The Scotsman On Old Course Tampering: "Old Tom Morris will be turning in his grave"

The Scotsman's Martin Dempster pens a powerful commentary on the R&A and Links Trust tampering with the Old Course at St. Andrews, saying the Old Course "is the one place that should be left untouched by any golf course architect’s knife."

It can still show its teeth, though, and the likes of Old Tom Morris will be turning in his grave once the diggers move in to start the planned changes.

So what gives them the right now to make the decision to do nip and tucks here, there and everywhere around the course?

If it is because they are scared that a 59 is in the offing in the not-too-distant future, that is a mistake. Yes, there are occasions when the modern-day players can make the Old Course look ridiculously easy, but that is the same for every course, surely.

Comments

[sgolfer]

Old Tom Morris turned over in his grave when he heard about a new "major" called the Masters which was being played in something that looked like a botanical garden.

[Bob Sheppard]

These older classic golf courses should be treated like wonderful works of art. They should be preserved for future generations with their club history and scoring records in tact. However, the ruling bodies of golf do not seem interested or inclined to do this.
There are some that may argue that this did not happen when the feathery golf ball was replaced by the balata golf ball and golf clubs went from having wood to steel shafts, so why should it now? The answer is that golf deserves it and humankind should feel an obligation to preserve its history.

The money being spent to redesign, lengthen and modernize these classic courses should be used instead to build modern courses at other locations for use by this "minority" of golfers. There could be a new game that would accommodate these super golfers without disturbing the wonderful history of a beautiful game.

[Bob Sheppard]

These older classic golf courses should be treated like wonderful works of art. They should be preserved for future generations with their club history and scoring records in tact. However, the ruling bodies of golf do not seem interested or inclined to do this.
There are some that may argue that this did not happen when the feathery golf ball was replaced by the balata golf ball and golf clubs went from having wood to steel shafts, so why should it now? The answer is that golf deserves it and humankind should feel an obligation to preserve its history.

The money being spent to redesign, lengthen and modernize these classic courses should be used instead to build modern courses at other locations for use by this "minority" of golfers. There could be a new game that would accommodate these super golfers without disturbing the wonderful history of a beautiful game.

[Mike Stevens]

Bob Sheppard. You said it all.

[mixed bag]

So why would so many that will never go there,,care?