In the late 70s there were still courses with over 30 yard fairways and in the 6800 and 6900 range.

Some of the players then were great ball strikers with subpar short games compared to most of today's players.  Some examples would be Dave Hill, Tommy Bolt, Larry Ziegler, even Gil Morgan probably Johnny Miller.

On 6800 yard courses 58s and 59s can be approached by players with these same characteristics.  Splitting fairways to 290 -300 and hitting green after green on average days inside 15 feet and great days inside 5 feet are the elements that add up to these opportunities.  Great putting is not even a requirement. 

The one player that didn't have any 59s and amazed me was Johnny Miller(many 61s if I remember right).  David Duval was that type of driver like Johnny and like Annika on the Woman's side when he shot his 59 but a better putter.

Just like in bowling, the ability to shoot these super low scores does not make you the best golfer, or the super high scores the best bowler!

Instead one stat that shows what great tournament golf is all about is one of Tiger's great years when he set the all time one year scoring record.

I believe that year he averaged around 13 greens a round in regulation and also near 5 under par a round in breaking Byron Nelson all time single season scoring record(on MUCH harder courses).  This meant in that year by being 5 over par in ball striking and nearly 5 under in actual scoring that he was averaging nearly 10 under par on short game! 

That is the money winning, tournament winning, and major winning secret!

Regards,

Luckylefty
PS 40 of Tiger's amazing records!  http://www.golfchannel.com/news/golf-central-blog/stats-incredible-tigers-40-greatest-numerical-records/

So, the one thing bowling hasn't seemed able to do which gold has done about every 10 years for the PGA tour courses is Lengthen the lanes.

Conceptually patterns could all go back to being "easy" and blended and scoring would drop.

But then you wouldn't be buying all those different bowling balls for all he different patterns!

Not practical I know!

Regards,

Luckylefty

I missed the memo that golf got easy.

these new clubs have an anti-slice mechanism

All I know is that I don't feel bad for not being a "long hitter" like my buddies or guys with current clubs.

My 6i is their 8i. I've used a buddies 8i and also tested some newer TM and callaway irons this weekend, and their 8 irons either go the same distance as my 6i (155) or further.

My old bladed 8i from when I took up golf in 93' is my current wedge of 10 years ago... these newer wedge are getting further and further. 

Just like in bowling (hook) "distance" sells in golf..........but still golf is much harder than bowling...  In my second shift league I shot 690's with my spare ball. I can't break 88 even if I was playing the senior tees hahahaha.....it's only been a 4 months since I returned to golf... I got to stop playing the blue/back tees...

Golf has always been much more difficult to learn than bowling.  Complex moves in the swing that are counter intuitive to a higher percentage of people than is the arm swing and release in bowling.  At the highest levels of the game, I believe bowling is just as challenging to try to master ( neither game can be ).  We have had sport patterns for close to 20 years.  Everyone knows that the pros or even top local scratch bowlers are not competing in the same environment as league bowlers.  A local college kid shot a 59 in a tourney last season in my town.  I didnt see any top golf pros complaining because he did it on a 6500 yard muni. 

Feel like stirring the crap.  George Carlin on golf.

"You ever watch golf on television? It's like watching flies fsck! And a mindless game, mindless. Think of the intellect it must take, to draw pleasure from this activity: hitting a ball with a crooked stick and then, walking after it! And then, hitting it again! I say pick it up asshole, you're lucky you found the fscking thing! Put it in your pocket and go home, you're a winner! You've found it! No chance of that happening. Dork-o in the plaid knickers is going to hit it again and walk some more."

Yeah rest of that monologue is really cutting and pertinent but politically sensitive so avoided it.  Still whenever I am asking whether anything is a sport I consult the word of Carlin lol.

The difference with golf is that it doesn't take a championship course to humble 90% of golfers who can't break 90 on a 6000, yard muni.  Just getting a ball air borne is a bigger challenge than keeping the ball out of the gutter for most people.