During the furore over the few stones appended to the Swilcan Bridge at the Old Course last week, there were one of two comparisons flying about that were actually ludicrous.
One compared what happened – briefly – on the Old Course with the Hogan Bridge crossing Rae’s Creek at the 12th at Augusta National Golf Course.
For a start, that one’s about 600 years younger than the Swilcan. And the walking surface on the Hogan bridge is laid out in the finest artificial turf, rather than ancient stone.
But it’s the footfall that doesn’t even compare.
Augusta National would never allow accurate figures to be given out, but it’s unlikely more than 2-3,000 rounds are played there a year (the course is closed because of extreme heat every year from late May to October).
The Old Course is open for play six days a week, every week. Well north of 50,000 rounds will be played on it in a year.
No harm done, really
The controversial Swilcan Bridge 'patio' has been REMOVED.
St Andrews Links Trust bosses were forced to make a U-turn following outrage from fans and some of golf's biggest names, including former Open champ @NickFaldo006. pic.twitter.com/K2FZY9wmIP
— The Courier (@thecourieruk) February 7, 2023
For me, the ease and speed in which the offensive stones were removed and the area resodded – literally a few hours – underlined the hysterical nature of it all (Vandalism! Monstrosity!)
No harm done, other than a few over-sensitive people having their blood pressure provoked.
But it does reflect the way that the Old Course moves the emotional needle. People are invested in the history and traditions. As if it ‘belonged’ to all of golf, indeed the world.
But it doesn’t.
The Old Course, and the wider St Andrews linksland, is administered and cared for by the St Andrews Links Trust, who deservedly copped the flak for the stones (I’m given to understand they did NOT have R&A approval for the works).
Yes, maybe the most important element of the trust’s articles is that the links should be open to all. This is of course a laudable aim and quite against the usual ethos of other prominent golf clubs or organisations.
But it still doesn’t mean the links belongs to everyone.
The Trustees who oversee the operations and policy at the links comprise of three appointees of the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, three from Fife Council, one from the Scottish Government and the local MP.
The Links Management Committee sits directly below the trustees doing the basic administrative work. It has four appointees from the Royal and Ancient and four from the council.
And their job is the protect and care for the links for those who actually do own it. Which is the people, and the golfers, of St Andrews.
Meanwhile, over in Georgia…
‘One of the most iconic holes at Augusta National will look slightly different for the 2023 Masters. The par-5 13th, commonly known as Azalea, will play 545 yards at this year's tournament. That's an increase of 35 yards’ ~ Patrick McDonald @AmateurStatushttps://t.co/5wQ7FASRjy pic.twitter.com/lBWQGvRW8B
— Eureka Earth® (@EurekaEarthPlus) February 7, 2023
While all the furore was going on at the Swilcan, back over at Augusta they were confirming the long-rumoured new back tee for the 13th hole there.
It’ll now play 545 yards. In last year’s Masters, it was 510. When the great partnership of Dr Alister Mackenzie and Robert Tyre Jones completed the course in 1932, it was a mere 480 yards.
The club make great play of adhering to the founding philosophies of Dr Mackenzie and Jones. It’s almost their central ethos in the way that ‘open to all’ is at St Andrews.
But even a cursory examination of the course now shows they actually gave all that up long ago.
Mackenzie died in 1934, Jones struggled with crippling illness, and they almost immediately started picking apart the founders’ ‘philosophy’. Which was, of course, based upon the men’s mutual love of the Old Course.
The good people at GolfClubAtlas.com – proper enthusiasts for golf architecture – point out that calling Augusta National a Mackenzie course is now ‘false advertising’.
To say, for example, the good doctor would have approved of the 7th green bunkering is simply a lie.
Open to all, and open to few
So be wary when anyone in Green Jacket invokes the original designers to justify this latest change, as they no doubt will do.
And I can’t be the only one who wonders why there was such an outcry over a bit of course furniture not even in play at St Andrews, but next to none about the manifest change to the playing nature of another of the game’s great and treasured venues.
The difference, of course, is that the Old Course is open for anyone to walk up and get their picture taken. On the Swilcan Bridge or any other part.
While Augusta National is intensely private. And hidden behind ten-foot high fences for all but one week of every year.
I know which ethos I prefer.
Let the people who really matter decided
For context, here’s how the approach to the Swilcan Bridge looked in October 2022. pic.twitter.com/EWnrpwTg5v
— Michael McEwan (@MMcEwanGolf) February 5, 2023
Anyway, what do we do with the Swilcan Bridge now? The lush sod laid by the magnificent greens staff will take. Then it’ll get tramped down by countless hundreds of thousands of feet and end up a muddy mess again probably by November.
Maybe it’ll just stay like that. But if not, rather than go rogue again, I think the Links need to get a collective idea, in the spirit of the Trust itself.
Bring in all the councillors and both the St Andrews Community and Preservation Trusts. Somebody from each of the golf clubs. Then commission a few people for ideas, or even hold a competition for a solution.
You’re not going to get something that satisfies everyone. But at least you’d know it was approved by all the people that actually matter.