Golf takes that aged badly

I once worked with a journalist who had a unique claim to fame - he went to see The Beatles and in his review wrote that they would turn out to be a five-minute wonder. Safe to say, it is something that he never lived down.

You may not be surprised to learn that over the years I have had a number of opinions and views about our sport that have proved to be rather inaccurate. And because I don’t mind having fun poked at me, I am going to share a few of those with you.

Nick Faldo

When I first saw Faldo in action I thought he had a gorgeous fluid swing. He didn’t agree and sought out David Leadbetter with the express purpose of building a swing that would win majors. "Has he lost his mind" I asked. "Why on earth would you ever want to change that golf swing?" It turned out that Mr Faldo knew rather more about the golf swing than I did. With his new technique he won six majors and became world number one.

Ryder Cup

Oh dear! I grew up at a time when Great Britain and Ireland would be routinely thrashed every two years by the USA. There was brief relief in 1969 when a Tony Jacklin-inspired team tied the match at Royal Birkdale. But it was obvious the Americans had lost interest. Nobody cared, and next to nobody watched. It was like watching paint dry. And then Jack Nicklaus suggested that we ask Continental Europe to join us. I was absolutely convinced that it would make no difference whatsoever. Hmmmm…..

For the record, the Ryder Cup is now my second favourite golf event, second only to the Open.

Golf Equipment

Where to start with this one?

Oh, I know….most of you will not remember the good old days when Americans played with a golf ball that had a 1.68-inch diameter while we in Britain used one that was 1.62. The only time that the Americans ever used the 1.62-inch ball was when they came over here to play in the Open. It was clearly a highly unsatisfactory situation and, eventually, the powers-that-be decided that everybody was going to be using a 1.68-inch ball. You may think that 0.06 of an inch doesn’t sound very much but the smaller ball flew further, especially in the wind. Using a 1.68-inch for the first time felt like trying to hit a football, It looked huge, and it took some getting used to. I wasn’t the only one who wasn’t a fan and who was convinced there would be a rethink. Now I cannot imagine using that smaller golf ball.

When the manufacturers first came up with graphite shafts I believed that they had lost the plot. They would surely snap in two and would be a short-lived fad. Yup, I got that one right, didn’t I?

Then there was the introduction of metal woods. Initially, these were the same size as traditional persimmon drivers. If you have ever hit a persimmon driver right out of the screws then you will know there is no feeling quite like it. Or at least that’s what I said at the time. Why would anybody want to use a metal driver? And then the heads started to get bigger - and bigger. I dismissed them as an abomination. Hands up - I was wrong!

I grew up with a set of irons that comprised 3-9 plus a wedge and a sand wedge. And then we suddenly developed an obsession with all sorts of lob wedges, gap wedges and the like. Again, I dismissed this as a fad. Why would you want so many lofted clubs in your bag? Guess what? I now carry a wedge, a 52-degree and a 58-degree and I cannot imagine being without any of them. I haven’t carried a three or four iron for years!

Tiger Woods

A former colleague who knew a great deal about golf and golfers but who shall remain nameless told me after watching Tiger Woods at the Masters in 1996: "That was awesome but nobody who swings the club that hard and fast is ever going to have a successful career. Trust me Derek, he is a flash in the pan." For the record, I did not agree!

LIV Golf

When LIV Golf first burst upon the scene I honestly believed it would last 12 months. I still don’t understand how their financial model works. It seems to me that the Saudis are pouring millions of dollars down the drain. I was gobsmacked when so many high-profile players signed on the dotted line, but I just couldn’t believe it would last. Their event in Adelaide recently attracted 115,000 spectators! 

Measuring Devices

Why would anybody ever want to use any form of electronic or digital measuring device when you can work out the distance from the 150-yard markers? I stuck with this view for years and could never quite understand why so many of the people I played with consistently saw their approach shots finish closer than mine when I know that I was a better golfer. So I started to ask playing partners how far I was from the flag. The penny finally dropped for me one day when I had convinced myself I had around 155 yards to the flag and my playing partner told me that I had actually had 172 yards to go. Now, I never leave home without one!

Here are a few others…

Pink tees? Nobody is going to use pink tees!

Animal head covers? Are you serious? Can you really imagine club golfers going out and buying animal head covers?

Nobody is going to pay that for a Titleist Pro V1.

Scottie Scheffler is a one-season wonder! Have you seen all that feet movement? Nobody who does that can win on a consistent basis

And most shamefully of all….

Rory McIlroy will never win the Career Grand Slam.