MSchott

But the competition now is tougher precisely because of Tiger Woods. He took the game to a new level of talent and fitness. Today's player has benefited from having to compete at a much higher level. That said, if Tiger were now 21, he would still dominate the game but as you say, not quite to the level he did from 1997-2008.

Wow. Bubba may not be the brightest bulb but you are so far over the top in this post that if I modded this forum I'd ban you.

There's a limited market for GCA's. Construction of new courses is very slow, and the market is saturated. If you really want to be in the business, get a degree in landscape architecture and get a job as an apprentice with an established architect.

Not sure where that site came up with those prices. Delta treats a golf bag like a piece of luggage unless it's overweight or exceeds 115 linear inches (length x width x height).

That is nice. And a true Cape hold to boot.

The Wiki article claims these are Links courses, not Links style. But the definition of a true links course is one that is built on a sand base, on dunes land. All of the tur British links courses are laid out over the land that existed. The Ocean Course is completely manufactured and is more of a lowlands course than a links course. You can bump and run approach shots onto greens at a links course. You cannot do this at CB as the greens are elevated. Also, think of native gorse and pot bunkers. The original bunkers at St. Andrews were created by the animals that lived there to protect them from the cold and wind.

We are conditioned to think that golf courses should be lush and tree lined. This only feasible in certain climates at certain times of the year and requires a lot of fertilizer and water to maintain, Fescue grasses like those used at Chambers Bay are far more maintenance friendly but not as pretty.

That's the worst list I've ever seen.

Who cares what the media says? I don't think CB is a bad course. It's very interesting and offers players a lot of options. As far as what the players think, who cares? They want perfect conditions and a traditional parkland course. Many are spoiled brats. By the way last year's US Open was a Pinehurst #2 which certainly did not have a ton of trees and green grass. Yet it's considered one of the best in the world. And Shinnecock Hills, a favorite of many also has a links look, especially since they took out many trees.

You don't have Links courses in Australia. You have Sand Belt courses. The bottom line is pro golfers are whiners anyway and I don't give a crap about this. I said that I am not a fan of how this course was constructed (created). Chambers Bay is not calling itself a Links course. It's a links style course and in the reality other than the firm fast conditions, it doesn't play like one. You can't bump approach shots into the greens, there are no native dunes etc.

Quote: Quote: Originally Posted by 32quattro Robert Trent Jones Jr has designed a popular Golf Course here in Perth called Joondalup Resort. I played just one's there because of the elevation requiring only motorised vehicle and making the walking journey a nightmare. Perfect irons shots in the middle of the fairways ending on quarries right and left (usually blind shots). Overkilling a golf course is not difficult and Chambers Bay is no different. Huge wide bunkers instead of the classic pot shape. Elevations more close to a mountain bike race. I believe the greens are just fine as they are but the 'moon walk' to the flag is ridiculous. The 2 injured caddies are completing the picture. While I'm not a fan of a "created" course like CB, you are missing out on the current trend toward natural areas, large undulating greens and firm and fast conditions. By the way, courses like St. Andrews and other British links courses often punish "perfect" shots. Have you heard the term "rub of the green"?

I hadn't thought about Payne much lately which is a shame. He was a good guy, a character which the dull PGA has badly needed and of course a great player. He died around the peak of his career and we lost out on seeing him possibly win another major or more at a time when Tiger was becoming dominant.

I have but as said above the need for this is rare. When the ball is on the fringe, resting against the rough, the leading edge of a wedge can be a better choice than a putter or a chip. But from the fringe generally a putter is the right club to use. I've also chipped with a hybrid to bump the ball over the fringe from the rough and get it rolling. This is easier than chipping with a longer iron. It all depends how far you are from the flag.

Daly is not the prototype PGA pro but he seems like a good guy who has had serious issues with substance abuse. No need to be so mean about it.

Plenty of people in the know think quite highly of TPC Sawgrass. As far as water goes, when the wind is up, 12, 13 and 15 at Augusta bring water into play. 13 and 15 at ANGC bring just as much belt tightening as 16 at TPC. I'm not supporting The Players as a major but giving my opinion of TPC Sawgrass as a great course.

Timber Trace is a favorite of mine. I've played Inkster Valley may times and like many of the holes but a few are pretty weird (11) due to wetlands.

I would argue that what makes golf great is that in reality it has not changed that much over time. Yes, the equipment has changed and modern courses are not by the sea which changes shot flights but the objective has not changed and the way the ball is stuck has not fundamentally changed. There is no way of knowing if Bobby Jones would be as great today as he was in the 1920's (doubtful as there are more high level players) but he was a champion of his time just as Hogan, Palmer, Nicklaus and Woods were of theirs. But the fundamental argument has to consider golfing history. The Open has been around for 150 years, The Masters almost 80 and the US Open and PGA even longer. The bottom line is The Players does not have the same prestige as the 4 Majors.

But does it really matter to your lifestyle if you make $10M/year? Is 13% going to change how you live? Phil certainly is worth well over $100M and he's from the San Diego area. It's obviously worth it to him. I'd make the same decision. I find Florida for the most part to be a horrible place to live. It's flat, ugly unless you are on a coast and too humid. Southern California on the other hand is beautiful, has perfect weather and has great culture. Yes it's more expensive in every way but we've covered that,

Can't remember them all but about 150 seems right.

The criteria is how much maintenance, water and pesticides it takes to sustain a course. Courses like Old Works have their merits initially but what does it cost to maintain it? Probably the same as most courses. The reality is that it costs a lot of resources and money to keep most courses in nice condition. Think about keeping out weeds, maintaining greens, trees, fairways and rough. If you own a course in California right now, your course is probably pretty brown due to the water shortage. Low maintenance grasses, more waste areas, and firm and fast conditions keep costs, resources and pesticide use down. That's what they mean in the article. There's a mistaken idea that courses should look like Augusta National. The typical muni and even private course cannot afford and should not attempt to meet that standard.

I don't see what that has to do with anything. He wasn't going to win the Masters this year anyway. I stand by my statement that it's foolish to count him out.

That's a bit strong. Are you talking about the same guy who had basically been out all season, returns for the Masters and is more than competitive? I think it's always dangerous to count out Woods. If he can stay healthy, he will be one of the top players on the tour.

That's old fashioned thinking. Smacks of old money segregated country clubs. It also as I'm sure has been said previously a different game due to modern TV technology. I find Brennan's column to be over the top stupid and even a bit of a troll article. So what if Tiger is ultra competitive? He's in the Michael Jordan, Larry Bird mold. Nothing wrong with that.

Interesting verbiage. Not too bad? I've walked both and of course Oakland Hills is world class. I am not as impressed with TPC of Michigan due to the required use of wetlands by Nicklaus during the design. Not a great property. I've heard great things about the recent restoration of Orchard Lake CC.

I haven't played The Timbers but have always enjoyed the nearby Fortress. Black Forest is great. Designed by Tom Doak and very tough.