"That's The History of Golf"

Thanks to reader Brian for the heads up on this Bob Gillespie story in The State. In it, Tom Fazio pats himself on the back for taking advantage of the elasticity that Alister MacKenzie and A.W. Tillinghast left behind, and apparently they knew the governing bodies would sell the game out and change golf courses instead of regulating equipment:

So what’s next at Augusta National? Fazio defers to his boss — “Obviously, Mr. Johnson has control of that situation; he’s the guy to talk to” — but says there is room, and precedent, to add more length to the 7,445-yard course.

“If you look at the history of Augusta National, it would lead you to believe they’ll continue to do exactly what they’ve done in the past,” he said. “Mackenzie said in his book, which he wrote in the late 1920s and early 1930s, how golf holes should be laid out so when you walk off the green, you walk forward to the next tee. So there was that space available so you can add more length.

“Mackenzie had that in his mind when he laid (the course) out, and I assume he and Bob Jones talked about that. It’s a natural, obvious progression.”

Fitter, stronger players and technological improvements in equipment have shrunk many classic courses, and while the solution is not always length, that’s part of the equation, Fazio said. His work at New York’s Winged Foot Country Club, site of June’s U.S. Open, also involved lengthening the course.

“People say, ‘Where’d you get that length? We thought (the course) was out of land,’ ” he said. “But there was space. There’s always some space. That’s the history of golf.”

Yep, nothing a little dynamiting can't fix to uphold the one of the great traditions of the game: stampeding all over classic designs!

Comments

[Scott]

I guess it is time to move the 10th green so that players can "walk forward to the next tee". The players now walk back 70 yards to the 11th tee. Or even better, let's move the 11th green to the other side of the pond. Well, that won't work. Let's fill in the pond and then move the green back. If it is classic, let's keep it that way.

[af]

is anyone concercerned that land costs money,takes more money to maintain and potentially could reduce the number of people that can or even want to play the game.not to mention , maybe reducing the number of players based on size or strength of the person. we are losing the "greatest game ever played" and very few seem concerned.

[Hux]

In his Titirangi (NZ) report in January 1927 Mackenzie wrote:

“If there is any difference of opinion in the interpretation of my ideas, it should be borne in mind that the standard of golf is rapidly improving, and what may appear very difficult today may not be so tomorrow, so that the tendency should be to place bunkers further from the Tees, provided there is always an alternative route open to the weaker player.”

Maybe if the word "equipment" was inserted into the sentence after "the standard of golf" would Mr. Fazio have a point. But it isn't, and I doubt he can find a passage where Mackenzie condones equipment advances.

In the 'Spirit of St. Andrews', just twenty pages on from the passage Fazio has referred to...

[General Principle] "3. There should be little walking between the greens and tees, and the course should be arranged so that in the first instance there is always a slight walk forwards from the green to the next tee; then the holes are sufficiently elastic to be lengthened in the future if necessary.”

...you find these nuggets:

"On the other hand I am a strong believer in limiting the flight of the ball."

"Something drastic ought to have been done years ago. Golf courses are becoming far too long."

"It is often suggested that we have already got to the limit of flight of a golf ball. I do not believe it, as there is no limit to science.”

Seeing Mr. Fazio has gone to the 'scripture', does he believe what's good for the goose is also good for the gander?

[Stan DeBarons Jr.]

Brilliant Hux. Brilliant!

But what does any of this matter when MacKenzie's brand of architecture doesn't compare to his own? (Fizzio's)

I surmize that the destruction of Augusta National will continue until the day certain holes will be re-routed and more changes to width and dimension that MacKenzie and Jones ardently strived for, thus erasing any thought of the Good Doctor ever being there, EVER. I watched only one day of the Masters this year. It just wasn't interesting to me anymore. They have ripped out the heart and soul of the very course that got them there.