Golf: They're too geared up

In a game renowned for its uncertainty, it is more than likely that the New Zealand Open scoring record over 72 holes will be smashed at Gulf Harbour today. The current mark of 18 under, set by Australian Rodger Davis at The Grange in 1986, was under threat from day one when Steven Bowditch was nearly halfway there after just 18 holes.

Oliver Wilson, the 54-hole leader, was just one off the mark last night and despite yesterday's conditions being the most demanding of the tournament, 12 of the top 20 on the leaderboard broke par.

There is every chance the new record set by today's winner will be a number more in keeping with what's commonplace on the US PGA Tour in the still airs of places like Tucson and Texas and be in excess of 20-under par.

So why is a score nearly two decades old set to be comprehensively broken - and does it matter that the leaders in this New Zealand Open will have brought what was supposed to be a challenging golf course to its knees? New Zealand golfing great Frank Nobilois far from bothered by the low scoring.

"As long as he is a worthy champion and the course has been fair, I don't think the score matters. There are people in golf, especially the United States Golf Association, who just hate having the winner of say the US Open in double figures under par. So they trick up the golf course, like they did at Shinnecock Hills last year. It was just about unplayable."

New Zealand's top player of the 80s and 90s is far more critical of the way modern equipment has rendered many holes on Gulf Harbour nothing more than a drive and a pitch.

"The reality is that even though it says par 72 on the card, it's really a par 68 or 69 because three of the par fives are very reachable in two. This course has become so much easier to play since I was here at the 1998 World Cup because of the advances in technology."

Observations of the way the front nine, in particular, are played bear that out. The only par four where a wedge isn't used for the second shot is the 406m ninth hole.

The supposedly fearsome 16th , at 424 metres, admittedly downwind, required only a three wood or two iron off the tee, followed by a five or six iron to the green.

Nobilo sees three pieces of equipment as being detrimental to the game - the ball, the driver and the lob wedge.

"I think the lob wedge is the worst thing. When you miss a green on the short side, you can still save par with a 60 or 64 degree wedge shot which will land softly. That's the equipment allowing a player to go unpunished after a poor shot."

Nobilo also thinks modern equipment is contributing to the so-called lack of personality in the modern game.

"Today's ball is designed to fly high and straight and stop quickly. A pin tucked tight can be attacked with a high, soft shot, even with a medium or long iron, because the ball will stop quickly. In years gone by you had to shape a shot to get the ball close to tight pins."

Like many who played at the highest level, Nobilo's adamant the game's rule-making bodies, the Royal and Ancient and the USGA, have to take steps to control the advances in equipment. But he can't see it happening.

"The manufacturers are running and ruining the game. But they will lose out in the long run because people are turning off the game because of this lack of personality. Less people are playing, therefore less people buy equipment.

"New technology is also making it more expensive. Golf should be far cheaper to play."


- Herald on Sunday