Some of my Wishes for 2017

The people who play golf or want to play golf would understand, or be taught what the game of golf actually that golf is all about. This would be possible if all these people would read or be taught to use the Rule Book;

Section 1 – Etiquette: The Spirit of the game

Honesty – Pace of play – Consideration for other players – care of the course – Prevention of unnecessary damage – etc.…..

Section 2 – Definitions:

The knowledge of these are important for enjoyment when playing with others on the course.

Section 3 – Rules of play; Rule 1The Game

1 – 1 To play a ball from the starting place (teeing ground), with one or more strokes to hole out in the hole cut into the surface of the green (finish of the hole), All conforming to the rules of the game.

Understanding that playing golf is a game of precision and not thinking wrongly that it is how hard or far the ball is hit. The good player can combine distance with the precision.

For the benefit of all and the sport in general, all the good golfers in particular the professionals, should show an example by conforming to the rules and the Professional Tours in the world together with the important amateur championships should not only show the results of the games, but also the penalties and fines applied to the players sanctioned for not complying to the rules.

One of the best press conferences given by a golf professional last year was by Eduardo Romero, a winner of more than 90 tournaments world-wide. He is now a politician, actually the Governador of his home town, applying himself to the necessities and problems of the 30,000 population of Villa Allende as if he was playing the most important golf tournament of his life, remembering all the things that golf has taught him throughout his career as a golf professional, (translated from Castellano),“I have always tried to conform to the etiquette of golf in my life style and now I have discovered that it is also important as a politician . Values like, honesty, openness in the things you do, the daily application to your job, being aware of all around you, all of these things have to be applied to the politics and this is giving good results in the last few months”.

Read the full interview  http://www.pgatour.com/la/es/news/2016/04/13/eduardo-romero–golfista-al-servicio-de-la-comunidad.html

For those who know Eduardo, he is an excellent example of how a golfer should be!

The directors, producers, commentators and all others involved in producing the broadcasting of televised golf tournaments, should sit down in front of a television for 3 or more hours, they can then maybe understand what it is like to be a TV golf fan and rom this experience improve the transmissions which would increase the general interest and entertainment for the viewer. The play and the players of the game are good to watch but what it should not be is a general critic instead of following all the play. Golf is really a wonderful sport.

During the first round of the 1957 Open Championship (British Open) played on The Old Course there were some players registered a complaint to the organisers about slow play by Gary Middlecoff. The Royal and Ancient decided that there was no reason for the complaint as the round was completed in 3 hours 18 minutes. This is a faster time than is taken in Championships now.

A game of golf today takes far too long to play, more people could play the game if the time taken for playing 18 holes took much less.

The architects of golf courses would design their new projects (unless otherwise instructed), and re-design existing courses hopefully by the instruction from the owners of courses that have or have too close down due to insufficient people playing golf or for not being financially viable due to exaggerated level of course construction and social facilities, to produce courses the at the same time can be a Championship course for one or two weeks a year the other 50 can be played and enjoyed by golfers of all levels at reasonable prices, like of some of the most famous links courses in the world.

Golf course administration has also to lend a hand in this by taking a more common sense approach to maintenance, the set-up of the course type of facility on offer.

Example of a well- designed par 3 hole – Small Green – Short shot hole.

The Postage Stamp – 8th Hole Royal Troon G.C. – Red Tee 118yds. – Championship Tee 123Yds.

I could keep writing, but what’s most important is that more people start playing golf, the established players continue to enjoy playing, the authorities keep working to maintain the Spirit of the Game of Golf intact, a sport for everyone, not end up being like some other sports. Football in some of its forms the players must wear body armour to play, in other occasions players need protection from the spectators and sometimes from other players.

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