Wednesday, November 28, 2012

St. Andrew's to be "Updated" for 2015 Open

So, the powers that be have decided St. Andrew's, The Home of Golf, needs to be updated ahead of the 2015 Open Championship. It needs more teeth apparently. The Press Release is here if you want to read it, but I'll sum it up for you in two words:

BAD IDEA

In fact it's such a bad idea, I suspect they'll get Donald Trump to come along and make suggestions:

"Gee, that clubhouse, what an eyesore. Can we build a sandbank in front of it? Wadda mean no! Do it anyway. Can you people understand English!"

When you have hallowed ground you don't mess with it. I have not had the pleasure of playing there so I'm spouting about things I know nothing about, but there's a Twitter-storm of discontent brewing. Tom Doak is said to be horrified and he's not the only architect having conniptions.

Martin Hawtree is doing the redesigns - I still prefer Trumpy for the job - and if ever there was a design test, this is it. Screw it up and he may be out of a job for life. No pressure then!

Consider this: great golf course architects come to St. Andrew's to study every inch of it, to learn from it and be inspired by it. It is not a difficult course but that is not its raison d'etre.

St. Andrew's is the world's most iconic and cherished piece of golf land, by professionals and amateurs alike, and it is called the 'Old Course' for a very good reason. Doing anything to it to make it more 'challenging' is sacrilegious. Please, Mr. R&A, think again. You've made enough daft decisions over the years, don't make another one.

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