Clock Builders and Time Tellers

From Marty Parkes's USGA annual meeting blog, talking about Walter Driver's vision for the governing body of North American golf:

I found the most noteworthy part to be near the end.  He said it was crucial for non-profits like the USGA not to become “clock builders” and become too cozy and comfortable and “tell time” without accomplishing much.

Are you writing these metaphors down?

Instead, the trick is for an established organization like the USGA to “preserve the core but change the process.”  To put this concept simply, we need to remain absolutely dedicated to serving the needs of our game (the core) but be willing and able to change the way we operate (the process). 

 Wow, to have been there when Driver delivered this brilliance. I wonder if they gave the original copy of this historic address to Rand Jerris for storage in the museum archives?

That means adapting to things like new equipment technology for clubs and balls and using the Internet well...

Oh yeah right!

Comments

[jneu]

See, and you thought they weren't doing anything about new technology. Wrong! They're being adapttive... by lengthening the Test Range.

[ken-one-putt]

Was it any better back in 1967?

From http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,843539,00.html:

"The U.S.G.A. stages nine tournaments of its own, including the U.S. Open, and the ground rules are strict. 'We narrow the fairways, raise the roughs and collar the greens,' says Executive Director Joseph Dey Jr. 'We want our tournament to be a true test of skill.' That it is.

"The lowest score ever in the Open was the 276 shot by the magnificent 'Wee Ice Mon,' Ben Hogan, in 1948—14 strokes more than Gay Brewer took at Pensacola last week. Dey complains that the rash of low scores in P.G.A. tournaments 'cheapens the concept of par.'"

"Both he and Jones insist that fans prefer to watch a golfer battle the hazards of a tough, demanding course—such as Georgia's 6,980-yd. Augusta National, site of this week's Masters tournament. 'Galleries aren't attracted by low scores,' says Architect Jones. 'What they want to see are great golf shots.' He speaks with authority. Something like 40,000 fans will attend the Masters, millions more will watch it on TV—and none of the P.G.A.'s own tournaments ever attracted a crowd that large."

Hmmm....

[ken-one-putt]

Opps, that colon needed to have a space in front of it.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,843539,00.html

[Four-putt]

Funny Joe Dey felt that way (past tense noted) in 1967.

Because he was the one who only two short years later left the USGA top job to lead the mutiny of the tournament players division of the PGA of America. They broke away to become the PGA Tour so they wouldn't have to share the increasing TV revenues with their fellow club pros. And what kind of product did Det decide to sell to public?

And they've been "cheapening the concept of par" ever since.

[ken-one-putt]

Four-putt -- I hadn't thought about that context, but I guess you're right.

Perhaps I should have used this from earlier in the article:

"The surge in par busting may be partly due to improvements in the tools of the trade: the whippy steel and fiber glass shafts of today's golf clubs, high-compression golf balls, the portable warmers used to heat up the balls so they will travel farther. But there is a growing school of thought which holds that the real reason for all the sub-par golf is sub-par golf courses."

(Although I have to admit that I wasn't aware of
"whippy steel shafts" being a big advantage on Tour.)