PhilEStein:
MrFunnyWobbl:
One rages this thread full of people who hate using wedges on greens, exposing themselves as the exact problem with the game of golf. This sport (more irl than WGT) is still full of a bunch of crony old dinosaurs with tradition stuck so far down their throats that they break out in hives at the first sight of some innovation or flair.
Let's look at a couple prime examples of this from the past year - Beef. The Beef coverage exposes a big problem for golf - there's no personality. Here's a guy who has a little fun and suddenly he's a big draw for the sport. Seriously? Athlete's have appeared in fast food commercials for years, and now Beef is some kinda of innovator? Rickie, Jordan, Smylie and Justin go on vacation and it dominates tour coverage for a week. If Pro Golf had some actual personalities in the game, you wouldn't have vacations as prime news and some chubby average tour player who drinks beer masquerading as unique.
The sport is so dry that one player with personality gets coverage because the rest of the dinosaurs have none, and the traditionalists can't handle it.
But no - because this sport is full of itself with dinosaurs and traditions you can't even wear shorts on the biggest tour in the world? Seriously? What kind of a joke is that? The women can, the caddies can... but by god if the men wear shorts it could be the end of the world. What a joke. It's nonsense to think that there is anything wrong with using wedges on greens as it falls perfectly under this category of silly things that hold back the sport from becoming more relevant to the younger generations.
It's time for golf to come into the 21st century.
Just one or two points Vince.
Firstly, you accuse Beef of 'masquerading'. Beef is like so many of the tour
players, WYSIWYG. He is just a very nice guy who loves playing golf. No more,
no less. Your comment was erroneous and unworthy.
Not only do you advocate the general use of wedges on the greens but
adamantly state it is 'nonsense' to deny so. Can you imagine the condition of
greens throughout the golfing world, even after just one season, if that were
to be condoned? Within a couple of seasons or so, all greens would be totally
unplayable.
Personally, I see know reason why a clause cannot be inserted into the Rules simply stating that a player should only use a wedge or club other than a putter on a green, when it is agreed by either an accompanying rules official or by all participating players. that the line of putt (including borrow) is impinged.
In Tour tournies each week you'll often see a pro take a deeper/larger divot
than intended or an extra inch of sand out of a bunker than was meant. Multiply
that by 2/300 on greens by total amateurs each weekend and you would soon see
the greenkeeping staff unable to keep up with repairs. If there is any
'nonsense' on this subject, it is what you have spouted. Don't forget I've seen
you shouting and swearing at WGT greens!
Which leads onto that MP you, I, Tony and Willie played a few days ago. You
were watching a German soccer match on your TV whilst at the same time playing golf
with us and you, by virtue of constantly using capitals, were shouting and
swearing at the soccer players and teams via chat. I found that so incredibly
disrespectful to us, your playing companions and a complete lack of etiquette.
Something else you’d obviously like to dispense with no doubt.
I think instead
us ‘ crony old dinosaurs’ conforming to your and your peers infantile thoughts and behaviour, I'm just thankful that for the foreseeable future golf is safe in the hands of people who understand and guard the principles, morals and respect this wonderful game of ours has endured for centuries.
Alright, I'll give you that, I probably should have been more attentive to the alt shot and a bit less brash. It's just I get really into my sports and I have a decent size sum of money on some matches occasionally and get really into them. I do play this game ultra competitively and push myself to always get better and occasionally do spit out a couple words of displeasure when I misding a shot or miss a makeable putt. I expect myself to perform to my own standards and I get upset moreso in alt shot because then my partner is left to deal with my poor shot.
Also I should note that I don't think Beef is doing anything wrong, it's the golf world and golf media that propel him into the tier of something above everyone else because he has a little fun. I think my comment stands that the amount of attention he gets for doing something most males our age do is excessive.
Also I'm not sure where in my OP that I addressed bunker sand. Regarding to divots, I would hardly say that Pro's take divots "often" in pro golf. I want a ton of golf and see shanks and the like maybe once or twice a tournament on TV. Granted, players not receiving coverage could be making them but I have a strong feeling that most players on the Tour aren't there because they duff the ball twice a round.
I agree that allowing wedges to be used often at your local course might damage the greens as players there don't have the skills to pick it clean, but on tour I think to say that pros will damage greens is a farce. They simply won't, they are professionals and can pick balls clean from clean lies virtually every time. Further, you see hundreds of players on Tour hit into greens, have ball marks and repair them and the greens still remain very playable. Why can not the same apply to wedges if and when a divot occurs? Which I hold is not likely.
I'm not saying that we should encourage wedges to be used on greens, just that it repairs a viable option that should not be restricted. There are also multiple ways to use a wedge on a green, not limited to making a chip with it, you can also putt with one.
I'm sorry if the term crony old dinosaurs offended you, and I didn't mean it to target it at all older people who golf, but rather I feel as though a handful of the older generation of golfers don't want to allow golf to move forward as a sport and develop with the times. I'm not saying do away with etiquette, like you reckoned I am, but I am saying that golf holds so silly traditions--like no shorts for example--that serve to do nothing but hold back the sport and hang onto outdated ideas.
Nothing personal mate, just my opinion. Sorry if my brashness and competitiveness offends you, but it is me. I don't usually watch football when I play WGT, just had money on that match and I get abit into it, though that was a bit much I will concede.