Hey Ballinger buddies. That was quite a U.S. Open. Congratulations to Webb Simpson. He played very well, especially over the weekend.
My pick was Jim Furyk and he certainly played well but made one too many mistakes down the stretch.
What we saw during the tournament was a golf course that played extremely hard due to length, narrow fairways, long rough and firm fast greens. This setup tested the best players in the world. Unfortunately, the average player seems now to think that the course he or she plays on any old Saturday should have these same characteristics.
Players need to play from the very back tees and the green speed should be running about 11 on the stimpmeter (a device that measure green speed. The higher the number, the faster the green).
Unless the course has a huge budget this is unattainable. At best, the average course could replicate these conditions for maybe a week without the threat of killing the greens.
It seems that golfers have become obsessed with playing a long course with super fast greens. I was lucky to grow up in Monterey, Calif. and was even luckier to work during the Crosby golf tournaments.
I was in high school when Pebble Beach hosted the U.S. Open in 1982. The course played hard as is the norm during this event. What most golfers did not get to see is the aftermath.
The course was closed for quite some time so that it could heal. On Sunday at Olympic Club, the were greens starting to brown. This is the greens drying out. This puts an enormous amount of stress on the grass and after the tournament; the greens are close to dying.
The point to all of this is that as players we need to reassess our perception of what a golf course should look like and how it should be playing. To expect that the local course that charges $30 to play 18 holes has greens that consistently run 11 on the stimpmeter is not realistic in most areas of the country.
To have the fairways and tees and rough consistently in immaculate condition is very difficult to achieve even with the best of intentions. The maintenance crews for these courses are generally doing the best they can with what they have in dollars and manpower.
Just like most other businesses (especially businesses that are built on disposable income) during these times, tough decisions regarding expenditures need to be made at golf courses. Maintenance of a golf course is labor intensive and can involve expensive equipment.
Don’t forget the fuel it takes to run this equipment! The one thing that will help solve this issue for all golf courses is participation.
It is simple really: the more players courses get, the more revenue. With more revenue, courses can spend more improving the course, which in turn will bring in more players.
So on behalf of all courses, play the appropriate length tees, enjoy the day and appreciate the opportunity to be outside playing this great game.
Tyrone Hardy is co-owner of Hardy Golf LLC and director of golf at Ballinger Lake Golf Course. For more information, go to www.ballingerlakegolf.com
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