Is Augusta hurting golf for potential new players?

[RookieBlue7]

I don't mind, per se, letting the fairways grow out, but then again, it effects the more skilled players when you do that.  Or should I say it effects the play of experienced players.  Then you have to decide on if you want to be a niche course that caters to beginners and higher handicaps that play less often or if you want to cater your course to experienced or better players.  I'm sure it's a fine line and it'd be hard to determine which would be the more profitable approach.

Another thing that could help that I, personally would hate, but it'd help the newer players or the players that are less adept is letting the greens grow a little longer or keeping them a little softer and slower.  I LOVE a fast green, putt better on faster greens and see the line better on faster greens.  I love courses that run at 10+ on the stimp meter.  But, courses with greens that fast and most of the time that much more firm are tough for the beginner or the less skilled (and I'm not calling myself a skilled golfer, I'm still sitting at a 9-10 because I don't play as much as I used to and my skill has diminished some over when I was playing and practicing more).  The beginning golfer doesn't know how to change the approach to faster/firmer greens.  They have limited knowledge of what to do to change how the ball will react on the green or play shots that allow for the added speed/firmness.  The average amateur doesn't need a green rolling at 10+ because that will cause more trouble on the greens and a higher total putts number on every green.  But it's another quandary of whom do you appease?

One thing I will say, allowing courses to grow longer between cuttings would reduce maintenance costs.  Running the mowers less often will save cash on gas.  That money could be reinvested in the course or adding amenities.  So that could be a draw and add allure to allowing it to grow.  I also like the idea of eliminating some bunkers from some courses (especially those that don't take the time to maintain them) and adding natural hazards to replace them.  Take a bunker out and add a deep grass lined bunker/burm in it's place.  You can add challenge by adding the large, deeper grass depression that doesn't have an even lie anywhere, but it makes it more playable than a sand bunker that you're not maintaining and has rocks and everything in it.  The perception for the average amateur would be it's more playable because there's not sand there.  But it's still a tough and penal shot.

[BK in TEXAS]

And I don't know how to rectify that, honestly. 

Not without the cooperation of the course anyway.  One course I play with 6 tee boxes has a fancy carved sign instructing you what tee to play based on handicap.  On a "normal" course with red/white/blue boxes it can be as simple as moving up the white tees to the back of the "red" tee box.

[mnfats95]

Most of the courses around my area were built before the 5 tee box setup was common. Most of our courses have a box for white/blue for the "men" and red/yellow for the "ladies".

 

Unfortunately the stigma of the shorter tees being the "ladies" tees keeps a lot of people who would enjoy the game more by playing from those tees from doing so.

 

I love when a course suggests tees based on handicap. I would also argue that assigning a yardage to tees might be helpful. It would help to know that you should play the blues if you hit your drives around 250 yards total or the whites if you hit it 225 and below.

 

Lots of courses have trouble spots at certain distances based on average shot distance. Adjusting the tees to bring this into play would give a similar experience to everyone who plays vs some people playing the wrong tees and never bringing the trouble into play because they are too far back or forward from where they should be.

 

In a perfect world this could all happen, but as this thread was originally about the impression the average non playing person has of the sport, all of these suggestions would only serve people who are already involved.

[revkev]

There can be some serious unintended consequences to very good suggestions. For example growing fairways longer means less roll out and shorter drives. Harder and firmer rules about what tee to play doesn't always wor either, what do you do with a shorter hitter who is a lower handicapper? How about the long wild guy who will hit more drivers because he moves back meaning more balls in the rough, woods, hazards, more shots, more time.

 

Great ideas but in the end I think you have to figure out how to make golf fun and exciting for more people.

[L.I. Rich]

I agree with those saying that fear of humiliation is a factor in keeping newcomers from playing.  They may have gone to the range with a friend, tried to hit some balls and found, like we all know, that this game isn't easy without some fundamental instruction.  

 

The executive course close to my home gets heavy use from beginners, kids and seniors.  I took my daughter to play two weeks ago, and  while we were on deck on the first tee, we observed a singleton in the fairway (a 275 yard par 4) take 10 shots to reach the green.  After each topped fairway shot, he slowly ambled over to his cart, carefully cleaned the club, placed it back in the bag, got in the cart, drove 25 yards, got out, carefully considered the shot, selected a club, walked to the ball (slowly), stood over the ball for thirty seconds before topping the ball another 25 yards.  The group in front of us was a pair or senior women who each took five shots to advance 75 yards with one lost ball.  (We skipped the first two holes completely to get away from these two groups).  As you can see, on a weekend, it can be a real nightmare.  But if these players tried to play 18, they'd never make it, and they must like the game or they would be out on the course.

