Why Has the Bump-and-Run Disappeared from American Golf?
Here’s a question for golfers on both sides of the Atlantic…
Why is the classic bump-and-run becoming a lost art in American golf while it’s still considered an essential scoring shot throughout Europe?
My thoughts…
American golfers are often taught to reach for a 56° or 60° wedge around the greens. We practice flop shots, high spinners, and soft landing pitches because our courses generally have lush turf, thicker rough, and softer greens.
European golfers grow up under very different conditions. Firm turf, windy weather, and links-style golf teach them to keep the ball on the ground whenever possible. Their first thought is often, “Can I putt it?” If not… “Can I bump it?”
Somewhere along the way, American golf began to celebrate the spectacular shot instead of the highest-percentage shot.
The irony?
The bump-and-run is often: 
Easier to execute. Less affected by wind. More forgiving under pressure. More consistent for the average golfer.
Even many of golf’s greatest short-game players believed the safest shot was the one that spent the least amount of time in the air.
So here’s the question…
Has American golf become too dependent on lofted wedges?
Or…
Is the bump-and-run a forgotten skill that deserves to be taught again?
I’d love to hear your thoughts.
If you had one shot from just off the green with a club championship on the line… are you grabbing your lob wedge or your 8-iron?
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I believe the spirit of the game is offering various grass and turf conditions throughout the course, the day, or the seasons. The new trend is toward homogenizing the conditions and programming golfers to expect and demand uniformity in turf, green speeds (quick) as if golf should be an indoor sport…it’s not and it’s not meant to be. I believe there is an underlaying hatred of golf. It’s too hard to learn, master and needs to be made easier with something you can buy rather than acquiring the proper skill set to prepare for the vast array of conditions and adversities. There is a general resentment or hidden hatred of the game… though few in power would admit it.
The difficulty of the game and challenge of overcoming those obstacles is a big part of what made golf great in the first place. Most of the origins of the game were in securing beautiful real estate to build a course. Playing golf across a more natural terrain offered more of a connection to nature itself and certainly less invasive and destructive. I always loved when I felt I was playing golf across the land with some slight manipulation to make it a golf course. Raised tee boxes and greens shaped, but the more the fairways were left to natural slope and terrain the better. The older courses are still great for this because of the limitations they had in shaping vast amounts of earth and soil. Most modern courses are way over engineered in my opinion. Nothing gained, other than to justify huge greens fees and the expectations of flat lies and few if any trees.
Playing the bump and run was a natural way to play across natural undulation. Now most modern courses are so unnatural around the greens that the lob wedge is just a necessary defense when in the past it wasn’t really a viable option.
Just some thoughts…
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The quest for uniformity is the perfect way to say it. The stimpmeter was a tool that greenkeepers used to try to make the greens on their golf course as uniform as possible. Once players and boards of directors got involved it became a gauge by which golf courses were judged. I recall playing at the Stanwich Club in Greenwich CT and the greens were nearly unplayably fast. It was mostly because the board wanted to have the fastest greens in the area. Advances in turf grass maintenance and underground irrigation from tee to green changed much of this as well. I mean let’s all remeber that the term fairway simply referred to the the best route to go from tee to putting green originally. Now they have to be closely mown with grass nearly as perfect as the greens in order for the consumer to be pleased and leave a good review.
To the question, absolutely a lost art and definitely should still be taught because it is a far easier shot to execute both with and without pressure. As a youngster coming up it was 9, 7 and 5 iron for 50/50, 60/30, 75/25 ball flight to ground work. Also I believe it was Paul Runyan who said “a chip is a putt with a flying start.” The creativity required to pull these shots off also engages different areas of the brain and will make people better problem solvers in every day life also.
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In keeping with Tommy’s Honor, if first place wins a belt and second place wins a jug of whiskey hand me a lob wedge so I can enjoy a well-earned nip of the good stuff.
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I must say bravo! They hate the game! What an astute observation. I am certain that you wrote the whole truth. I do, however, concede that I have indeed cursed the day I popped a 5 iron almost directly sideways and said, interiorly, “Hun? I am a fine athlete, graceful, smart, experienced. Wha duh fuggg!!” So begins the awful journey to freedom, freedom to enjoy the swing, the putts, the weather, grass, birds, skunks, mule deer, rabbits, hawks, doves, chickadees and on and on. Even the cost in time and money the unpleasant calluses, blisters, and rude slow-play ^%^^%# ahead, the boasting fathers and crowded ranges…Hate golf? Impossible. I have not yet specified in my last will and testament, that I must be buried on a golf course. And knowing my family, if they decide that for me, I am willing to bet that they put my coffin in the right rough, under a low branch, from which there is not escape.
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I am referring to some of the folks at the USGA or others in control of the game. I believe they hate golf for the following reasons.
It’s too hard. The ball curved too much. Long irons nearly impossible to hit. Don’t want to take the time to learn proper technique. Want the greens everywhere to be the same speed and smooth. Do everything they can to make it easier… widen fairways, bigger greens, no bad lies… cut down trees. They certainly hate steel spikes in the shoes which is our only connection to the ground. They hate walking the course.
All these elements that are intrinsic to the game are seen as problems that need to be addressed, solved by technology… high tech mowers, bulldozers, replace woods with frying pans, long irons with hybrids, putters with space age broomsticks. Take spin off the ball and make it go farther. I would assume many a modern golf lesson end with "have you tried the new _________ we just got some in the shop earlier this week, come on… let me show you..
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