Reply #8: It was amazing ignorance

[Awsi Dooger]

Just look at the extremes. If every hole was 2 feet long, then all the players would be even. If every hole was Atlantic to Pacific, then obviously the big hitters would have a surreal advantage since they gain on every shot.

How that wasn't obvious back in '97 is incredible to me. Lengthening the courses further narrowed the potential champions. I mean, it's been great for me as someone who bets the weekly one-on-matchups because I just use driving distance and putting. All the other criteria became remarkably irrelevant.

But from the standpoint of a golf fan they need to design more holes than favor shotmaking, like the 12th at Augusta. Narrowing the fairways is tricky because you don't want to take away the driver and stick wimpy irons or hybrids in their hands off the tee. I agree the rough should be more penal (penile?), and maybe more doglegs with increased penalty for cutting the corner and not being precise.