Back on Sept 15 we opened up a private forum to discuss the current state of the game and what can be done to get things back on track.
Anyone (new members or lurkers) interested in participating in the “Think Tank” feel free to let us know and we will permission you if you feel you might have ideas or any kind of positive input.
Since it’s brief inception three new websites have been created, and we are on the verge of securing some proper funding for the TRGA event down in Vegas which is scheduled soon. Lot’s of interesting ideas and tangible action.
I do think we will be able to do that when the time is right. If not National, we should be able to secure local and regional airtime. First things first.
I would like to play in the TRGA Classic tournament first. then My two cents in for the classic course;s that some have narrow fairways filled with tree lines and some courses play like link styles courses. Use the persimmons sicks, Iron are forged Blades, soft feeling balls slow down the greens, Fairways rough should have at least 2-3 inches long rough, slow down the greens, then lets see how they do Oh yea putters must be forged blades like bull eyes putter
I think the TRGA should keep to the traditional, fast play rules… just like they are. As far as equipment goes… just require persimmon. Period. … finding old balls would be difficult, so just play whatever ball you want. And as far as grooves go… just play what’s allowable today. The USGA has groove standards now (thank God)… but it might be confusing if the TRGA made even more strict a rule… equipment might be hard to find…
As far as what to do to restore the game… We are doing it.
I’m only 24 years old so have never used persimmon before, but some post that lag posted about the titanium “ping” sound not being a fair substitute to the “whack” of a persimmon got me thinking.
I am a HUGE cricket fan. Love playing and watching. I would be devastated if they started using metal bats and did away with the games traditional willow in pursuit of harder hits, more forgiving bats. They would soon have to start making fields bigger LOL can’t even think of something so preposterous! There IS NO REPLACEMENT for sound of a crunched drive through the covers. It is like heaven for the ears. Nothing better!
This is what’s happening to golf!!!
I would love to have heared the sound a flushed persimmon made. I’m not going to go buy one and be at a disadvantage when I play. Must have given the same sensation as that cover drive.
Callaways drivers sound like plastic LOL but they go long and straight more often then not even if I put a bad swing on the ball and miss hit it. Miss hitting it off the toe gives a nice draw that goes LONG LOL. What’s a snap hook? Havent seen one in years
In Nissan Open when I used to play Riviera, I played the 17th as a driver- 3 iron or fairway wood and then a wedge…driver 6 iron is beyond ridiculous
It’s just not golf…or cricket anymore
He hit his drive 360, hit 6i for his second which came up 2 clubs short, pitched on 10 feet past then 3 putted for bogey. The crowd loved every second of it
Not that I ever hit the ball like TM, but I played Riviera quite often in the mid nineties. I had to hit driver on #4 to get it over the front bunker…that’s persimmon and balata gear.
So much of what made Riviera great is simply gone. The commentators talk about the great design of George C Thomas. I just don’t think he would be happy at all with how the course plays now. It just doesn’t make sense. The trajectory of the shots coming into the greens are so different now that the design of the greens are no longer relevant as they were intended.
It’s really a shame.
The 18th used to be one of the great finishing holes in golf. Now they are chipping short irons into it… rather than how the hole was designed to feed a long iron into the green from left to right.
There used to be a lot of long iron approaches into the greens, which really tested the ball striking of the pros. With properly placed tee shots, they all were challenging but fair. It’s sad to see what has happened there.
The reason the scores are not better than they are is simply due to the poor ball striking of today’s pros. If I watch Dustin Johnson miss another green with a 9 iron or wedge I’ll just have to start turning my head. I watched him miss 40 yards left with a 9 iron, and over the green long and left with a PW. No excuse for that from a top ranked pro.
Oh yea putters must be forged blades like bull eyes putter
