R&A's Dawson Calls St. Andrews Reaction "Knee-jerk"

Doug Ferguson talks to R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson about revamping the Old Course at St. Andrews and he says we'll understand if we could just see it through his eyes.

Dawson anticipates criticism of the changes, though he called it a "knee-jerk reaction."

"If they came to see me and walked out onto the course, I'm quite sure they would be fine with it," he said.

Is that an open invite Mr. Dawson?

I'm guessing at lot of people would like to take him up on that offer, no?

Comments

[Jim]

And aren't these changes a knee-jerk reaction to the scoring average and winning score in the 2010 Open Championship?

[Mark Bourgeois]

Good start, everyone! He's had to come down off his mountaintop to address the peons. Keep the drumbeat up, Geoff.

[Chris]

Knee jerk reaction? What other sort of reaction did he expect? He had bulldozers on the course two days after the plans were publicised.

Perhaps he might get a more balanced reaction if he treated people around the globe who love the Old Course with some respect.

[Ghillie]

I can think of a jerk I would like to knee...

[OWGR Fan]

Just thinking out loud here.... I wonder how many of the people sincerely outraged about this decision to modify TOC in the world of golf (any media, architects, players, etc) would actually go?

Knowing it's quite expensive to just fly off to Scotland on a last minute whim I'd like to see if anybody relevant n golf would take Peter Dawson up on his offer. Putting up instead of shutting up so to speak. Will anybody bite? If they do would they give an honest unbiased write up of it?

So again does anybody actually back their outrage (faux or real) over this and go?

[3foot1]

I'd send Geoff $5. Others?

Have Jack, Arnie, Tom, and Gary weighed in? They could afford the plane fare.

[carnaptious and camsteerie]

Henceforth, a "Peter Dawson" will be known as a euphemism for supercilious!

[Mike Stevens]

So why are we altering the Old Course? Because scores are getting to low. I thought the whole purpose of advances in equipment and ball technology was to make the game easier and lower scores.

[AV]

Dawson's legacy: the man who let the golf ball get out of control and had to vandalise the Old Course as a result.