 
The reasons the above holes are well known and loved so much is because they are a little out the ordinary. If they were all like that then you wouldn't appreciate them as much.
It's crazy golf you're looking for really isn't it?
 
Greens could be more challenging ......
































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GP10-Upset.jpg
 
Why is there a need to 'trick' a course up at all? Just because the best players in the world can play it well. Who does it upset? the course designers who see their pride and joy taken apart by the worlds best. There is no need, that's like saying the guys that run the 100 meters in the Olympics are too fast these days let's put speed bumps in the track or let's reduce the width of goal posts in the premiership 'cos some Brazilian striker scored a hat trick at the weekend.
The Tour guy's are on tour for a reason, they are great at what they have practiced years to do..play golf.
 
How can you say the course was mundane last night? There are 19 players within 6 shots of the leader, of which 18 are covered by 3 shots..

The problem is is utterly cr@p US TV coverage that goes to an advert after every shot and only follows 2/3 players with random shots of some others....

Why do want to wath people take as many shots as you do - I want to see eagles, birdies and be shown how to play the game properly....leave the windmills to the seaside....
 
I was talking about the European coverage. The US stuff wasn't too bad.

The reason it's a bit bland is they are always hitting over bunkers that 'don't come into play any more' onto big greens that have small borrows, scoring 20 under par... it's not much of a challenge is it?

Some of the US stuff has been not too bad lately, the European stuff is just dire, in my opinion of course.

Good to see Rhys Davies break his duck just now although it's weird that it's the final day, he shot 7 under and I still feel like falling asleep....

maybe they should play over pits of burning oil.... :D
 
Turn the performance of the ball back and leave the courses as they are. Technology has made it much easier for everyone - the Tour stars included. If we can now get backspin on greens, hit straight, long tee shots then they're going to do it 10 times better.
Roll back the technology and it'll become interesting again.
 
I think it would be more interesting if courses were made harder and more like 5 to 10 under wins not 15 to 25 as you say can become boring.
Click to expand...

But the courses will be harder for us and our handicaps will shoot up.
If you want to add 2 or 3 shots per round to a Tour Pro you'll be adding 7 or 8 or more to ours.
 
But the courses will be harder for us and our handicaps will shoot up.
If you want to add 2 or 3 shots per round to a Tour Pro you'll be adding 7 or 8 or more to ours.
Click to expand...

Not really as we hardly ever will be playing anything resembling a pro course. My place sometimes feels like a joke, the only thing lacking sometimes on the greens are the windmills!

I did put in a recent questionaire that we could do with a few 'extreme' bunkers put in as most courses seem to have bunkers that are not much more than animal scrapes!
 
Ive never played a championship course so it wouldnt effect myself,the trouble with 20 under is most of the emphasis is relying on the putting and can be boring to watch,i would rather watch long iron shots or chipping as it is more compelling and better tv.Also courses can be manufactured for tour pros leading up to tournaments then made easier again after.
 
I agree that the modern technology is clearly to blame for these bunkers being redundant now and so a change to a "professional" ball would make perfect sense where the distance and spin was regulated.I don't ever see it coming into effect and all that will happen is courses will get longer, greens will be made quicker etc.

I do think modern designers have a chance to make it otugher but most seem to make long, albeit beautiful courses, to try and get the best of both worlds from pro events, the US$ tourist and their elite club members. Why not look at The Road Hole, Postage Stamp, Amen Corner, even 17 at the TPC to see that good design doesn't rely on trickery but just needs to ask some old fashioed questions in terms of accuracy off the tee, the ability to hit a green and the decision to go for it or pay the price.

If you want to make a pro event interesting why not do something really simple and grow the rough so it actually becomes penal and do what they do for the US Open and pinch it in at the pro landing areas. Most courses that host a pro event close down to prepare so it wouldn't adversely affect club members as the rough could be cut afterwards and where it is grown in leave it anyway as most club golfers won't reach it anyway.
 
The best golf is competitive golf with the outcome uncertain until the last putt drops. The Masters has a happy knack of producing good finishes, with quality players at the top of the leaderboard.
 
Ive never played a championship course so it wouldnt effect myself,
Click to expand...

Until you do and you'll have no chance of getting in the same Galaxy as your handicap.
Some of us play Championship courses - Atticus plays Carnoustie every week.
 
Bunkers on tour annoy me, they're supposed to be a hazzard yet pros play for them sometimes.

For me a hazzard should cost a player at least one shot unless they do something special.
 
got to agree with spoff, if a hazard isn't a hazard why is it there?

narrowed landing areas, deepen the rough and stop putting a cricket roller over the bunkers.
 
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