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#savetheoldcourse
11/27/2012
We've recently encountered golf architecture's version of Occupy Wall Street: #savetheoldcourse. In case you haven't heard, the St. Andrews Links Trust, the charitable organization that exists to manage the courses and protect the history and spirit of the Home of Golf, recently announced that it was making significant changes to the Old Course. All of this seems to be motivated by making the course better suited (tougher, sloggier, able to accept faster green speeds, etc.) for championship play in preparation for the 2015 Open Championship.
Martin Hawtree, who comes across as Smithers to R&A Chief Executive Peter Dawson's Mr. Burns, has earned the Old Course commission. A press release went out just last Friday outlining all of the proposed changes, some of which have already begun. The work includes expanding the Road Hole bunker and altering the slopes leading into the green and softening the undulations on the par 3 11th, perhaps the most replicated but never duplicated one-shotters on the planet.
Changing contours that have been untouched for years (if ever) has a number of people up in arms, including many leading architects in the industry. My BFF Tom Doak wrote a letter to American Society of Golf Course Architects asking them to join him in taking a stand against these changes. You can see a copy of Doak's letter here. Here's hoping that other big names will follow suit and take a stand for something worth fighting for.
There are other grass roots efforts going as well. A change.org petition has been started, and is nearing the 200 signature mark in its first day. Twitter is ablaze with back and forth chatter both adamantly against and frustratingly flaccid on the topic. I started the #savetheoldcourse hashtag a few days ago, and it is slowly gaining steam. Feel free to join the fray.
The timing of this issue is particularly interesting given the USGA/R&A's joint conference-call to ban belly-putters tomorrow. Once again, it seems the powers that be are focusing on the wrong issue. The advancements in equipment and golf ball have rendered a lot of classic courses moot -- either they have to find room for more tee boxes or they get left behind. Why are we carving up the most historic golf course of them all in order to appease the R&A for a tournament held four days every five years? Just because Louis Oostihuizen obliterated the course (and the field) two years ago?
Certainly, the belly putter will get plenty of airtime on GolfChannel's Morning Drive this week. But isn't there a bigger issue here? Desecrating the Old Course proves that nothing is sacred any more. Where do we go from here?
[For a running gallery of construction pics, check out this golfclubatlas.com thread]
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Hundred Hole Hike
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The Hundred Hole Hike (HHH) is a national-network of golf marathons where participants plan to walk 100 or more holes of golf in one day in order to raise money for various worthwhile charitable causes. Please go to http://www.hundredholehike.com/ for more details. |

Chicago Public Course Rankings

When it comes to Chicago-area golf, we have it covered. Because of this, we can publish the following Top 25 list and confidently call it the Definitive Guide to Chicago Area Public Golf Courses. Just a friendly service to visitors who want to experience the best public golf that this great city has to offer. New! Updated August 2011
1 May 2007 I Read the full story

My Course Rankings
1. Pine Valley
2. National Golf Links of America
3. St. Andrews (Old)
4. Cypress Point
5. Ballyneal
6. Shinnecock Hills
7. Royal Dornoch
8. Oakmont
9. Merion (East)
10. Pacific Dunes
11. Friars Head
12. Sand Hills
13. Tara Iti
14. Pinehurst No 2
15. Royal Melbourne (West)
16. Pebble Beach
17. Chicago Golf Club
18. Riviera
19. Los Angeles CC (North)
20. North Berwick
2. National Golf Links of America
3. St. Andrews (Old)
4. Cypress Point
5. Ballyneal
6. Shinnecock Hills
7. Royal Dornoch
8. Oakmont
9. Merion (East)
10. Pacific Dunes
11. Friars Head
12. Sand Hills
13. Tara Iti
14. Pinehurst No 2
15. Royal Melbourne (West)
16. Pebble Beach
17. Chicago Golf Club
18. Riviera
19. Los Angeles CC (North)
20. North Berwick
27 June 2011 - Click here for full rankings

One Divot at a Time...

My book of golf adventures, "One Divot at a Time...:Diary of a Full-Fledged Golf Addict, Volume 1" is now available on amazon.com for $12.95 $8.06 in paperback or only $1.99 on Kindle. All proceeds go to Ben Cox and his family. Check it out!
10 December 2009 I Click for more details

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Wegoblogger31 is a proud contributor to the Golf Blog 100, a Top 100 golf course rating that is a collaborative view of the top golf bloggers.
Latest Profiles:
18 Sept 2009 I Click here for more

The Ben Cox 108-Hole Golf Marathon

What: A 108-golf marathon to raise money for Ben Cox, a Ballyneal caddie who was paralyzed from a severe skiing accident in March.
When: June 22, 2011 (update)
Where: Ballyneal Golf & Hunt Club - Holyoke, CO
Total Raised to Date: $109,825
Required Reading:
How to Give:
Send a check payable to: Prairie Home Baptist Church (memo: Ballyneal fundraiser)
Prairie Home Baptist Church
P.O. Box 271
Haxtun, CO 80731
P.O. Box 271
Haxtun, CO 80731
In the News:
- Colorado Golf Association website: "Going the Distance for a Good Cause: Ballyneal member gears up for 108-hole marathon to benefit partially-paralyzed former caddie"
- Holyoke Enterprise: "Ballyneal member aims to help Cox family"
- Cybergolf: "Ballyneal Member Invites Others to Join 108-Hole Fundraiser"
- Omaha World Herald: Golf Notes (5/31)
- Denver Post: "Ballyneal golf club brings two together after accident" (6/12)- Holyoke Enterprise: "Ballyneal member aims to help Cox family"
- Cybergolf: "Ballyneal Member Invites Others to Join 108-Hole Fundraiser"
- Omaha World Herald: Golf Notes (5/31)
- Radio interview on 104.3 The Fan in Denver (6/18)
- Colorado Avid Golfer: "Golfer's Charitable Marathon Could Get You on Riviera" (6/24)
- Radio interview on 104.3 The Fan in Denver (6/25)
- Golf Channel: "W18: Patience and Perspective" (6/27)
- Golf World Monday: "Marathon Man" (6/27)
- Holyoke Enterprise: "The Ben Cox 108 (give or take 47) climbs beyond $77,000" (6/30)
- Chicago Tribune: "All-day golf event raises more than $100,000 for paralyzed caddie" (7/8)
- Golf Channel: "W18: Patience and Perspective" (6/27)
- Golf World Monday: "Marathon Man" (6/27)
- Holyoke Enterprise: "The Ben Cox 108 (give or take 47) climbs beyond $77,000" (6/30)
- Chicago Tribune: "All-day golf event raises more than $100,000 for paralyzed caddie" (7/8)

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