From its original wilderness, golf has been analysed dissected and to a certain point standardized. From wild organic swings, holes and strategies, the game has been divided to a mechanical form Henry Ford would be rather proud of.
Solid players of
today talk about playing the par 5’s well, hitting fairways and greens,
focusing on specific targets. Golf courses are predictable to a point where the
game is about 36, or so, well struck shots and making as much putts as possible.
It is the road to success on modern courses.
But
certain courses tend to make the players divert from this mindset. The Old
Course, Muirfield, Royal Lytham & St Annes, Oakmont Country Club
immediately comes to mind. Throw a little breeze on the Old Course and the
humps and hollows make the bounces unpredictable. Muirfield is so exacting
that, unless your name is Nick Faldo, executing all those shots is inhuman. At
Lytham and Oakmont, trouble is lurking everywhere so no holes are a guaranteed
par, even the easiest of them.
From the 4th tee, looking the rest of the course, the player sees what's ahead. The bunkers numerously dispersed over the course is a constant test for the players.
Do you go aggressive, knowing you are going to get bitten once in a while... or walk carefully and slowly shot after shot for 4 1/2 hours? Then golf becomes a sport.
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