The Open: Peter Alliss' Great Calls
/A wonderful compilation for the first Open without the great man. Though I do recall one other episode that sadly sleeps with the fishes but all in all a fantastic compilation:
When one comes to the quality of the bunkers and other hazards we pass into realm of much dispute and argument. Primarily bunkers should be sand bunkers purely, not composed of gravel, stones or dirt. Whether this or that bunker is well placed, has caused more intensely heated arguments outside of the realms of religion, than has ever been my lot to listen to. C.B. MACDONALD
Available via Amazon (US): Golf Architecture For Normal People
Barnes And Noble (online and in stores)
Bookshop.org option to support local independent bookstores.
Reviews:
"Golf Architecture for Normal People . . . should be required reading for those who are not ashamed to admit they know little about the subject, and for those who think they do . . . . Golf course architecture geeks have trouble slimming their thoughts down to bite-sized chunks, but Shackelford has achieved a remarkable success here." —Independent (Ireland)
"From the relative newcomer who’s slowly getting hooked to those that have played the game for most of their lives and think they know a thing or two, Golf Architecture for Normal People provides a solid and sober perspective that will help everyone recognize why some golf courses are worth playing more than once while a single trip around others is all you’re ever likely to want or need." —Links Magazine.
“It’s a wonderful book. An easy read that arrives just in time for your summer reading list. If you’ve never thought about how an appreciation for course design could heighten your enjoyment of the game, you must check this out.”—The Peterborough Examiner
"As in his prior publications, in his newest book Shackelford shows a deep appreciation for what can be done to create a golf course that appeals to the broadest possible golfing audience…Shackelford’s prose is succinct, often witty, and accessible."—Cape Gazette
"Author, blogger and golf architecture expert Geoff Shackelford, who helped Gil Hanse design Rustic Canyon and restore 2023 U.S. Open host Los Angeles Country Club, taps into his passion by creating a guide that helps every golfer understand the nuances of course design. Published by Tatra Press, the 164-page hardcover book is a must-read for every golfer to better understand the game they love." —Golf Pass
"Shackelford provides an informative picture [and]...sprinkles in history lessons about those who planted the game's architectural roots, defines common terms and helps you hone your eyes when it comes to identifying some of the tricks of the trade."—FORE Magazine
"This new book does a great job demystifying golf course design ideas for average players, but can also be a beneficial read fro PGA Professionals and other golf course employees to get a better understanding of their home courses." —PGA Magazine
Quadrilateral Open Notes: R&A Admits To Keeping Royal St George's Softer In Bid To Keep Balls Out Of The Rough
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The 18th at Royal St George’s (The Open Instagram)
We learned the links is getting water to keep it, gulp, fair.
Plus, the (The) Open name debate, reads, final odds and Tweets as the 2021 championship arrives. Following yesterday’s, this Thursday edition is back to being just for the paying subscribers. But there are ways to remedy that!
The Quadrilateral: 2021 Open Championship Tuesday Wrap And Notes
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Lee Wybranski’s 2021 Open Championship graphic
Brooks: Bryson Is "Fair Game"
/Brooks Koepka was probed and prodded by a more traditional press conference setting, resulting in plenty to fill up Steve Stricker’s notes for the “Task Force" files. Usually these things are put in the files AFTER the Ryder Cup, not before.
Enjoy!
Q. Is there a point considering that the Ryder Cup is coming up later this year that you have to start getting along with Bryson somehow if you're going to be in the same team in September?
BROOKS KOEPKA: You realise it's only a week, right?
Q. But you are on the same team.
BROOKS KOEPKA: It's only a week. I mean, look, I can put it aside for business. If we're going to be on the same team, I can deal with anybody in the world for a week.
I'm not playing with him. I'm pretty sure we're not going to be paired together; put it that way. I think it's kind of obvious.
Oh I don’t know, Hal Sutton might have put you two together. Go on…
It doesn't matter. I don't think they're -- we're not going to be high fiving and having late-night conversations. I do my thing, he does his thing. Yeah, we're on the same team, but it's not an issue at all. I don't view it as an issue. I don't think he does.
He did NOT rule out a fist bump.
Like I said, I can put anything aside for a team, business, whatever, just to get the job done. No problem with that.
And we always knew it was the Liberty situation but always nice to have it fleshed out.
