"Why they can't find some back tees on the Kings course and play the Ryder Cup there. If you're playing match play, you don't need a course 7,500-yards long."

Lots of intriguing remarks from Darren Clarke following the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor. Two that stood out:

"When the matches were over, I went back into the locker room," reveals Clarke. "It was a strange time for me actually. All of a sudden I felt completely flat because I wasn't playing. All I had been doing was trying to help. So my job was done.

"Anyway, I went to the locker room. None of the players were there of course, only Jose Maria. He was sitting with his head in his hands. I put my arm round him. He was crying because we had won. And that set me off too. That's how much the whole thing means to him. And that's why he should be the next captain."

And this regarding Clarke's interest in a captaincy reminds us that another weak design looms.

"If at some stage in the future I was asked to be captain, then possibly I may be more suited to America," he continues. "My previous comments about Gleneagles wouldn't go down too well if I were to be captain there. I think those would inevitably be dragged back up again.

"I stand by what I said though. I can't believe - and I love Gleneagles, one of the most beautiful places in the world - why they can't find some back tees on the Kings course and play the Ryder Cup there. If you're playing match play, you don't need a course 7,500-yards long. You just don't. Par is only a number on a card and you don't have cards in match play. All you need is a course set up to provide excitement and birdies.

"I'm a huge fan of the Kings and the Queens. And I think Gleneagles as a whole is great. I just don't get the other course."

Comments

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

Neither do I Darren. The PGA Centenary is a golf course devoid of any soul.

[JC]

Darren - I can't agree more. The Kings and Queens courses are simply wonderful. It would be nice to see the Ryder Cup played on UK classical gems instead of UK newbies.

[TB]

I agree with the Centenary being a poor choice but don't see the Kings is much better.

[Adam Clayman]

The Dunhill makes up for the penance.

[Jim]

The Kings course is far superior. The greens, the bunkering, the elevation changes. It doesn't need additional distance to be a great course let alone a great match play course. My heart beats a bit faster thinking of the great shotmaking and beauty of the Kings course. The Monarchs course is just another in the line of The Belfry and CM sadly. Is it a crowd issue? I am not sure why else one would choose voluntarily the Monarchs over the Kings......................................

[GolfFan]

TB

Let me be the first to comment on your lack of taste.

LOL the King's not much better? The man from Fife known as FBD hopefully won;t see such blasphemy or I'll lose my wee bro'

... and the Centenary is not that bad

[THE FBD]

Yo, BigBro, I hardly ever look at the comments here, but, Oh yes, I'm watching you, TB. Be afraid - be VERY afraid.
The Kings reeks of the very Soul of Scottish Golf, whereas the Centenary simply SHRIEKS!:
"Look at me, I'm an American Golf Course plopped down in the Highlands of Scotland like a big fat verdant turd".
If the Course is/was SO great, why has David Kidd been slowly disassembling it for the last five years?
cheers,
FBD.

[Mike Clayton]

The Centenary course is more American than anything in America - because its softer.
As Huggan says 'it is the fourth best course in Auchterarder'
The mowing lines are awful but the Kings is really short for those guys. It would need a lot of creative tees to play there.

[Old Tom of the Golfing Gods]

In the 70's I used to pay - wait for this - a fiver to play all day at Gleneagles. 54 holes. Started on the Princes (that's a story for another day), then the Queens, then the Kings.

We took dinner in the Dormie House before setting out on the Kings around 5pm and played in the evening calm.

It was joyous. The course, the sounds of the birds, the views. Just spectacular.

Then the modern courses came along.

At least I still have the memories!

[DGS]

@ FBD

Your criticism of the Centenary course is a thinly veiled attempt, and part of your over-all plan to have the Ryder Cup committee move the event to Balbirnie.

:-)

[Ron]

Good for Darren - he is right, par is only a number someone puts on a hold. You could play any course any place and make every hole a par 4. The player who shots the low number will still win. This would be true in match or stroke play, one scored by hole one by total strokes. So why do we worry so much about whether the pros (supposedly the best in the world) make old courses seem short, they still have to put the ball in the hole in the fewest strokes.

[1000golf]

I have to say “Great promotion,free putter.getting an r11 iron set will give you a wonderful feeling!”