The forum seems lacking in talk of the greatest game in the world, but Mr Scientist set me thinking this morning with the below....

 

We have always known that Balmedie was a white elephant and his claim that it would be the greatest course in the world was always completely laffable. It's not even the best course within 5 miles of there and there are numerous better in the NE let alone Scotland let alone the UK let alone Europe let alone the world. What he didn't factor in and we all knew was that you can't sell tickets for a minimum of 5 months out of 12. The haar comes in during peak times, July & August to wipe out some days and it's way too cold for tourists in the winter. Plus the price was so ridiculous he was never going to get locals to play it more than once, or occasionally twice or more if a freebie.

While I agree with all of the rest, plus you missed out that he didn't bargain for how long a course takes to be ready for play from new build in our climate, I take issue with how good the course is.

 

Let's forget Trump being a total erse, that's a given. And we'll move past best course in the world because again, that's a helluva tall order, and will always be subjective anyway, and obviously it isn't.

 

I honestly don't think even Royal Snoberdeen can beat it, far less anywhere else in the north east, he truly has built an astonishing layout.

 

What are your issues with the course?

You're not alone. It was such a minority sport that in 1975 at Hazlehead, an academy with a thousand pupils, we couldn't raise a 4-man team for the De Beers Scottish Schools Championship as only three of us played golf. 

When McIlroy dumped his first girlfriend, he bought her a flat in Belfast. Doubt CW would've kneaded his dough. 

Golf is a good analogy.

In the early 70's when golf wasn't popular, it was only real enthusiasts participating. Us kids had been taught well, about the traditions, the history and the etiquette. There was great respect shown towards the game and fellow participants. Then colour TV came along and popularity surged. This brought with it incompetent practitioners and beer-swilling louts. The time it took to play swelled from three hours to 3.5 and then 4 hours, and considerably longer than that often these days. The corporates came along, buying memberships and spoiling the courses with their golf days, where rich businessmen who didn't have a clue would pollute the fairways and they would think they were doing us a favour by "putting money into the club".

It was better and more pure in the past. When it gets too busy, shit starts floating to the top. DT is Panmure in 1970. The hat is the Links next to Pittodrie in 2000.

You have to move with the times, brother. Its easy to sit there and look back with notions of contrived nostalgia. An attitude frequently employed by the older generation, the tartan trousered bufty brigade, those who didn't have the talent to make their mark on the game. 

Quite tragic really that The Amateur has no spectators. People watching, with or without a mask, outside on a classic links are obviously big risks of being spreaders.

Good start by Scotland's best prospect. Ben Schmidt the best in England in my opinion, despite watching Conor Gough in the Walker Cup in September. All these lads not even 18 yet. 

A day with the Ping team tomorrow testing a prototype range of putters 

Who you recon will win the Ryder Cup, @Bigal1903?

That course looks a bit crazy. 

Yanks to win by miles. I know folk say that almost every time but I think this year is a step too far for Poulter, Westwood and Garcia. The only thing that gives a bit of hope is that it's clear that a few big name members of the US team clearly don't care about the Ryder Cup.

9 hours ago, scotfree said:

Who you recon will win the Ryder Cup, @Bigal1903?

That course looks a bit crazy. 

Very hard to see past the Yanks on home soil but then again I've thought that before and been proved wrong.

Best odds I can see at present for European victory is 12/5 at present.

I won't bet on overall because in a two horse race the potentail returns are just not worth it.

I have a day one result bet on USA 5.5 Europe 2.5 @ 8/1.

One thing is certain, I'm looking forward to it more than I am looking forward to going to the St Mirren game on Sunday

23 hours ago, wee toon red said:

Yanks to win by miles. I know folk say that almost every time but I think this year is a step too far for Poulter, Westwood and Garcia. The only thing that gives a bit of hope is that it's clear that a few big name members of the US team clearly don't care about the Ryder Cup.

A bold statement wee toon red, never in my years watching the Ryder Cup have the yanks ever won by miles.  In fact, seldom have they ever won!

A lot being said about the players positions in the world rankings and that the US have 8 of the top 10 in the world but let's be honest the world rankings are a pile of shite in most sports and golf none more so.  They reflect the last few months and are heavily weighted towards a few big tournaments.  If it comes down to a couple of matches on Sunday I'd still back Westwood to do the business against Morikawa, Poulter to beat Koepka or Garcia against DeChambeau. 

I also don't buy the US argument that they have rookies with no Ryder Cup battle scars so won't be weighed down by history.  They seem to trot this one out every few years as if they want to make themselves believe it but their main five or six players have all played before and experienced being humped!

