A Miscellany for Thanksgiving

On the last evening of a very enjoyable few days at the Walker Cup at Cypress Point in early September, I watched the closing ceremony and speeches taking place in near darkness. This was because play had to be suspended briefly when the flag on the green of the famous par three 16th couldn’t be seen by players waiting to hit their tee shots. Later, once the speeches and other formalities were over, a jolly crowd gathered in front of the clubhouse where drinks were served.

Back at Pebble Beach I ran into Ina Kim and her husband Ian Schaad, a chance encounter that morphed into a lively impromptu dinner party. Little did I know that a month later Ina would pull off an incredible win in the longest ever final of the US Women’s Mid-Amateur with Ian as her caddy. If only the golfing media was less absorbed by endless dreary professional 72 hole medal play events it would be able to give more air time and print coverage to contests like this one which would give golf fans something they could really get excited about.

More than a century ago no less an authority than Charles Blair Macdonald described stroke play as a “ruinous” approach to golf. By contrast, his view was that match play knockout competitions encourage a more strategic game in which players can take “heroic” risks. These are the only truly fair tests of which players are best.

Beyond doubt they’re also among the most thrilling to watch. The drama which unfolded over 23 holes at Monterey Peninsula Country Club’s Dunes Course on October 9 is worthy of a book of the genre perfected by Mark Frost. He would do full justice to Ina’s fascinating back story which would make the narrative both compelling and romantic.

As a teenager she was runner up in the US Girls’ Junior Championship in 2000. Yet despite her huge talent and early golf successes, she stepped away from the game for more than a decade to work in finance and enjoy some of the many other fun things that an elite sports star competing at the highest level doesn’t have the spare time to explore.

Ina was reconnected with golf after meeting Ian, a very keen golfer who encouraged her to play again “just for fun”. Soon one casual round was followed by another and before long her old rhythm and competitive spark were rekindled. In 2016 she was playing tournaments again and in 2018 she returned to the winner’s circle at the Metropolitan Golf Association Women’s Amateur. This was followed in 2019 by her first US Women’s Mid-Amateur victory.

Significantly, Ina is now much in demand as the “Fearless Mind Coach” helping golfers hone their all important mental approach to the game. To learn more about this and to hear how it helped her overcome a serious wobble in the final round of her recent Mid-Amateur triumph just after she’d squandered a two up lead, it’s well worth listening to her Fried Egg Golf podcast which was recorded recently. The tips she provides have applications in many areas of life totally unconnected with golf.

And it wasn’t only Ina’s golf which stole the show in the Monterey Peninsula, a place which has been described as one of the dreamiest on Earth, a little slice of heaven. It happens to be near to where she and Ian got married. A stylist to her finger tips she was, according to one expert, wearing the best outfits seen on any golf courses this year.

This is not to say, however, that great style is only to be found in America. Far from it. Reverting to the other side of the pond while staying with the theme of style, let’s turn to the excellent weekly Paris Diary by Laure - A very personal and subjective view of Paris life for all of you who are curious of what’s going on in France. This is written by the charming Laure de Gramont, granddaughter of the founder of Morfontaine Golf Club, which is by some considerable distance, the best course in France.

I was lucky enough to walk a few holes and enjoy a delightful lunch with Laure when I was playing there last spring. This led to my becoming a regular reader of Paris Diary. It should be essential reading for all Francophiles wherever they live, not least because it has some nice things to say about my home club in England.

“Playing Royal St George’s is such a privilege that it cannot compare to any other golf course thanks to the unique atmosphere which reigns over the club,” Laure wrote. She went on to conclude “Golf is all about style and elegance. And of course the Brits will always win on that level…..” At a time when my country has less to celebrate than I would wish for, these words are music to my ears.

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Mystery continues to surround the identity of the venue for the 2028 Open Championship. The first shots will be hit in only 31 months time and the R&A has yet to announce where they’ll be. Contrast this with the USGA’s approach which has announced all the host courses for the US Open through until 2051. I’m not suggesting the R&A has to go that far but the continued delay inevitably encourages speculation about the reason for it. I believe it would be in everyone’s interest for a decision to be announced as soon as possible.

I’ve heard different stories about what’s happening. One is that political pressure will be applied to play it at Turnberry. If the quality of the course was the only criterion it would be a no brainer. But it isn’t and as long as the course is known as Trump Turnberry other considerations must be taken into account. If it is held there while its owner is President that will overshadow everything else and become a constant and unwelcome distraction from the event itself. This is in addition to the legitimate concerns about spectator access, the extra security measures required and who will pay for them.

A very different theory relates to Muirfield whose return to the Open rota is now long overdue. Here the talk is about possible course changes being demanded by the R&A. Most people who play Muirfield regard it as close to perfection. Coincidentally, Golf Magazine’s widely respected annual course ratings were published this week. They rank it as the third best in the UK and eleventh in the world.

Any proposed alterations that did not command broad support from the Honourable Company’s membership might result in their refusal to host the championship there. The members clearly have the right to protect their course against what some observers might regard as an act of vandalism against a treasured piece of golf’s heritage. At the same time it would be a great pity if the course, which is probably second only to the Old at St Andrews itself in its international recognition, never hosted another Open.

It’s being suggested that these changes are necessary to enable a larger number of fans to attend. Before trying to impose their wishes on potential host clubs the R&A Championship Committee should consider very carefully the impact that cramming 50,000 or more people a day into any golf course has on the quality of the spectator experience.

For a start the journey to the course for all but the most favoured few will involve longer walks and more tedious bus journeys. Then there’s the problem of circulation alongside fairways, around greens and in and out of spectator stands. Accessing refreshments will be harder and slower. For younger fans large galleries will increase their frustration and risk alienating potential recruits to the game.

Less is truly more in some situations and this is definitely one such. I trust that common sense will soon prevail. Let the R&A heed the example of Wimbledon which wisely declined to follow Flushing Meadow’s preference for bigger stands and larger, right in your face, sponsor advertisements. Independent observers have judged that tennis fans have a better time in London than New York.

This is a good moment to bang the drum again for branding the 2028 Open as the “Walter Hagen Centenary Open” and play it at Royal St George’s. Hagen won eleven major championships, third only to Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods. If the Masters had been inaugurated while he was in his prime his tally would surely have been higher but he was over forty before it was first played.

Nevertheless his contribution to the game, not least to raising the status of professionals, was enormous and he won two of his four Opens at Sandwich. The condition of the course has never been better. I rest my case.

Mention of Golf Magazine reminds me that both the English clubs I belong too have risen up the rankings this year. The Old at Sunningdale continues to be the top English course and the Club enjoys the distinction of being the only one to have both its courses ranked in the top 55 in the world.

ENDS