Tiger – Please be reasonable with TPC surgery

Thanks to James Brown for this blog's title. I noticed in the local paper today that the TPC of Boston - the site of Tiger's 5th consecutive win for those living under a rock - will undergo major renovationions for next year's tournament. Alone, this isn't very big news as it seems to happen weekly at this or that major course. But, two facts make this story different; 1) they probably will shorten the course and 2) Tiger's going to be involved.

Yes, you read that last sentence correctly, the word is SHORTEN. Seems impossible with every pro hitting the fall further now than they did 20 years ago, especially when you consider this is true for those who went from 25 to 45 years old over that period. For many golf fans this is a very troubling development in the game they love. You can put me in that category. So, when I hear someone say they intend to shorten a course where major championships are held it sure gets my attention. Could there possibly be a refreshing change in the wind? And might the guy whose name is synonymous with long be part of this movement. It certainly is too early to tell, but let's daydream for a moment to see what might be possible.

It's natural to expect that Tiger, sooner rather than later, would get involved with course design. It's been the tradition for the last 30 years that the top pros must also become prolific modern course designers, a la Nicklaus, Player and Palmer. You could certainly make an argument that being a top pro is not a guarantee that you can design a great course, no more than you can say that being a great quarterback will make you a hall of fame coach. Don't get me wrong, I'm not implying the opposite. However, history is replete with example after example of men and women who were great players of some game, but not great in any other aspect of it. Sorry, but isn't being a great athlete blessing enough.

Let's get back to the main point. I'm excited that Tiger is going to get involved in course design, particularly as his own game has taken a much more cerebral approach of late. Isn't this the guy who left his driver in the bag at The Open and who now beats opponents regularly by hitting 4 irons to 15 feet. Tiger's gone from over-powering a course to dissecting them.

When you get proficient at something, like a sport, it's natural to forget what it's like to be a beginner. In the case of golf pros it's almost impossible to remember what it's like to be a bogey golfer with a slice you can't lose for love nor money. When I was a ski instructor, the best thing you could do to teach beginners was to go be a beginner at some other sport yourself so you could remember what it was like. Maybe today's designing pros should try that and rediscover aspects of the game they haven't known since they were using junior clubs and wearing diapers.

Is this going someplace? My point is that modern courses, in the US anyway, are all too typical. There are about 4 variations of one theme - target golf. As much as the likes of Nicklaus, Player and Palmer have claimed to have designed 'links' courses, have they really. If a links course is what they have in Scotland and Ireland, then I think not. Everything in this country is too developed, too 'clean'. God forbid that the traps shouldn't be raked perfectly or have unruly fescue growing around their borders. And fairways must be framed so you know exactly where they are - and aren't. And you've got to use a lot of earth moving equipment to flatten and grade out nature's handiwork. After all, the playing public won't tolerate it, right? Wrong! I think they've greatly misjudged us.

If you've seen the 60 minutes interview with Tiger, you probably remember him saying that as a kid he liked to throw golf balls into the woods and then try to score. Why? because it was fun. And if there's a place on the course that the designers haven't touched it's the woods. But for Tiger, that's where the fun and challenge was. Hmmm.

Tiger still seems to be the guy who has the most fun playing the game and I think that's a more important credential for a course designer than being the best player in the world. Too many of today's designers have lost the subtleties of course design that the classic architects like Alister MacKenzie where geniuses at. The Old Course at St. Andrews may be the best example of classic design, which means it's as challenging for Tiger as it is for you and me. Imagine that - we can both play the same course and have a great time and Tiger doesn't have to be playing from the Tiger tees.

Now that Tiger is developing the best thinking game on top of the best ball striking game, he just may be the messiah that will change modern golf architecture. It's a lot to ask because being the arguably best player ever is more than enough on its own. But Tiger has already shown that he's multi-talented and maybe even a visionary. If you don't understand that, then take a closer look at what he's doing with the Tiger Woods Learning Center.

Home, home on the range
Where the traps are eschew
The fairway is too
And the pros and beginners all play

Golfing is fun
The place is mostly undone
And the skies are not cloudy all day

(My apologies to songwriters everywhere)

Tiger (and Brad Faxon), please, please, please help make golf a fun game again. And the powers that be, please chip in and help them. We need more golfers playing more rounds and what you've been doing for the last 20 years isn't working. Take a walk on the wild side.

P.S. please take a look a limiting ball flight while you're at it.