Royal Birkdale To Be Tiger Proofed

December 22, 2005

Royal Birkdale apparently is going to be Tiger proofed in preparation for 2008 Open championship. A spokesman for the Royal and Ancients says that its a natural response to the players getting bigger, stronger, and hitting them longer.

But I think lengthening the course doesn’t actually “Tiger proof” anything—rather, it plays into the striped one’s hand. By lengthening courses to heroic proportions, organizers practically quarantee that only a few golfers (Tiger among them) will have any chance at all. If you’re not a mad bomber, you needn’t apply.

Now, I know that you can’t redo old classic courses without people screaming, but it makes more sense to me to add a nasty bunker or two in Eldrick’s landing zones than it does to lengthen the course. Or let the gorse grow in and narrow the fairways. Take away the advantage of the super long hitters, and you will get a better competition.