turtleback

First 2 rounds, preferred group. Last 2 rounds, leaders. I don't feel the need to see any shots of guys no one has ever heard of if they aren't in contention on the weekend.

It is for the Players Championship at present - one event. You don't have to sign up for Live to get this if you have Amazon Prime. I'll be interested in the stats, afterwards, on which groups were streamed the most. Now all those guys who complained about too much Tiger will get their chance to watch every one of Denny McCarty's, or Joel Dahman's shots instead of being forced to watch Tiger, Rory, Dustin, et al.

It is much harder to hit, e.g., a 25 yard wide fairway with a 320 yard drive than it is to hit a 25 yard wide fairway with a 285 yard drive because of basic geometry. Which is why the strategy of narrowing of the fairway at the 300 yard mark to make it even more difficult for the long hitter is ridiculous, IMO. It is ALREADY harder for the 320 guy to hit the 25 yard fairway. Why not take it to its logical conclusion and make the hole adjustable and then make good putters putt at a smaller hole? Penalizing good players because of their strengths is the name of the game, right? This is really not rocket science. The harder you make it, whether you are talking about course layout, equipment restrictions, rules changes, the more likely the best players will win. That was the essential point Jack made, in the context of equipment, in his '95 memoir.

If he's anything like me, he'll find it bye and bye.

Back when I was still playing I noticed a woman of about age playing alone. One day when I was playing alone I encountered her on the second tee and asked if she'd like to join me and she did. We had a nice time. It made me think that, for whatever reason, she didn't have anyone to play with, and no one asked her to join their group, out on the course. It made me a little sad for her.

Lightening strikes. People standing under a tree? Paging Charles Darwin . . .

And it only took him 15 years to realize it.

Do you know how that cut line was established? Low x and ties? What would x have been?

You are pretty new to the board. One of the things you will find out is that ALL of this stuff has been discussed and, more importantly DOCUMENTED here in this thread. From the records we talk about and what was said at the time, personal experience from a guy who was there, etc. And if someone like @iacas or @brocks makes a factual statement in this arena they absolutely know what they are talking about. Don't you remember when instead of 125 exempt players there were only 60. And the other tournament spots were filled up by rabbits qualifying on Monday, rabbits from the previous week who made last week's cut and sundry other non-touring pros? Would you believe what a guy who was there and posts here and was one of the guys trying to qualify, @Phil McGleno? How about the week to week story of the tour, in Jack's day, contained in Frank Beard's 'diary' book about the 1969 season when he was the leading money winner on tour. There was no Nike tour, no viable eurotour*, no foreign tours*, nowhere* that someone not in the top 60 could play full time tournament golf. You were either one of the sixty or you were a club pro with aspirations. And, frankly, the bottom of that top 60 was heavily populated by guys who were club pros and would return to being club pros after they lost their card. It was a completely different golf world. Since you are so 'offended' (really? Golf is something you actually get offended over), what do you base YOUR statement on? * i.e., nothing that a US club pro could make a living at to build up the experience to make the jump to the US (and only world class, at the time) tour.

It would be interesting if someone could compile numbers, broken down between domestic and international, showing the number of golfers engaged in substantially full-time tournament play over the time period from the end of ww2 to the current time. Sadly, I doubt the data exists in accessible form. But I know enough about golf history over that period and the demographic impact on international golf of ww2, that I believe the numbers and their pattern would be quite startling.

I'm a pretty above-board kind of guy so I will certainly let the pro shop know what I am doing. If they offered a discount I'd take it, but I wouldn't just ask for one. And I appreciate those who expressed possible concerns, as it was all done in good faith.

Why would they be driving up to the green when I drop and hit from 75 yards? How is that slower than if I had just hit the ball from far away and was now playing my shot from there. Please understand, I'm not trying to argue with you. I have tons of respect for you and I take your comments seriously. I'm just trying to understand HOW slowing the group could occur so I can avoid causing it, but I honestly do not see how dropping and playing in from 75 yards could be slower than playing the whole hole. Thank you all for your responses. I will have heightened awareness of any slow play issues, but I think I'm gonna give it a whirl. My SinLaw and I are going to go to a range tomorrow so I can remember how to swing a club, then maybe go out on the counter next week. I also figure it'll be the best chance I ever had/have of breaking 70. LOL

I wouldn't be a fifth player, so I don't really see how it would slow down the group. Sure, slower than if I wasn't there, but how does it slow play down compared to me playing the full hole? Hopefully any following group can count to 4? I think you may have misread the plan. It is either my son-in-law and I as a twosome, or playing with 2 other guys to make 4. In my plan I'm not an EXTRA guy, I am in place of a 'full course's guy. So I am not ADDING approach shots, I am SUBTRACTING tee shots and long (i.e., anything more than about 75 yards) approaches. And will probably not spend any time searching for my ball.

I haven't been able to play golf for a couple of years due to physical infirmities. I probably won't ever be able to play full blown golf again. But I still get the itch. I'm pretty sure I could handle pitch and putt since the stroke is much gentler. Unfortunately we have no pitch and putt course anywhere near. So I'm thinking of doing my own version. I'd go out with my son-in-law to a local course and pay the full regular greens fee. But I would just ride along with him until we got to within 50-75 yards. Then I would drop a ball and play the rest of the hole in the normal manner. So my question is, if you saw someone doing this would it bother, irritate, or annoy you?