Should we nake golf easeir to play?

[manotick]

article in the Wall Steet Journal this week Big-Hole Golf: Clown Round or Cool Idea?


here is the link

http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/...od%3Dyahoo_itp

[Wknd_Warrior]

stuff like that scares me to death

[jjw99]

if the hole was 15 inches in diameter, instead of the regulation 4¼ inches
I might get a hole in one or a eagle lol

[rxp]

All we are missing are the clowns and perhaps the dancing bears if we switch to 15 inch holes. Cars that park themselves, apps that do everything for you and the list goes on. Leave the game alone and help grow the game with cheaper first time green fees and group lessons that help the new players get started. If time is a concern tell your friends that are new to golf to try 9 holes not 18 to cut their time on the course down. Golf is not easy and why should it be, then we would not spend are time trying to beat old man par. Sorry for the rant but some things are just meant to be and golf is one of them. (relax Bobby Jones we go this)

[Shivas Irons]

I think it's a great idea, and I'd love to see a course in the area actually do this. I could see courses having 'big hole day' or courses that have 27 holes could have a 9 of them big holes.

If people enjoy it then it becomes a viable form of golf, if it doesn't get embraced it will die off like every other failed business idea. I don't see what the big deal is.

I seriously doubt this would be a threat to 'traditional' golf, and if it is, then sorry, that's just the rub of the green.

The one thing I disagree with in this article is this idea being touted as 'Taylormades baby' - pretty sure 'big hole' tournaments have existed long before Taylormade claimed it was thier offspring.

[Golfer100]

Rather than the BIG hole I would like to see a "gimme ring". This would be a 15" to 24" diameter circle surrounding the green hole using a substance similar to that used on ball diamonds or sports fields. Inside the diameter and it is a gimme…no questions, pick up , and leave.

[BullDog]

I might be getting old - maybe this is something that happens every generation... but man, it's really starting to tick me off how society is trying to dumb everything down. Not everyone gets their feelings hurt when something goes sideways... some people thrive on taking on challenges that are a bit out of their league. Golf never was an easy game. It wasn't 32 years ago when my dad first took me to a range and despite all the so-called improvements to equipment compared to then, not much has changed for the average recreational player.

Why can't we leave well enough alone? If it's too hard, too expensive or it takes too long to play, go do something else and leave the rest of us alone, please!!

[fourlights]

If certain courses feel they would like to try designated "big hole" days, I don't see the problem. I wouldn't like it as a permanent change, but that's not going to happen. Ever. You like golf to be expensive and take a long time? Illogical.

[Shivas Irons]

Why can't we leave well enough alone? If it's too hard, too expensive or it takes too long to play, go do something else and leave the rest of us alone, please!!

This is what I don't understand - how could somebody else playing golf on a 'big hole' course possibly affect the enjoyment of your golf game?

It's not like the PGA tour is ever going to adopt the 15 inch hole. I don't see this as a threat, or 'dumbing down' of the game at all.

Personally I think it would be a cool idea for a tournament and would jump at the chance to play a round of big hole. However, I seriously doubt I would want to play it all the time.

[justdoit]

I agree, leave well enough alone.This is not the NHL where they keep changing the rules almost daily.....

[Golfer100]

I agree, leave well enough alone.This is not the NHL where they keep changing the rules almost daily.....

9 rule changes I came up with….Stymie rule, Golf Ball rule, Lift and Clean rule, Putting Stroke rule, Drop rule, TV rule, Grooves rule, Wind rule, and Anchoring rule…loo out NHL here comes the Royal and Ancient

[zee51]

I think it's a great idea, and I'd love to see a course in the area actually do this. I could see courses having 'big hole day' or courses that have 27 holes could have a 9 of them big holes.

If people enjoy it then it becomes a viable form of golf, if it doesn't get embraced it will die off like every other failed business idea. I don't see what the big deal is.

I seriously doubt this would be a threat to 'traditional' golf, and if it is, then sorry, that's just the rub of the green.

The one thing I disagree with in this article is this idea being touted as 'Taylormades baby' - pretty sure 'big hole' tournaments have existed long before Taylormade claimed it was thier offspring.

