"Sometimes these people think we're stupid. It's an amazing thing to assume that we had mucked up to that degree. It's just staggering."

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The first Global Golf Post is up and in it Brian Hewitt sits down with a cranky Peter Dawson who continues to peddle the Henry Cotton-said-we-should-lengthen-the-Road-hole-nonsense to justify going over the wall for a new tee. The R&A Secretary was asked about criticism of the new tee:
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USGA/R&A: You Can Keep Your Silly Little Distance Measuring Device

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Though I'm not sure about this clarification on GPS-enabled phones/PDA's:

3.     Multi-functional devices such as mobile phones, PDAs, etc (i.e., devices that are primarily communication devices, but which may have other potential uses) may be used as follows:

·         The device may be used for any non-golfing purpose (e.g., as a communication tool to phone, text or email), subject to any club/course regulations and the rules on accessing advice-related matters – see Decision 14-3/16.

·         When the local rule is in effect, a distance-measuring application may be used, provided the specific application is restricted to “distance only” and the device does not have any other “non-conforming” features. This is the case even if these other features are not being used. As above, the rules on advice-related communications (including the use of the internet) still apply.

So this rules out the new iphone GPS app when the local rule is in effect?

"It will take strong leadership but men like that are few and far between. Those in control at the moment can't seem to get anything done."

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Tony Jimenez relays Tony Jacklin's eloquent summation of the game's sorry state (thanks reader Chris). Obviously these remarks, which appear in Golf World UK, are most powerful because we are seeing yet another person connecting the dots between the distance chase, slow play, higher maintenance costs, stagnation of the golf business and governing body futility. You go Tony:
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R&A Contemplating Out-Of-Bounds Tee For Road Hole

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Earlier this week it was noted here (courtesy of Trevor Immelman's Tweet) that the Road Hole still features a silly roadblock of rough about 310 yards off the tee.

Now we learn this from John Hopkins' Spike Bar column:

An intriguing whisper was circulating in St Andrews recently. The Royal and Ancient have asked a leading player his thoughts on the positioning of a new tee on the 17th, the famous Road Hole. The tee would be 40 yards back from the existing one and therefore over the fence, which used to be the line of the old railway line from Leuchars. Clearly, the 2010 Open, the 150th anniversary of the event next July, is on the minds of the R&A.

First, as a blogger who has made a study of the R&A's emasculation of rota courses in place of regulating distance, this one will be particularly fun since it's only the most famous hole in golf.

Second, isn't it a bit late in the game to be scouting out a possible new tee for a major that is only ninth months away? Particularly when the tee in question will be off the property and driving over a stone wall and a billboard for the Old Course hotel? I can only imagine how tastefully it will erupt out of the landscape.

At least we know the R&A has experience now with this hole off-course tee thing when it went over so well last time in 2005 when they couldn't really figure out the whole OB thing on No. 2.

"The grounds for litigation would only be absence of due process. It wouldn’t be the result."

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An interview of Acushnet CEO Wally Uihlein by John Huggan has surfaced on GolfObserver.com, which means you'll get some snazzy early 90s Photoshopping and plenty of Titleist-supplied shots of site sponsor Uihlein. But that's where the fluff ends.
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