The states are historically crap at creating good partnerships, Harrington eluded to it the other night when he was asked about pairing players from the same country.  He said that does not automatically make a good pairing and you have to consider a lot more than just whether they like each other.  The US broke up their best partnership of Speith and Reed last time around to go with Speith and Thomas just because they are best mates which was just foolish management.

The only negative from a European perspective is that the crowd will be all one sided which does give the US a massive helping hand.

 

 

 

 

 

This place looks nuts.

46 minutes ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

A bold statement wee toon red, never in my years watching the Ryder Cup have the yanks ever won by miles.  In fact, seldom have they ever won!

A lot being said about the players positions in the world rankings and that the US have 8 of the top 10 in the world but let's be honest the world rankings are a pile of shite in most sports and golf none more so.  They reflect the last few months and are heavily weighted towards a few big tournaments.  If it comes down to a couple of matches on Sunday I'd still back Westwood to do the business against Morikawa, Poulter to beat Koepka or Garcia against DeChambeau. 

I also don't buy the US argument that they have rookies with no Ryder Cup battle scars so won't be weighed down by history.  They seem to trot this one out every few years as if they want to make themselves believe it but their main five or six players have all played before and experienced being humped!

The states are historically crap at creating good partnerships, Harrington eluded to it the other night when he was asked about pairing players from the same country.  He said that does not automatically make a good pairing and you have to consider a lot more than just whether they like each other.  The US broke up their best partnership of Speith and Reed last time around to go with Speith and Thomas just because they are best mates which was just foolish management.

The only negative from a European perspective is that the crowd will be all one sided which does give the US a massive helping hand.

 

 

 

 

 

They won 17-11 in 2016, which is miles in the context of the Ryder Cup and I'll be very pleasantly surprised if it isn't similar this time. Europe might manage to make a game of it over the first two days but I can't see any way the Yanks don't romp the singles.

Well, that was shite 😪

Aye, good prediction though min.

Almost like the perfect storm for the americans.  A load of good players all in form, no european crowd, a number of our players out of form plus a couple of questionable decisions by Padraig.

Have to say, you do wonder where our next generation of players are coming from.  We seem to have lost a lot of good players from the top of the game over the last few years.  Thinking of Kaymer, Molinari, Colsaerts, Pieters, Noren, McDowell, Manassero.  It looked as if these boys would be mainstays of our team for years but it hasn't materialised.

Dustin Johnson has resigned from the PGA Tour.  First proper big name to commit to the Saudi money league.  A massive shake up about to happen to the establishment in golf. 🤔 I am suspecting McIlroy will be wishing he kept his cards closer to his chest now.

Wonder what would happen if the Open and Masters announced that these guys would be ineligible to play in their tournaments?  

Dons fan won a tournament in Augusta this weekend. 

Baffling behaviour from the yanks in the crowd at the Ryder Cup. All it’s doing is making Team Europe stronger, and USA are getting the hiding they deserve. Well played Europe for rising above it all, they’re playing brilliantly. 
 

Thick obnoxious pissed cunts. Trump’s America. 

Not just the crowd. Even US players doing things like walking over putting lines of European players. Bet the God Emperor does not turn up today as he won’t want associated with failure. 

5 hours ago, Kowalski said:

Thick obnoxious pissed cunts. Trump’s America

Nah, that's not a Trump thing. You can almost guarantee Trump himself hates that type of behaviour on a golf course. It'll be spoilt rich kids acting like dickheads most likely. They'll vote for whoever their parents donate to.

1 hour ago, Jute said:

Even US players doing things like walking over putting lines of European players.

Rose had to tell a caddy to get out of his eye line once but I don’t think any of the players would have been standing across putting lines, that would have caused a riot. I don’t remember seeing the American players doing too much wrong, just their play has been shite and their supporters are arseholes.

3 hours ago, wokinginashearerwonderland said:

Rose had to tell a caddy to get out of his eye line once but I don’t think any of the players would have been standing across putting lines, that would have caused a riot. I don’t remember seeing the American players doing too much wrong, just their play has been shite and their supporters are arseholes.

Again that may have been the morphine induced hallucinations. 

A good watch this weekend, took me away from the depression that is Aberdeen. Got pretty exciting and nervy at the end!

Anyone else watching The Masters

Could you his finally be the time for Justin Rose 🤞

12 hours ago, BigAl said:

Anyone else watching The Masters

Could you his finally be the time for Justin Rose 🤞

I watched it min, 
Rose played well (and always does) Would have liked to see him win it, but chuffed for Mcllroy and hope he goes on to do the hattrick next year