Golf's explosion, though, has led more and more people either to learn golf in mass lessons or from some friend or relative. Too often, these approaches look solely at trying to hit the ball and not the simple things that can avoid unnecessarily lengthening the time it takes to play a round of golf.
As a result, rather than seeing courtesy engrained in new golfers, they may be learning the opposite. And that is one area where Laing hits another tremendous shot. He rightly fears that "soon, we'll have a whole generation of amateur golfers who think that the game is played over a period of five hours." The question is whether that generation is already here.
By the way, when I did return to the links, it was at a private club with limited membership. While that course makes an effort to enforce a four-hour rule — one I never broke after joining — I'm still giving Laing's book to the pro. After all, it can't hurt. Maybe it will even become required reading for new members and those in their family who golf.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
gawd, there are so many 'lack of consideration' problems. like: in a foursome, more than one person really can hit at the same time. also, standing around on the green and recording scores is a great way to make yourself a target.
and, my biggest pet peeve (and sort of related to the last bit)...leaving your bag on the wrong side of the green.
it all adds up.
p.s. i don't play anymore. i lost it out on the course a few years ago, snapped a bunch of clubs over my knee.
2 - Bliffle
Yup, it's slowed down horribly since back in the days when my buddy Arnie (Smith, not Palmer) and i could play 2 rounds before dark if we started at 4PM on lovely city courses. That was in the 50s before TV golf ruined things. Now I just play a nice little par 3 9 holer within a short walk of the house: it goes up and down like crazy, but all I need is a 2 iron, 8 iron and putter (optional: you can use the 2 iron and putt lefthanded) and a couple balls in my pocket. Makes a nice heart-healthy hike too, as the hills are frequent and steep.