Links Corner Forum

A few changes made to a few holes at Augusta

The real course or Links' version?

Real Course but a links update would be nice

That would mean an entirely new design, all the versions by AJ are locked

Yes. I am with you. There are quite a few real courses that could derive some benefits from helping hands.

braden1308 wrote: ↑April 6th, 2022, 2:56 am That would mean an entirely new design, all the versions by AJ are locked

Never thought about that.

Counterpoint - With the Links' club distances being more "classic", whats the harm in keep playing an older version of the course? I mean, isnt hole 11 already long enough as it is from the Back tees??!! Most courses simply play much better with Links' club distances compared to the modern real pro ones, they're not squeezing courses out to be longer in real life because they want to, they do it because they feel like they're forced to.

No harm, the distance isn't that great of a factor. It's how you handle the game.

Adelade wrote: ↑April 6th, 2022, 8:24 am Counterpoint - With the Links' club distances being more "classic", whats the harm in keep playing an older version of the course? I mean, isnt hole 11 already long enough as it is from the Back tees??!! Most courses simply play much better with Links' club distances compared to the modern real pro ones, they're not squeezing courses out to be longer in real life because they want to, they do it because they feel like they're forced to.

In my opinion, you are right. However, human beings being human beings, by and large. tend to desire new things over and over. My mom likes to tell my wife and my friends that "when I was young, I used to ask her for new toys, etc... and I used to say .. this is the last one, if I get this one, I am set forever", but she adds that she never believed me for 1 minute.

Also, and maybe this is just me, when courses on Links get re-edited, by and large, they tend to be better vs. previous versions. To me it is like when there is a second edition of a book. I hardly ever saw technical books become worse with any further edition and, if anything, they become better. When I write a book it is a long road ahead (not unlike someone who sits down to create a course), but for the second edition, I may add a chapter, correct typos, re-write a chapter that got less than stellar comments, or that I realize is messier than it needed to be (like simplifying a proof), etc... It is much more pleasant work in any case and for sure not as big a task. I suspect that on APCD it is the same. Assuming that one does not need to recreate a course from scratch, that is. Think of a course like Kiawah where I got stuck forever. That could be fixed if there were a "second edition" of that course. And I can think of several courses that I enjoyed more and more ... For instance Kauri Cliffs, one of my favorite course, I think the latest rendition is more appealing than the previous one and I stopped playing the old one. I think I even removed to a folder called "old courses" and i have never thought about it again. And so on.

Adelade wrote: ↑April 6th, 2022, 8:24 am Counterpoint - With the Links' club distances being more "classic", whats the harm in keep playing an older version of the course? I mean, isnt hole 11 already long enough as it is from the Back tees??!! :laugh: Most courses simply play much better with Links' club distances compared to the modern real pro ones, they're not squeezing courses out to be longer in real life because they want to, they do it because they feel like they're forced to.

I believe that you have made a very astute observation as with length players can hit shots in Links paired with how Augusta was designed here in Links lastly back in 2010 that equivalencies in both respects to playability even out. That would be comparably to what currently have as to how most players might play even though now course is longer and player's shots go farther requiring distance players can hit shots be increased in addition to 2010 course needing new tees. Besides this year changes for holes #11 and #15 it was only a couple of years back in 2019 that hole #5 had its back tee moved backwards almost 50 yards. I have lost somehow my pro distance mod that might now if introduced be known as the Bryson Dechambeau mod. I believe the driver had shots go 305 yards instead of 285 yards. Nicklaus has for many years said that golf ball should revert back as many old courses can not now host majors as once did because houses have been added to where holes cannot be extended. Somehow Merion using part of its other course was able to change up just a couple of their holes and was able to host the US Open back in 2013. Nicklaus being a course designer saw where with more of a land plot needed to fit in longer holes increased the cost that a developer that he would work for in designing a course as a factor in making game of golf more expensive. The location of course to be built was mentioned as a consideration as a resort course was certainly different than a course built in a housing community.
https://www.cbssports.com/golf/news/jac ... m-in-golf/