 

Who knows, maybe the singleton was recovering from surgery and is trying to learn the game again?  The seniors maybe used to be able to play at their clubs, but no longer have the fitness and endurance for a long course.  They still enjoy the game, and the short courses help them stay with it.  And I can take my ten year old out and put her in situations where she can succeed.  Not only that, she can see other people who REALLY struggle with the game and understand that as a beginner, she's better than some grownups out there.

 

On the other hand, once football season starts, you can go around three times in an hour and a half on a Sunday afternoon because the place becomes a ghost town.

[revkev]

Love football season because I can always play when college football is on. Since the advent of the BCS I would prefer to watch a snail race than a thirteen game exhibition season and the people here in SEC land lock themselves inside all Saturday afternoon, it's great, the only time of the year that I play on Saturday afternoon.

 

Here's a lesson, I used to love college football, would go to several games a season when I lived in Indiana, they lost me and I'm never coming back because I've found other things to do.

[Jondagcl]

Holy cow RevKev I love college football.  I'll be sitting in my season seats come Saturday August 30th!  

 

Go Trojans!!!

[jpcgolf]

It brings up another good point I forgot in my previous post. When I start bringing someone into the game I tell them to not even worry about playing it down until they can make it through 18 holes with no more than 5 topped shots. I find waiving this rule helps them build confidence much more quickly as they don't have to worry about horrible lies in the rough where they spend most of their time anyway when starting out.

I totally agree with this.  7 years ago when I was 7, and I was just starting up the game, I used to tee up every lie I had until I could prove myself that I could hit it off of the grass.  It definetely made the game more fun because I was actually getting the ball in the air almost every time.

[revkev]

Holy cow RevKev I love college football.  I'll be sitting in my season seats come Saturday August 30th!  

 

Go Trojans!!!

I do understand they just lost me with the BCS. I won't be back because my college is a hoops place and I've developed the habit of playing golf when the course is empty. I enjoy pro football but I go to the range on Sunday at whatever time the Bucs are playing because it's empty. If the Giants are in contention I'll start to watch down the stretch if not I don't watch much. I follow it closely because of FFB but I don't watch it, too long, very little action. If you analyze a football game and a baseball game there's actually more action in the baseball game and they're way too long too.

 

College basketball is just right, lots of action, two hours and you're done. If they go to the 24 second clock it will be better yet.

[mnfats95]

I do understand they just lost me with the BCS. I won't be back because my college is a hoops place and I've developed the habit of playing golf when the course is empty. I enjoy pro football but I go to the range on Sunday at whatever time the Bucs are playing because it's empty. If the Giants are in contention I'll start to watch down the stretch if not I don't watch much. I follow it closely because of FFB but I don't watch it, too long, very little action. If you analyze a football game and a baseball game there's actually more action in the baseball game and they're way too long too.

 

College basketball is just right, lots of action, two hours and you're done. If they go to the 24 second clock it will be better yet.

 

I started watching the condensed games for both football and baseball. All the action with none of the stories about the broadcasters son and how he found a turtle in the street the other day and used it as a hockey puck.

[revkev]

I started watching the condensed games for both football and baseball. All the action with none of the stories about the broadcasters son and how he found a turtle in the street the other day and used it as a hockey puck.

 

 

Exactly! 

 

I'd be curious as to which takes longer if you are strictly watching the action on the field.  I don't mind the between plays stuff in both sports as I know enough about each to understand the strategy and love to think and plan things out for myself and see how I did.  Of course at the professional and most especially at the collegiate level for football they are businesses and the commercials kill the sport.  I would argue that many rules changes are put into place for the purpose of maximizing advertising money.

 

Go to a college baseball game - 2 hours, 2:10 at most.  When you condense college hoops you're watching the game in under an hour.  Last season I saw every UConn game and except for the championship, the two that I attended live and the first two tournament game watched them in under an hour - that includes the National semi-final where I recroded the first half, got home from church, watched it and caught up to the end before it happened.  Glad I was able to fast forward through the first 11 minutes of that one.

