Jack Nicklaus knows that Augusta National Golf Club can keep up with changing technology in the game.
He doesn’t necessarily like that it must do so.
Even as an Augusta National member made a subtle gesture for Nicklaus not to elaborate on specific changes to the golf course, the six-time Masters champion indicated three holes that could be lengthened to keep up with increasing distances from club and ball advances. Nicklaus mentioned the 575-yard No. 2, 455-yard No. 5 and 510-yard No. 13.
“Here at Augusta National, the conversation is are you going to take 13 back because you just bought a piece of Augusta Country Club; are you going to take No. 2 back because you closed Berckmans Road, are you going to take No. 5 back because you closed Berckmans Road,” Nicklaus said. “Those are all the result of technology, and are those the things we really need to be doing? You know, if it is, then Augusta National is the only place that I know in the world that's been able to keep up with what's going on. Every other golf course would be obsolete to that and they have to make changes as they have an event, which is generally what happens.”
Gary Player and Nicklaus spoke Thursday morning after hitting ceremonial tee shots to open the 82nd Masters.
Player said he played a round with follow South African Trevor Immelman on Sunday and the former winner hit second-shot 7-irons into the greens at the par-5 Nos. 2, 13 and 15.
They are running out of places to expand championship courses. Nicklaus noted that the 1896 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills played at just over 4,400 yards (4,423) and that the 2018 U.S Open at the same course will play about 7,500 yards (7,445). He also noted the differences in playing times with longer courses.
“Is that what you really need to have happen?” Nicklaus said. “That's sort of the debate today and sort of what ‑‑ how do we rein in what's happening in the world? How do we rein in what's happening with equipment? How do we rein in just to keep within the limitations of what the game ‑‑ when you talk a golf course that becomes 7,500 yards versus 4,400 yards or play the British Open in two hours and 20 minutes, we were playing a golf course that was probably 6,500 yards at the time and now we're playing a golf course that's 7,500 yards. Does it take longer to play a golf course that's 7,500 than 6,500? Absolutely.”
Augusta National Chairman Fred Ridley did not offer specifics as to future changes to the golf course but acknowledged there is an issue.
“We are intent on making sure that we maintain the design philosophy that Mr. (Bobby) Jones and Alister MacKenzie devised,” Ridley said. “And with the shot values that they thought were important, we have done what we felt was appropriate through the years to maintain that philosophy and that design, those design parameters. There's a great quote from Bobby Jones dealing specifically with the 13th hole, which has been lengthened over time, and he said that the decision to go for the green in two should be a momentous one. And I would have to say that our observations of these great players hitting middle and even short irons into that hole is not a momentous decision. And so we think there is an issue, not only there, but in the game generally, that needs to be addressed.”
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