Q. When you explained recently the start of this thing with Bryson, you said that he went back on his word, which is why you sort of -- did you explain what he did? How did he go back on his word? Apologies if you have said that and I missed it. What made you think he had gone back on his word?
BROOKS KOEPKA: Yeah, it was at -- I said it a couple weeks ago. It was at Liberty. He didn't like that I had mentioned his name in slow play, so we had a conversation in the locker room, and then I guess we said something else in the press conference but didn't mention his name in it, and he walked up to Ricky, said something. It was, You tell your man if he's got something to say, say it to myself. I thought that was ironic because he went straight to Ricky. Ricky told me when I came out, hit a few putts, and then just walked right over to him, we had a conversation. We both agreed we'd leave each other out of it and wouldn't mention each other, just kind of let it die off, wouldn't mention each other's names, just go about it.
So then he decided I guess he was going on that little, whatever, playing video games online or whatever and brought my name up and said a few things, so now it's fair game.
Fair game. Take that opposing Ryder Cup team!
The Quadrilateral: 2021 Open Monday Wrap
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The Claret Jug returns in understated and not-commercial-at-all fashion (R&A)
Quadrilateral: A Look Back At Royal St George's Pre-War Opens
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Walter Hagen makes a brief appearance on the podium to accept the Claret Jug from the Prince Of Wales
Thanks to The You Tube and a wonderful old book, I could share a few of the wackier tales from the pre WW II Open Championships at Royal St George’s.
Part 2: Q&A With Martin Ebert On Royal St George's And The 2021 Open
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5th tee view. Ebert wonders if players will try a 330-yard carry over the dunes (Geoff Shackelford)
The Open Physician for several courses including 2021 host Royal St George’s, Martin Ebert shares more about what took place since the last championship at Sandwich.
The Quad will be going behind the paywall for most of the next week so hop along for the ride if you’re looking for influencer and sponsored-content free coverage of the 149th Open!
Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes In Advance Of The 149th Open
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The Quad is free to sign up but in major weeks like next, only paid subscribers are guaranteed to get all daily newsletters, access to all old editions and the discussion forum option to vent about the number of commercials.
Other past editions can be viewed here at the Quad’s homepage.
Royal St George's: Q&A With Martin Ebert, Part I
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Newly restored bunkering at the 7th, Royal St George’s (Mackenzie and Ebert)
I can’t thank golf architect Martin Ebert enough for supplying so much insight and accompanying imagery of Royal St George’s. A wealth of information so vast that it required breaking up our Quadrilateral chat into two parts.
And don’t forget to sign up if you haven’t already! Next week’s going to be a busy one and subscribers will get daily newsletters.
Here is flyover of the 18th referenced in the interview. You can see the pinching bunker filled in down the right that made this one a bit of a crap shoot in firm conditions:
Quadrilateral: The 2021 Links Season Begins!
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Taking cover on The Maiden, a long time ago (A History Of Royal St George’s Golf Course)
This Quad went out to all subscribers because not much excites me more than links season kicking off, all two weeks of it on the men’s side (though we do get the Women’s Open at Carnoustie this year as a bonus). ‘
I’ll also be revisiting the course history and other topics like cross-country golf in upcoming Quadrilaterals, so make sure you sign up and join to ensure a full-Open Championship experience.
Quadrilateral: Major(s) News And Notes, July 1, 2021
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I just figure we’ll have all of August and September to dive deep into the Ryder Cup, so if you really want to see if Patrick Reed will make the team on points, Google is your friend this week.
An Open at Sandwich looms and zany things happen there, as The Quadrilateral will be reviewing in coming editions for the great humanitarians who’ve signed up to pay. But the weekly news and notes are for all to enjoy, and for the July 1 edition I praise players for not barking more about the UK government’s mixed signals, John Deere's Open exemption getting restored, tips on traveling to Sandwich by rail, news on 2022 U.S. Open tickets and Oakland Hills wanting back in the major rota, but where?
Report: Open Championship Contestants Face DQ For Protocol Violations
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The Telegraph’s James Corrigan obtained player requirements for the upcoming Open Championship calling for restrictions on public dining and how many on a “team” can stay together. Most stunning: vaccination appears to mean nothing and this is all juxtaposed against the United Kingdom okaying 32,000 fans a day on site. Most of those fans will be arriving via train.
