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July 14, 2005
St. Andrew, Meet Prometheus
Posted by Nick
The British Open starts today and apparently some of the gang at the old course think "technology is a four letter word."
The Old Course has met the New World, and it's not pretty.
"Technology is a four-letter word around here," MacKenzie added. "That shows you how good we can spell. We just call it the new stuff, and the new stuff is nae (not) golf."
Already, the technological advancements in the sport have literally made the ground shake in St. Andrews. Prior to the Open, the Old Course was lengthened by 164 yards. Five new tee boxes were constructed to bring some outdated bunkers back into the equation. To do this, the Old Course had to borrow land from adjacent courses on the property.
Yet the additional length - the No. 14 hole now measures 618 yards, the longest on any British Open course - has had no discernible effect during practice rounds played in nearly ideal conditions. Now players are wondering if, in lieu of foul weather, the Royal and Ancient brigade will resort to foul play.
"It will be interesting to see how tough they'll put the pins, over the knobs or on the corners," Tiger Woods said. "That would be the only defense if the wind doesn't blow. Otherwise, the guys will shoot some (low) numbers."
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Nick Schulz is the Editor of Tech Central Station and has worked in media circles and the ideas industry as a writer, editor, television producer and policy analyst. His writings have appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, Slate, The National Post of Canada, The Baltimore Sun, Investor's Business Daily, The Washington Times, National Review, Reason, Policy Review, and several other publications. He is also, it should be said, a rabid sports fan whose fandom is inversely proportional to his overall athletic ability.
1. Janet Elaine Smith on July 15, 2005 02:16 PM writes...
Since we are talking about St. Andrews Golf Course, do you know who the most famous golfer to ever play the Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland? No, it wasn't Tiger Woods. It was probably Mary, Queen of Scots. Yes, according to historical fact, she was the first woman golfer. What would she have thought of today's golf scene?
Permalink to CommentTo find out how the old and the new might have meshed, check out the award winning timetravel, Par for the Course, by Janet Elaine Smith, where a modern-day golf pro from Paris (Texas, no less!) hooks up with Mary, who has just returned to Scotland from Paris (France, of course!).
Par for the Course was chosen by Affaire de Coeur Magazine as "best timetravel of 2003" and it was given a RIO Award of Excellence in March, 2005. You will never view a game of golf the same way again!
To read an excerpt and to order, go to http://janet_elaine_smith0.tripod.com/id6.html