| Copyright MMX, Front Page Golf. All Rights Reserved. www.FrontPageGolf.com is a trademark of Front Page Golf. |
| FrontPageGolf |
News Commentary Opinion
 |  |  |  |  |
The British Open at St. Andrews last week showed the
future of golf; bump and run rather than hop and stop. In
general terms, the Scots, the English and Irish think of the
game as being played on the ground and Americans think
of it as being played through the air.
The answer to why is easy and on display for four days in
Scotland. When golf is played on a course where the turf
is firm and the wind blows, the best way to hit it close
comes from being able to control distance through the
proper trajectory.
Firm turf and high winds mean hitting the ball up in the air
makes it difficult if not impossible to control distance. As
anyone who has played golf in West Texas knows the
wind may hurt or even sometimes help a shot but always
it magnifies the slightest miss hit or incorrect line often
with very bad results.
When the ball lands on firm greens it tends to bounce and
roll, not stop and certainly not stop and suck back. There
is no one from West Texas who is a high ball hitter.
Unfortunately St. Andrews greens for the Open were
green. Watered with the new irrigation system rather than
by hand creating putting surfaces not everyone thought of
as brilliant.
So the original game developed on links land - no, you’re
not supposed to hear bagpipes screeching out “Scotland
the Brave” - but understand the essential difference
between American style play and the original style are in
large part due to the prevailing course conditions.
In America and other places in the world where golf is
played on courses not constructed on the sandy soil lying
between the sea and mainland a different game
developed. Inland/parkland courses are generally much
wetter with drastically different turf and much less wind.
The precision of a finely tuned swing hitting the ball in the
air to land at a specific distance - every time - is not only
possible but produces lower scoring by doing away with
the inconsistencies and uncertainties of links style
bounce and roll.
So (and admittedly somewhat simplistically) two different
ways to play golf came about though in modern times the
distinction is becoming blurred and irrigating instead of
hand watering the St. Andrews greens continues the
blurring.
It’s possible for Americans to change. Tom Watson is the
classic example of an American player who could adapt
his shots to play the ground style to perfection and take six
British Open titles.
future of golf; bump and run rather than hop and stop. In
general terms, the Scots, the English and Irish think of the
game as being played on the ground and Americans think
of it as being played through the air.
The answer to why is easy and on display for four days in
Scotland. When golf is played on a course where the turf
is firm and the wind blows, the best way to hit it close
comes from being able to control distance through the
proper trajectory.
Firm turf and high winds mean hitting the ball up in the air
makes it difficult if not impossible to control distance. As
anyone who has played golf in West Texas knows the
wind may hurt or even sometimes help a shot but always
it magnifies the slightest miss hit or incorrect line often
with very bad results.
When the ball lands on firm greens it tends to bounce and
roll, not stop and certainly not stop and suck back. There
is no one from West Texas who is a high ball hitter.
Unfortunately St. Andrews greens for the Open were
green. Watered with the new irrigation system rather than
by hand creating putting surfaces not everyone thought of
as brilliant.
So the original game developed on links land - no, you’re
not supposed to hear bagpipes screeching out “Scotland
the Brave” - but understand the essential difference
between American style play and the original style are in
large part due to the prevailing course conditions.
In America and other places in the world where golf is
played on courses not constructed on the sandy soil lying
between the sea and mainland a different game
developed. Inland/parkland courses are generally much
wetter with drastically different turf and much less wind.
The precision of a finely tuned swing hitting the ball in the
air to land at a specific distance - every time - is not only
possible but produces lower scoring by doing away with
the inconsistencies and uncertainties of links style
bounce and roll.
So (and admittedly somewhat simplistically) two different
ways to play golf came about though in modern times the
distinction is becoming blurred and irrigating instead of
hand watering the St. Andrews greens continues the
blurring.
It’s possible for Americans to change. Tom Watson is the
classic example of an American player who could adapt
his shots to play the ground style to perfection and take six
British Open titles.
Bump and run is coming back
Economics will dictate a different game
By ED TRAVIS
Economics will dictate a different game
By ED TRAVIS
The purpose of this recital is U.S. golfers had better get
used to this different way to play for two big reasons.
First is water usage, there is a finite amount of water
available. The population growth and industry construction
necessitate water being allocated to those purposes
leaving less for recreational purposes. This is not true in
all areas of the country but in many water restrictions are
now a fact of life and we shouldn’t look for relaxation of the
rules rather a tightening in the future.
A significant part of the water story is the environmental
considerations, both course run off and the effects on the
water table not to mention chemical contamination and
containment. A faint glimmer of hope comes with the use
of recycled water, grasses requiring less water and
chemicals and salt-tolerant grasses allowing sea water to
be used for irrigation. These are being used now with
varying degrees of success but they will not and cannot
solve the water problem.