Pete Cowen, the current guru to Brooks Koepka and Rory McIlroy, spoke to Corrigan about the issues. raised.
“There are going to be 32,000 fans allowed in every day and they’re saying we can’t stay in anything other than the dedicated hotels — most of which are already sold out — because we’d be mixing with the public,” Cowen said. “And we can’t stay together, like we have on the PGA Tour for the last year. We have all been vaccinated and will have been tested before we are allowed in. This ‘bubble’ we have created between ourselves has produced no problems at all.
“It makes no sense at all when there will be 60,000 at Wembley, 140,000 at Silverstone (race track) and all those at Wimbledon on the weekend before — sitting next to each other. I suppose I should be grateful I am going at all, as initially the wording of the regs made me believe instructors would be banned.”
In a follow up report, Golfweek’s Tim Schmitt and Steve DiMeglio report that unnamed PGA Tour players have considered passing and are miffed at the rules.
“If someone on your plane tests positive on way to the British and is sitting anywhere close to you, you’re out no questions asked, no matter if you’re vaccinated. It’s aggravating that they deem the tournament safe enough for 32,000 fans a day to attend, but won’t let a player’s wife, children travel and watch the tournament, nor will they even let players visit a restaurant without threat of disqualification.”
The player “teams” can stay together in a maximum of four at a private rental. Any violation of the protocols, including a simple visit from someone not in the player’s sphere, faces “withdrawal from the championship.”
“They care more about the revenue of the fans buying beers than they do about the actual people participating in the tournament,” said the player who spoke with Golfweek. “Any fan can go to a grocery store or a restaurant and we can’t. Does that make sense? And I’m vaccinated. How does that make sense?”
For Quadrilateral subscribers, I wrote about the inconsistency of the UK’s plan and apparent blind eye turned toward the many successful championships run to date. And none of those attempted to welcome as many fans back as the UK is, with trains and a Delta variant added to the mix.
R&A: 2021 Open Expects To Welcome 32,000 Daily
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Good news on The Open Championship regarding fans and attendance at Royal St George’s:
STATEMENT ON THE 149TH OPEN AT ROYAL ST GEORGE’S
Following the UK Government’s announcement to delay the planned easing of restrictions, we are now actively working with the government and public health authorities, including those in Kent, in the next phase of the Events Research Programme, which will enable a number of events to take place with higher capacities than the current Step 3 guidance.
As a result, we can now confirm that we will be able to welcome up to 32,000 fans on each championship day of The 149th Open at Royal St George’s and that this will include those existing ticketholders and hospitality guests who have already purchased tickets.
Our end goal is to stage a fantastic Open at Royal St George’s and give our fans and players something to be genuinely excited about this summer. Continuing to ensure the health and safety of all of those attending remains our highest priority.
We will be emailing all existing ticket holders and hospitality guests to confirm the arrangements for The 149th Open this afternoon, including the requirements for Covid status certification.
Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We are pleased to now be able to proceed with our plans for having a significant attendance at this year’s Championship. These fans will play a huge role in creating a very special atmosphere as the world’s best players compete for the Claret Jug and we look forward to welcoming them to Royal St George’s.
“I would like to acknowledge the support and understanding we have received from the government and public health authorities, fans, players, our patrons and partners, as we have worked through this extremely challenging process. The Open is a very special championship in the world of sport and we are fortunate that so many people care as deeply about it as we do.”
Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden said, "The Open Championship returns to Royal St George's for the first time in a decade and what better way to welcome its return than with more than 30,000 fans each day watching the best golfers in the world battle it out for the famous Claret Jug.
"We have always said we will do everything possible to return fans to our iconic cultural and sporting events as soon, and as safely, as possible — and thanks to the phenomenal success of our vaccine rollout and uptake of the NHS App we're able to take another step forward through our flagship Events Research Programme."
Quadrilateral: Major(s) Rahmifications, U.S. Women's Open Final Round Primer And The Reids Of Nottingham
/Two letters went out to paid subscribers covering Saturday’s Jon Rahm situation and prepping them for the U.S. Women’s Open final round.
And in case Mel Reid struggled Saturday—78—I emptied my Wilfred Reid file to consider the life of a really cool character that also designed the first golf course on what is Olympic Club ground today.
Subscription info here on sponsor content-free reading covering golf’s majors.
