[H_B]

the jambo-rocker, on Jul 20 2009, 11:11, said:

completely disagree, the fact that anything can happen in links golf compared to the other majors makes it so much more exciting imo.

Too much luck involved for my liking. Bad shots hit hillocks and rebound back onto the green. Saw good tee shots take right angle bounces off mounds in the fairway and trickle into the rough.

I much prefer watching US golf than links golf.

[StewartyMac]

I'm not a great fan of links golf either. The Masters at Augusta is my favourite major to watch. Now there's a proper golf course.

[Shengus Khan]

StewartyMac, on Jul 20 2009, 11:20, said:

I'm not a great fan of links golf either. The Masters at Augusta is my favourite major to watch. Now there's a proper golf course.

P'ah! Pitch and putt course

Links golf is golf.

[the jambo-rocker]

H_B, on Jul 20 2009, 11:13, said:

Too much luck involved for my liking. Bad shots hit hillocks and rebound back onto the green. Saw good tee shots take right angle bounces off mounds in the fairway and trickle into the rough.

I much prefer watching US golf than links golf.

fair enough point, yes luck is a big part of it, it explains why so many diddy golfers can make a challenge out of nowhere at times(todd hamilton will forever strike me as the worst major champion, claiming the momentus swing trainer was the reason he won the open). But I think moments like them are entertaining to watch. Ross Fisher yesterday for example who looked to have the open in his sights, had he not made such a hash of the 4th hole, he could have ran away with it and made a far more boring final day to watch, but instead bought i decent-sized group of players backing into the fold.

I'm not as big on american golf were players see it as money over the prestige of winning a tournament to get into the fed-ex cup. That said europe seem to adopting this idea with the race to dubai to bring more of the money hungry players into the fold, also which i am not so keen on.

but i still think that the USPGA is the poorer major. I rarely notice that it is even on. It actually annoys me at times that there three of the four majors played in america when there a whole world of decent golf courses that are of the same standard if not better.

[StewartyMac]

I'd like to see The Players Championship become a major in place of the US PGA, as I think Sawgrass deserves to be a major venue every year. An outstanding course.

[the jambo-rocker]

StewartyMac, on Jul 20 2009, 11:42, said:

I'd like to see The Players Championship become a major in place of the US PGA, as I think Sawgrass deserves to be a major venue every year. An outstanding course.

Wouldnt mind seeing that. i certainly it find a lot more exciting to watch that over the US PGA any day.

[mid-table]

Aloysius Snuffleupagus, on Jul 20 2009, 10:36, said:

It hosted an open back in 1951 but has been off the rota for a long time. There doesn't seem to be any talk of it returning.

I read recently that Portrush is not on the circuit for the same reason as Turnberry didn't get it for 15 years - the access to the course is not good enough and there is a mountain of work to do before it would be considered.

[No8.]

StewartyMac, on Jul 20 2009, 11:20, said:

I'm not a great fan of links golf either. The Masters at Augusta is my favourite major to watch. Now there's a proper golf course.

If you like watching 'crazy golf'. Some of the greens are just ridiculous. The fact it is purely by invite only as well should rule this one out as a Major.

It is a lovely looking course and a tournament i look forward to watching but if i was playing the 2 i would want are the open tournaments as they are a test of golfing skill and course management and not just target golf and reading impossible putts.

[No8.]

mid-table, on Jul 20 2009, 11:49, said:

I read recently that Portrush is not on the circuit for the same reason as Turnberry didn't get it for 15 years - the access to the course is not good enough and there is a mountain of work to do before it would be considered.

Hoylake was not on the circuit for many years. I am sure if Portrush was given any kind of encouragement they would make the changes needed. I was thinking about the atmosphere at the K Club for the Ryder Cup and we now have a number of decent Irish players.

[Fuctifano]

I thought the rota in future was meant to go Scotland / England, presumably as St Andrews is every 5 years this impacts on it. Troon may well be 2014 as once the next 4 have been played then it'll have went the longest without the championship.

[lichtie23]

So the Open takings were down 3 and a half million down from last year.

Maybe the R&A will give them selves a shake and make watching golf more affordable.

£55 was a disgrace.

[the jambo-rocker]

Fuctifano, on Jul 20 2009, 17:18, said:

I thought the rota in future was meant to go Scotland / England, presumably as St Andrews is every 5 years this impacts on it. Troon may well be 2014 as once the next 4 have been played then it'll have went the longest without the championship.

what i dont understand is that if this the british open, why arent we seeing the championship being played in venues in wales or northern ireland?

[StewartyMac]

the jambo-rocker, on Jul 20 2009, 19:12, said:

what i dont understand is that if this the british open, why arent we seeing the championship being played in venues in wales or northern ireland?

Northern Ireland isn't in Britain.

Anyway, it's not the 'British' Open, regardless of what the Yanks think.

There we are, two slices of anally retentive pedantry for the price of one.

[The Phoenix]

Links golf is the true test of golf, even most of the up themselves Americans would (reluctantly) agree with that.

Anyone can go over and have a putting competition on the PGA Tour, playing links golf potentially brings every shot in the book (and some that aren't) into play.

[StewartyMac]

The Phoenix, on Jul 20 2009, 19:47, said:

Links golf is the true test of golf, even most of the up themselves Americans would (reluctantly) agree with that.

Anyone can go over and have a putting competition on the PGA Tour, playing links golf potentially brings every shot in the book (and some that aren't) into play.

Bethpage Black, where they played this year's US Open looked a more difficult course than Turnberry. The thing with links courses is it's usually totally dependent on the weather how difficult the course becomes. St Andrews is a prime example of this.

A lot of courses on the PGA Tour are little more than pitch and putt affairs, but the really good ones offer just as stern a challenge as the links courses over here.

I can't be bothered with this 'truest test of golf' nonsense either. It's just a different kind of test.

Besides, any golf course without trees just doesnae cut the mustard.