I agree that its not a big deal and if it is viable it will be embraced and if not it will fall into obscurity. I also agree that it is not big deal and in fact is no different from players that currently rely on the foot wedge or liberal application of the "rules".

But I think it is doomed. I believe that for most people one of the most important features of golf is that people of almost all ages can use the same equipment and rules that the pros use and compare themselves to the pros and it is by doing this that one can really appreciate how good the pros are. A 15 inch hole does not present the same challenge and I would suggest to you that it would not help the non-golfers anyway because it will still take them 8, 10 or whatever amount of shots to get on the green.

The problem is that if a course uses the large holes, they are really restricting themselves to non-golfers or at least non-serious golfers and I would doubt very much if there is a market. However, if there is then they should knock themselves out but don't call it golf anymore than T-ball is baseball.

[Sakuraba]

I bet I could still 3 putt

[Gobble_It]

I'll bring my tennis ball and putt with that when the hole is bigger

Soon they will change the rule to allow 100 clubs in the bag to tailor to every possible yardage for a shot..Taking the skills and thinking out to speed up the game !

[Wknd_Warrior]

we could use magnetic balls and iron cup linings

[Kilroy]

I don't think making the putting game easier is the answer. People already employ the toe wedge, and only the truly avid players even know the rules let alone follow them to the letter. So I don't think simplifying the rules is the answer to declining revenues in golf. Is time and cost the problem? I don't think there are that many people who take advantage of the already available option of 9 holes, despite it being half the time and just over half the cost.

I think that what the game needs in order to return to the levels current golf businesses are looking for is a new young phenom to revitalize enthusiasm. 20 somethings have never been drawn to the course the way they were 15 years ago. Changing the game isn't going to spark an interest in 20 somethings now, as it didn't then. Golf is 600 years old. As with many things interest fluctuates. Golf isn't a fad like a pet rock or a video game. Trying gimmicks like a 15" hole is just a knee jerk reaction to a dip in the market. Of course those who enjoyed being in business during a boom are going to try what they can to recover what is, to them, lost revenues but in reality is just long term market equalization.

[justsomeguy]

Most of the objections are based on the assumption that this is going to replace the current version of the game. That is not the objective here. Its just a different version of the game. Golf has survived the invention of the "scramble" tournament just fine and it will survive this invention too regardless of its popularity.

Did hockey go down the drain when ball hockey was invented? Of course not - even though we now have a version of the game which is easier to play because the ability to skate doesn't matter. Is ball hockey played strictly by non-hockey guys who don't know how to skate? Not at all - many ball hockey players also play regular "ice" hockey in the winter. Its just a different version of hockey - some people like it more or less than the original but its a different game and the players treat it that way. I don't see how "Big-Hole" golf is any different.

[GarthM]

I don't see how "Big-Hole" golf is any different.

Well since the hole is nearly 4 times the diameter, it should be easy to see. The problem is that real golf and this new alternative cannot be played on the same course simultaneously, that's the problem. If a new course wants to open up as "big-hole only" then fine, but existing courses would have difficulty making this a permanent solution and keeping their original patrons.

[justdoit]

People that want a bigger hole should play basketball,that's all I have to say

[justsomeguy]

Well since the hole is nearly 4 times the diameter, it should be easy to see. The problem is that real golf and this new alternative cannot be played on the same course simultaneously, that's the problem. If a new course wants to open up as "big-hole only" then fine, but existing courses would have difficulty making this a permanent solution and keeping their original patrons.

I think this could be offered as an option for large, shotgun tournaments. As I understand it, the setup is no different than changing the hole locations so you could switch from regular golf to "Big Hole" golf in about 30 minutes.

[GarthM]

I think this could be offered as an option for large, shotgun tournaments. As I understand it, the setup is no different than changing the hole locations so you could switch from regular golf to "Big Hole" golf in about 30 minutes.

Understood, however the concept is not solely directed at scramble tourneys, rather as a permanent fixture on the course. I do not understand how they figure they 2 can co-exist. Do the so called "purists" get free relief from the extra gaping hole in the green so they can actually play by the rules and have a chance at their put or are they forced to play mini-putt with a canyon instead of the windmill....

