I was watching the Golf World show on Sky Sports 2 last night. (Jees I'm loving having Sky Sports these days!)

They had a great interview with the CEO of TaylorMade, Mark King.

He raised a couple of interesting points about where he thinks golf should be in 20 years time. And he talked about one of my pet subjects: the relationship between the pro game and the rest of the 98% of golf.

He says we (as in the industry) need to focus more attention on the 98% of golf and golfers, make the game suit them.

He even talked about making golf holes shorter not longer, and making the equipment easier to use for amatuers. He even half joked about making the hole bigger.

Any of you golfshakers want to weigh in on this?

Do you agree the game should be made easier (with equipment etc) or is Mark King simply wanting to drive profits by shipping more equipment to more golfers (i.e. if it's easier more people will play). 

Would golf even benefit from more participants? 

SSS imho is awfull. Would a simpler course difficulty rating system help players play courses more suited to them? Say a "red, amber, green" system? Red being the most difficult, green being the courses I usually play. With the system being based on actual difficulty rather than simply length. (SSS might be able to run alongside a new system for the purposes of handicapping)

(Case in point:  The extremely tough, tight and undulating Annesley links at Royal County Down is a megre 4708 has an SSS of 65 (Par 66) and the par 72 6419 yards at Down Royal has an SSS of 71 despite being the flattest course in Northern Ireland. In my opinion Annesley links is an amber course and Down Royal a green)

Without wanting to turn this into another thread about SSS, what do you all think of Mark Kings points, and some of my ones?

Great post Ray, how come no one commented ?

To my eyes it is nothing more than a clever marketing ploy, reverse psychology and all that. Trying to make more people buy his kit by implying that he has got the average golfers needs at heart. (Please pass the sick bucket).

If I remember correctly the average Hcap in GB is around the low 20s late teens???? In my hunble opinion Golfers with more than enough ability to get it right more often than not. If you are making it easier for them then you are only making it easier for them to fail come something a bit more difficult.

There is no challenge in making this game easier. The challenge is with yourself and the little white ball.

and no JP hasnt got my login details.

Anyone remember Alliminium Shafts?

They never caught on, why?

The Pro's never used them.

Why?

They broke after only a couple of hundered shots.

Because the Pro's don't use something doesn't mean it is usless to 'Joe Public'.

On the same lines, Golf shouldn't be based on the Pro Tours. If more Golfers were realistic with themselves, they would enjoy the Game more.

Thelyth

Mr King: 

Have you ever played golf? Your ideas are as daft as many of those produced by politicians who legislate over matters totally beyond their ken.

http://biblelight.net/burn-heretics.htm

I agree David.

Last year I was asked by a few mates to "get them started" because they had played Tiger Woods on the Xbox... Bad idea.

After 3 exasperating sessions at the range and an ill fated trip around the local 9 hole course, I promised myself never to get anyone started again!

One of the guys said "on the Xbox I can get my 5 iron to go 230..."   :-s

Anyway, my point is I agree about realistic expectations. It's not helped by the fact that the TV only show the top 15 contenders at any given tournament, who are obviously on top notch form that week. They don't show top pros having mares at the bottom of the leader-board. (Tiger at the latest WGC the exception)

It took me a while to get my head around this. In fact when I took the game up again last year after about 10 years out, I was hitting at least one birdie a round, with the inevitable 5 or 6 double or worse. Since I've learned the lesson above, I haven't scored a birdie in maybe 10 rounds, but I've notched up more pars than ever before, as well as virtually eliminating +3's or worse. I still shoot the occasional double bogey but not nearly as often.

I slowly realized that 2 putting is GOOD not bad, because for most tour pros 2 putting is disappointing. One day I remember saying to myself: "I just 2 putted... for par... bloody great!"

(Another case in point - A 4 ball social game a few weeks ago, I hit a fantastic tee shot to a 170yard par 3. It ends up about 8 foot from the pin. The banter ensued between me and the lads and they hit their tee shots here and there. They chipped on from the rough etc and during the putting the banter and 'psyching out' continued: "oh Ray loves these 10 footers..." etc etc. The sort of stuff that's fine on a social game but obviously wouldn't be allowed in a comp. I two putt and walk to the next tee with a par and a big smile on my face. Martin says to me "Ah Ray, you let that one slip. Opportunity missed there..." I say "I don't think so, you scored a 5, Ed got his 4, and Tommy blobbed it with an 8. I GIRed and tapped in for par. Yes, the birdie would be nice, but I know I can repeat what I just did for 12 of the 18 holes. And who'll be buying the drinks at the bar??? For me, the object of the game is to score par at every hole... not to shoot a 68!)

I like to play the golf by my way!

Golf is apparantly an easy game made difficult by the player...

I certainly can make an easy game look difficult.....

The beauty of this game is that people of all ages and abilities can play alongside one another on a level playing field due to the handicapping system - what is the point in making it easier.

Those that want to improve their game will have lessons and practice to improve to a level where they are content. Players with busier lifestyles cannot put the required effort in so will struggle to get their handicap down. Is it these players that want the game to be easier? Even if it does become easier, their handicaps will come down and they will then have to up their game to keep at that level.