"It's unfortunate because you're trying to get drama. It's a TV sport. The 17th has given them some great drama over the years. The change nearly has the opposite effect."

I'm sure we'll all be exhausted by the Road hole talk this week, especially since most centers on the new tee and not the narrowness of the landing area. But in reading Mark Reason's account, it's still a wonderful topic because of the golf-ball-goes-too-far element going mainstream in prominent UK papers like the Telegraph. (See post below.)

Also interesting is Graeme McDowell's view that many players will play the hole more conservatively and therefore have the opposite effect of the R&A's intent.

Players like McDowell have also warned that much of this week's field will now be more conservative and lay up to the front right edge of the green. They fear 'The sands of Nakajima' to the left or the path and wall to the right.

McDowell said: " It's unfortunate because you're trying to get drama. It's a TV sport. The 17th has given them some great drama over the years. The change nearly has the opposite effect. It's certainly a pretty significant change."

The R&A argues that if Tom Watson had the bottle to hit a 2-iron in his iconic battle against Seve Ballesteros in 1984, then the modern golfer should be able to cope with a 4-iron. Peter Dawson, the R&A chief executive, points out that the hole's length had not changed since 1900 and that players were coming in with very short irons.

The R&A hope that the extra length will force players to use a driver off the tee and a mid to long iron coming in. That will increase the risks of mistakes and bring the hazards more into play, particularly the infamous Road Hole bunker, nicknamed 'the sands of Nakajima' after the Japanese player who took five shots to get out.

Andrew Coltart was even more eloquent on the topic in a Scotland on Sunday piece by Paul Forsyth.

Andrew Coltart is another who fears that rolling back the years will lead to more conservative, even boring golf for the galleries. "I'm not sure it's going to be harder. In a way, it's going to be easier because you are going in there with a longer club. Part of the difficulty before was the temptation to go for a tight pin tucked behind the bunker. Now, if you're going in with a 4 or 5-iron instead of a 9-iron or wedge, that temptation is gone. You're just going to play short and right, and run it up the slope. You're going to see fewer guys in the bunker."

Coltart, who came through International Open Qualifying at Sunningdale, is rather a student of St Andrews. A member of the Scotland team that won the Dunhill Cup there in 1995, he loves the Old Course and everything it stands for. It has its faults - such as the pace of play, and the limited view it affords spectators - but the historic challenge it presents ought not to be tinkered with. "When Usain Bolt keeps breaking the 100-metre world record, they don't stick another couple of yards on his line to level it up. What's wrong with low scores? Let's make it attractive, make it exciting."

"OK, things change, time moves on, but people still look at art in the same way they did before. They still marvel at them. They don't touch them up to go with the flow. They should have left the 17th as it was. It's a gorgeous golf course, a wonderful place to play, but if you start making changes, it's not the same golf course. It's not the one played by the legends whose footsteps you are trying to follow."

Comments

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

What a bunch of pampered nancy boys today's golfers have become. The landing area is plenty wide enough and, in any event, laying up in front of the green is not the easy option some may think.

Nancy boys, be warned. If any of you lay up within mid-iron distance the green, you can expect the slow handclap from me!!!

[lowbeast]

Coltart hits the nail on the head! Nobody is suggesting updating the Mona Lisa with a dress from Versace.

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

It pains me to say this but Coltart's a nancy boy! He, of all people, should understand where the approach shot to the 17th is meant to be played from. Golfers get paid mega bucks to entertain the paying public and taking chances should be part of the deal. I'm afraid a pitching wedge into a green just doesn't "do it" for me.

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

What I want to see, what I really really want to see is the ball landing short and running up onto the green and wait to see if it stays on. Now, that's what I call entertainment!

[Old Hornet]

c&c,

It think you've nailed it ! What we witnessed at Pebble and Oakmont provided entertainment and interestingly, you didn't hear the ladies complain like the men. They just sucked it up and went at it. I'm hoping the weather comes into play as well, I get juiced for TOC more than any other major.

[Hawkeye]

Anyone who argues that the 17th was "meant" to be played with a 4- or 5-iron second shot is out of line. The hole was played at 461 yards for over a hundred years, the first 60 of which it was classed as a Par 5. I'm pretty sure most players hit a niblick into the green for their third shot before WWII.

[MS]

GS where did you get the picture posted above for the 2010 Open? I really liked the Pebble one as well.

[Danny]

Ty Webb can play it, so what's the stink?