Golf in 2017: Five things that would be cool to see in the new year

Designing shorter courses, convincing others that short is better

I have beat this topic down like a drum. So much so, that I think the drum now has a big hole in it from getting hit so many times (new drum as a late Christmas gift? Just for beating of course).

For some strange reason, some of us tend to think that 18 holes is the absolute only way to play and anything else seems unacceptable. That is completely wrong and is honestly one of the biggest head scratchers in all of golf.

I would like to kindly challenge those of you who believe 18 is the only way. Let me pose a question to thee.

How many times in a year, do you get a chance to play 18 holes? If you get a ton of rounds in, it’s either, you have a lot of time on your hands, or you have money to blow.

Our brains function funnily at times. More than likely, the guy who plays 20 to 30 rounds a year, assumes the average man can also do this.

As I may have mentioned in an article or two in the past, if it has nothing to do with us personally, then we simply don’t care, at least not enough. It’s not our fault, it just happens that way a lot.

In regards to this topic, it’s an attitude of “if I can play 30 rounds a year, then so can you”. Some people need to realize however, that a lot of people don’t have the time or money to play all of those rounds.

Heck, the ones saying 18 is the only way, may also not get that many rounds in a season. Which is why I asked the question; how many 18 hole rounds do you get in per year?

That’s where shorter courses come in. Nine holers, par-3 courses, you name it, they all bring fun and challenging designs to whet our golf appetite.

Furthermore, you don’t have to worry about walking off the 18th green, feeling exhausted. Playing nine holes is a great way to get a ton of quality golf in, while still getting a very solid amount of exercise.

The Masters, arguably the world’s most famous golf tournament,  features an annual par-3 contest as we all know and love. What better place to have a par-3 tournament than at Augusta National?

But, it would be great if we saw more truly competitive tournaments on short courses. The Masters par-3 event is during practice rounds and is fairly popular.

So imagine if short tracks could be used for more competitive situations on TV? The tube is quite a manipulator, so if people watch professional golf on a par-3 course that’s for a shiny trophy in the end, it may fuel a passion within fans to start playing these courses more.

Plus, the golf would be really exciting and heart thumping. In a normal 18 hole round, you’ll experience your ups and downs, but on par-5s and par-4s, you’ll have more opportunities to score. When you’re looking at a layout with nothing but par-3s, this puts the pressure on the player to try to nail as many greens as possible.

Although they’re shorter, they very well could be the hardest holes in golf. You have one shot, if you miss, you’re probably dead.

This type of pressure would make the competition quite exhilarating for the players and the fans watching at home. Next thing you know, you’re grabbing your favorite irons and hitting a shorty.

Same applies for a regulation nine holes. What makes playing a normal nine great, is the fact that you’ll get the opportunity to use different shots in your bag, while carrying less sticks.

Besides, as I may have mentioned before, 18 holes wasn’t always the typical way to play golf. Golf started in the streets, and then when St. Andrews was discovered , it became a 10 hole track, eventually working its way into the 18 hole design we know today.

So, a good New Year’s resolution would be for us to play more short courses. We’ll feel good, enjoy a nice round at a nice course and save money and time.

Because although 18 holes are nice, don’t you want to play more often? You play shorter courses, you’ll probably be able to do so.