Golf has been played on these isles for at least 550 years. There’s a reason for its longevity – it’s a fantastic sport. But, like anything growing to a ripe old age, golf has developed its idiosyncrasies over the centuries. Changing society and culture have influenced the game over a long time and, although we relish golf’s rich history, there are elements of the sport, embedded over years, that don’t quite align with today’s world.
While in lockdown waiting to get back on the course, the Golf Monthly team put its heads together and pondered the question: if we had a blank canvas and could design golf from scratch, what would the sport look like? Here, we consider our ‘Golf 2.0’.
First of all, it should be noted that we (as you would expect) like golf a great deal, so would change little with regards the fundamentals of the game. The objective of hitting a ball from one point to another, eventually finding the bottom of a small cup, would remain. What we’re really considering here are the ancillary elements of golf –the playing fields, the formats and the attitudes within the sport. What courses would Golf 2.0 be played on? How would it be played at different levels? And what would we do to make the sport popular?
Golf courses
Over the centuries, the golf courses in the UK and Ireland have evolved from rudimentary routes between two points to manicured, sculpted layouts on links, park and heath.
The path to the current standard for a course was hugely influenced by early pioneers like Old Tom Morris, who carved out holes through the natural terrain at Prestwick – just 12 of them at first. St Andrews had 22, which became 18... which became the norm. In the modern world where time is precious, 18 holes is simply too time-consuming for many people.
This story is from the July 2020 edition of Golf Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 2020 edition of Golf Monthly.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
"I'm just trying to inspire people to play golf”
Golf Monthly meets social media sensation Mia Baker, who is on a mission to get more people into golf... and smiling all the way
A PLACE ΤΟ YOURSELF
Jeremy Ellwood discovers the Old Millhouse in Dalkeith to be the perfect away-from-it-all base for exploring the East Lothian coast's many fine links
Border patrol
Andy Wright ventures due east from his Troon base for a stay at Macdonald Hotels' Cardrona resort in the Borders near Peebles
Moortown
Golf fans know that Dr Alister Mackenzie was the man responsible for Augusta National; many will also be aware that the surgeon-turned-course architect first honed his design skills on his home patch close to Leeds.
Rickie Fowler
The 34-year-old American is back in form and eager to share his favourite tee-to-green tips
How to cure the chipping yips
INSTRUCTION - SAVE PAR
Beef up your ball flight
INSTRUCTION - FAULT FIXER
HYBRID MASTERCLASS
Top 50 Coach Lysa Jones explains how to make the most of this versatile club
The great debate
Nick Bonfield explores the concept of greatness in professional golf and ponders how it should be defined
BREAKING the mould
To mark shoe giant FootJoy's 100th anniversary, Neil Tappin flies out to its HQ near Boston to find out more about the brand's past and future, before setting up tent in the buzzing campsite it sponsors at The Open