[sharkshooter]

Let's lower the basketball nets to 7' and move the free throw line in 3'. Let's make the soccer net twice as big. Let's move the outfield fences in for baseball, and use a spongy ball instead.

Oh, and let's make a marathon 26 km rather than 26 miles while we're at it.

[Kilroy]

And everyone gets a participation ribbon. We mustn't upset anyone by 'keeping score', or assessing penalties so let's not do that either.

Remove the challenge and you remove the achievement. Screw it. Stay home. Better yet... don't mess with it.

Why is the thinking that making the game easier would bring more people in? Just because something is easy doesn't make it popular. Someone mentioned T-ball. A relevant comparison. Who plays T-ball other than small children? Baseball (the real game) is much more popular.

[big mac]

I am not even going to comment on this except to say "you can't fix stupid"

[BC MIST]

Let's lower the basketball nets to 7' and move the free throw line in 3'. Let's make the soccer net twice as big. Let's move the outfield fences in for baseball, and use a spongy ball instead.

Oh, and let's make a marathon 26 km rather than 26 miles while we're at it.

You forgot lining fairways with red stakes.

[sharkshooter]

You forgot lining fairways with red stakes.

I think we should re-brand the rough as "ground under repair" instead. Doesn't that give a free drop?

Silly me, just play lift, clean and place (on a tee) all the time.

[Wknd_Warrior]

Here's a thought. Maybe golf actually was more enjoyable 20 years ago before we ruined the courses and turned it into a bomb and gouge sport via equipment that ultimately served to dumb down the "game" element and separate the playing field instead of leveling it

[fourlights]

Here's a thought. Maybe golf actually was more enjoyable 20 years ago before we ruined the courses and turned it into a bomb and gouge sport via equipment that ultimately served to dumb down the "game" element and separate the playing field instead of leveling it

This is not meant to sound antagonistic, but nobody is forced to play with modern equipment. You can still play with a persimmon driver and no lob wedge if that suits you. If people prefer to play a "dumbed down" version of golf...which ALL golf professionals do, I don't see the problem. It's only a game.

[Wknd_Warrior]

My post was a bit incendiary so I won't be alarmed at a touch of reasonable antagonism.

Not saying people playing with modern equipment is a problem, I'm simply suggesting that modern equipment may have taken away from the game instead of enhancing it like everyone seems to think is the case.

One of the appeals of golf is that it is a multidimensional challenge that can be faced many different ways.

Right off the top the giant springy drivers put the emphasis on speed more than skill off the tee. Driving the ball is a lot less complex a task than it used to be and half the field is now three or four clubs ahead of the rest of the field instead of one or two. One third of the game has basically been reduced to a long drive contest that separates the field.

Then the clubs put so much spin on the ball it doesn't matter if you are in the rough anymore. The whole idea of getting off the fairway is it penalizes you. So what do we do? invent grooves where you can control the ball out of the rough and call it progress, even though the ball now threatens to spin too much off the fairway on short shots.

For your second shot many of the modern irons are clunky, far too upright with too much offset since the bottom line is to cure the common slice. In general they promote poor swing mechanics in favour of landing more balls on or near the green for the larger statistical golfing population.

Then when you get on the green you learn to swing a giant heavy perimeter weighted putter with so many visual aids you could putt the ball straight in a fun house. So while you still have to read the putt, you might as well be pushing buttons on an X-Box controller and then picking up your gimme.

Having mastered some so so variation of the swing, utilizing modern consistency enhancing equipment the modern golfer goes on to supposedly improved scores, routine pars and bogeys at the expense of a sense of intimacy but quickly hits a glass ceiling that's difficult to even perceive since the equipment has more or less evolved to obscure it from you.

It's like that 1984 book where they are were slowly removing words from the dictionary.

I'm not surprised many are leaving the game. The last, and I mean LAST thing golf needs is someone trying to make it even easier to play, or at least feel like you're playing, than has already happened. If this is the case I think you're just going to see more and more people leave in droves.

All IMO of course

[Wknd_Warrior]

You forgot lining fairways with red stakes.

lol, that's just mean...