 

Funny having this conversation on a thread about Augusta that prides itself on holding a tournament with minimal commercial interuptions.

[fozcycle]

Like most SEC'ers, I love College Football & Basketball.  My team is always in the cellar for football and at the top of the heap in basketball(usually).

 

But this thread asks if Augusta is hurting golf?

 

No. it gives all of us duffers a chance to dream.  It allows us to pretend we are there and we are making those shots from perfect fairways to perfect greens.  Then we go out to our affordable golf courses and try to hit the imperfect fairways and small greens, knowing that we'll never play Augusta.  As a lifelong golfer(from age 8 to 63), I cherish every round of golf I play.  

[Blade]

Like most SEC'ers, I love College Football & Basketball.  My team is always in the cellar for football and at the top of the heap in basketball(usually).

 

But this thread asks if Augusta is hurting golf?

 

No. it gives all of us duffers a chance to dream.  It allows us to pretend we are there and we are making those shots from perfect fairways to perfect greens.  Then we go out to our affordable golf courses and try to hit the imperfect fairways and small greens, knowing that we'll never play Augusta.  As a lifelong golfer(from age 8 to 63), I cherish every round of golf I play.  

Except the question was about the impression it possibly makes about the game in general on people not already playing, not on people who already love the game. 

[fozcycle]

Except the question was about the impression it possibly makes about the game in general on people not already playing, not on people who already love the game.

 

I don't think so.......Augusta is a small window to a perfect world......Once the weekend is over most potential golfers go back to their lives, knowing that Augusta was a perfectly groomed place and the real world provides uneven fairways & greens. Augusta will be just a dream.

[RookieBlue7]

I don't think so.......Augusta is a small window to a perfect world......Once the weekend is over most potential golfers go back to their lives, knowing that Augusta was a perfectly groomed place and the real world provides uneven fairways & greens. Augusta will be just a dream.

You've never been to Augusta have you? Lol. There's not an even lie on the course, I even think the tee boxes are slightly unlevel lol. Seriously, it's not nearly as flat as it looks on TV. If you do get to go, walk the course once.... And make sure you know where the nearest snack shack is for plenty of water.

[fozcycle]

You've never been to Augusta have you? Lol. There's not an even lie on the course, I even think the tee boxes are slightly unlevel lol. Seriously, it's not nearly as flat as it looks on TV. If you do get to go, walk the course once.... And make sure you know where the nearest snack shack is for plenty of water.

 

That was just a euphamism.  They make it look so perfect on TV compared to the everyday courses we play.

 

Going there is def on my bucket list.

[Blade]

It sure is pretty to see on TV.  I'd love to see it in person. 

[revkev]

Getting back to the threads's concern I've had two experiences the last two days.

 

My son, Matt, has not played golf since last September because he was in a serious accident. He's back to playing again and wanted to treat me to a round, he'd pay for the golf, I'd bring cigars and buy the drinks. We got to the clubhouse and I didn't think about his dress because my primary one doesn't care. He has a shirt without a collar, it was a nice shirt to be sure but the wrong shirt for most courses. They did not allow it, fortunately I keep a spare in my bag. It's summer in Florida with a head index of over 100 and this is one of those former private now turned public places. It's rack rate is 75 in the summer and 90 in the winter. We were paying 24 and I've gotten it for under 20. No wonder!

 

The second was just earlier. I'm off today and doing lots of honey dew stuff but carved out an hour on the putting green at lunch time. Actually I went with my shag bag to putt and chip. There was a junior tournament getting ready to start with kids all over the practice facility. Did it change the way I practiced? Yes but it's the juniors/woman/beginner friendly course that I told you about earlier. I could have called or checked so no big deal I worked on putting only. There was another guy there who was swearing up a storm about the fn... Kids this and that and they shouldn't be there on a Saturday interrupting his practice time. All it would take is for the wrong kid to over hear this guy and you could easily loose a golfer for good. It was very sad.

 

I made it a point of wishing any of the kids that encountered good luck.

[RookieBlue7]

That was just a euphamism. They make it look so perfect on TV compared to the everyday courses we play.

 

Going there is def on my bucket list.

The mower parade at the end of the day is something to see. When you're using dyed sand so it looks perfect from aerial coverage, yeah... You're worried about the appearance of the course.