The second reason golfers had better learn the bump and
run shot is money.
The number of golfers is shrinking and so is the number
of golf courses. This is a long term trend and the pace
has accelerated with the current economic downturn. As
an aside, the industry goal was at a minimum replace the
people who gave up the game with new players but that
has not worked in spite of the millions of new players who
were supposed to be attracted to the game with the rise of
Tiger Woods.
used to this different way to play for two big reasons.
First is water usage, there is a finite amount of water
available. The population growth and industry construction
necessitate water being allocated to those purposes
leaving less for recreational purposes. This is not true in
all areas of the country but in many water restrictions are
now a fact of life and we shouldn’t look for relaxation of the
rules rather a tightening in the future.
A significant part of the water story is the environmental
considerations, both course run off and the effects on the
water table not to mention chemical contamination and
containment. A faint glimmer of hope comes with the use
of recycled water, grasses requiring less water and
chemicals and salt-tolerant grasses allowing sea water to
be used for irrigation. These are being used now with
varying degrees of success but they will not and cannot
solve the water problem.
The second reason golfers had better learn the bump and
run shot is money.
The number of golfers is shrinking and so is the number
of golf courses. This is a long term trend and the pace
has accelerated with the current economic downturn. As
an aside, the industry goal was at a minimum replace the
people who gave up the game with new players but that
has not worked in spite of the millions of new players who
were supposed to be attracted to the game with the rise of
Tiger Woods.
The price of a round of golf is declining, private clubs are
going public to survive and high end public courses aren’t
so high end any more.
Courses must cut expenses and among the quickest
ways to do that is cut back on course maintenance, i.e.
less water, lower amounts of chemicals and fewer people
on staff. It may not be ideal but there’s a choice between
surviving albeit a little scruffier and being a parking lot.
Course conditions therefore are going to evolve towards
in the parlance of the USGA, “firm and fast.” Golfers will
have to tolerate if not love brown turf at certain times of the
year and learn the venerable bump and run ground game
for a lot of their shots rather than blithely throwing a shot at
the pin knowing it will stop…and spin back just like the
pros on TV…right.
Much to their credit golf’s major organizations have taken
the lead in finding solutions to be applied from operations
and design to water and chemical usage. The American
Society of Golf Course Architects and the Golf Course
Superintendents Association of America and the United
States Golf Association are spending time and money for
answers even though it may mean lots of changes.
The biggest change however has to come in the minds of
golfers who presently equate green with good course
conditions…maybe it’s all those years of seeing Augusta
National on television. But officials such as the current
USGA president Jim Hyler are pushing the fact “wall to
wall green” isn’t the best for the turf, the player or the
health of the game. The USGA Green Section has done
and continues to do research on best practices of course
maintenance to cut costs, decrease water and chemical
usage. The end point is courses following their
recommendations with be firm and fast not lush and
soggy.
Three time British Open champion Henry Cotton aptly
said,” The truly proficient golfer relies on backspin to stop
his shot, not a hose.”
going public to survive and high end public courses aren’t
so high end any more.
Courses must cut expenses and among the quickest
ways to do that is cut back on course maintenance, i.e.
less water, lower amounts of chemicals and fewer people
on staff. It may not be ideal but there’s a choice between
surviving albeit a little scruffier and being a parking lot.
Course conditions therefore are going to evolve towards
in the parlance of the USGA, “firm and fast.” Golfers will
have to tolerate if not love brown turf at certain times of the
year and learn the venerable bump and run ground game
for a lot of their shots rather than blithely throwing a shot at
the pin knowing it will stop…and spin back just like the
pros on TV…right.
Much to their credit golf’s major organizations have taken
the lead in finding solutions to be applied from operations
and design to water and chemical usage. The American
Society of Golf Course Architects and the Golf Course
Superintendents Association of America and the United
States Golf Association are spending time and money for
answers even though it may mean lots of changes.
The biggest change however has to come in the minds of
golfers who presently equate green with good course
conditions…maybe it’s all those years of seeing Augusta
National on television. But officials such as the current
USGA president Jim Hyler are pushing the fact “wall to
wall green” isn’t the best for the turf, the player or the
health of the game. The USGA Green Section has done
and continues to do research on best practices of course
maintenance to cut costs, decrease water and chemical
usage. The end point is courses following their
recommendations with be firm and fast not lush and
soggy.
Three time British Open champion Henry Cotton aptly
said,” The truly proficient golfer relies on backspin to stop
his shot, not a hose.”
