Your most unpopular Golf opinions?

[egonz]

Intentionally hitting into a group should automatically result in someone being thrown out of the courseFalling out of position more than twice in a round should also automatically result in being thrown out of the courseAll courses and tours should use range finders or GPS to tell distances

[Dr. Hack]

almost all modern golf instruction and swing theory is flawed (and George Gankas is a charlatan).putting involves feel, vision, and hand-eye coordination, and nothing else. This is the purest part of the game. All contrived putting techniques/grips and equipment is for people who don’t understand the basic principle of golf — you are using a stick to knock a ball in a hole. golf equipment sales are not and do not have to be driven my performance/scoring benefits. It’s acceptable to buy and use clubs because they are more fun to play with, just as it is acceptable to buy mountain bikes, skis, and other recreational equipment.PXG is a great brand that is here to stay.

This feels great!

[Singapore Joe]

I second that.

One of my favorite courses moved the daily competition to a step forward and mowed the rough - minus a few strategic spots - to the length where one can easily find and reasonably play the ball. I have yet to hear anybody complain. The course still has teeth but for most players it's a lot more fun this way and one can expect to be done with the round in less than four hours.

[Boney]

The 3-piece Kirkland balls (which you can still buy at Costco for about $17 a dozen) are excellent, just a small step down from the Pro-V1 and other top-tier balls.

[badgermat]

 

That pros can drive the ball 300m+ isn't bad for the game, it's great.

So what if they can birdie every hole. I won't be unhappy until someone can give us a hole-in-one for every hole on a course.

That would be proper athletic achievement.

bm

[badgermat]

And ...

Handicapping is the worst thing about golf. A continuous allowance (excuse) for sub-standard performance.

I'm a rubbish player. Barely ever get round in under 90. But I don't need to be given a head start.

If I want to score better, I should work on doing that. Not relying on some mathematical construct to prop up my fragile ego.

bm

 

 

[SugarPenguin]

Long game is more important than short game.

[Sean2]

Regarding #2...I would like to see the powers that be ban green reading books. It's funny a pro can use a green reading book, but not a laser to determine yardage. The latter is just one number that he could get by walking it off, or what have you. The former gives you all kinds of information.

[Sean2]

I 3rd it. The forward tees are too long. We have one hole on our course that is 360 from the forward tees and the second shot is all carry over a pond. It is extremely rare for a woman to go for the green on her second shot. The scored said it is a par 4, but in reality it is a par 5.

[Sean2]

Hello Friends. The Masters is the least difficult major to win. It has the smallest field, and a number of amateurs and past winners play in it, narrowing the field even further. Yes, the top players in the world play in the Masters, but they do in other major's as well, and we have all seen a relatively unknown win a major.

This is just my opinion...no need to flame me, lol.

[Ty_Webb]

It's the easiest to win *given that you're in it*. If you factor in the fact it's harder to get into, it's about the same (one person wins each tournament, so I think if everyone in the world would play in it if they could then they're equally difficult to win - regular tour events are easier to win because not everyone who could play in it is doing so).

[Miss_Tee]

Exactly! And even if it's not a "risky" second shot, a woman is likely to be hitting a wood on her second shot while a man will be hitting a short-iron.

 

Another unpopular opinion (It must be, because I've yet to see a course that has them) - If there are senior tees for men, there should be senior tees for women.

[Sean2]

As it is, I think the forward tees at most courses are too long. I feel for women and how frustrating it must be. We have one hole from the forward tees that is 360 yards. The next shot is all carry over a pond. 99% of the women have to lay up. That really isn't a par 4, but a par 5.

[CrazyCoolie]

I do not want to grow the game. I think too many people play golf and it would be best if the number of golfers shrunk.

[sethdavidsdad]

I just wish more people would play the tees they need to play. So many people are scared to move up but would enjoy the game much more if they moved up. I used to play in a group that was always tips regardless. Now I look at the yardage and play what I like, end of the day who cares. I'm on the course to have fun don't care what others think about which tees. Wish more people thought that way, then they would get out of my way quicker. Hahahaha

Just got back from a golf trip we changed what tees based on the score card at each location. End of the trip couldn't tell you which courses we played tips and which we played up. Doesn't matter but we had fun.

[Sean2]

I agree. I play the senior tees and make no apologies. I find it more fun hitting an iron into a green than a fairway wood or hybrid. It's nice to have the occasional birdie putt as opposed to struggling for a par, or even bogey, on every hole. I think ego has a lot to do with why more people don't move up. They are afraid of what others will think. That said, people can play whatever tees they want...if that is what they really want, lol.

[Singapore Joe]

Maybe it would be helpful to stop calling them women's tees and come up with something that's not gender specific.

I usually play in the daily competitions (for registering the round for handicapping) so I don't have a choice on the tees. There is always maybe one par four which is hard to reach in two and usually that hole is a source of great deal of whining and complaining about unfairness. Now imagine almost every hole on the course being like that, plus many par threes not being reachable with a driver and in the worst case spending several shots being stuck in the trouble for failing the mandatory carry. I do understand that par is just a number but that just can't be a very rewarding golfing experience.

Edit: I would also toss (or slice) the ball to course architects. Unnecessarily often the long tees are really nice with great views and all, then the red tees are just slapped to some random spot down the fairway without any consideration to the playing experience from those tees. If you pay the same not-exactly-low green fee you should get the same playing experience even if you choose to play the shorter tees.

[Sean2]

Exactly, which is why I play the senior tees.

I just call them the forward tees and leave it at that. :-)

[Miss_Tee]

But we still need some "forward-forward" or "extra-far-forward" tees for senior women. ;)

[Londoner]

Pro golf in USA is just a putting competition. Grow some proper woods and rough.

[Singapore Joe]

I was on a golfing trip with my uncle (>70 years of age and recovering from a surgery) and played a lot of forward tees with him. It was a lot of fun that way as well. Definitely forces one to switch off the autopilot and think through the holes, not just pulling the driver off the bag at the tee.

I edited my post after you replied it re: course architecture and forward tees.

[Sean2]

Lol! Senior Forward? Forward Senior? No, that doesn't come out right. *derp

[Singapore Joe]

Let's not make it too easy for them ;) I play occassionally a course which has lots of senior women, up to their late eighties. They've played that course all their lifes and usually proceed to kick my backside pretty thoroughly. 130 yards in the middle of the fairway off the forward tees beats 250 yards and behind a tree off the back tees.

Edit: Plus, often what is a long par three for me is a short par four for them.

[klebs01]

My contrarian take: its ego that drives people to expect to hit greens in regulation. The YMCA doesn't have baskets at 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 feet so everyone can feel like they are playing the same game that NBA players do. People just adapt their game and expectations. Same should apply to golf. One set of tees per day. Change location for variety. Forced carries is generally bad design and should be eliminated.

[Warrior42111]

Anything over one practice swing on full shots should be a 10 yard penalty. Preferably called out audibly by Ed Hochuli

[Sean2]

LOL! Thanks for the laugh. :-)

[Singapore Joe]

Advanced senior tees with shaking grey markers?

[Sean2]

Bobbleheads? :-0

[justasgood]

Unpopular Golf Opinion # 729: All beginners should try to "Help" the Ball into the air by dipping and then swinging up at the ball.

Unpopular Golf Opinion #950: Buying the latest in golf equipment will equate to a lower handicap in a 10:1 ration based on cost of said equipment.

[Miss_Tee]

I’m not sure if this is an unpopular opinion but even if it did guarantee I would never three-putt again I could not use a stand alone putter ???