Good luck on your new adventures, Brad! I am anxious to keep in touch and see where this next chapter of your career takes you!!!

Brad, We met a few times in the years I was active with the Ross Society. Nice memories! This is a fine piece, and I hope just an appetitive-whetter for those of us who think of Golf aesthetically as much as competitively. I might disagree that points 5, 6, and 7 doenough justice to the notion or architectural appeal (though I fully agree with them). I look forward to future articles of yours which address course aspects like hole variety, strategic set-up, the blending of natural elements (water, trees, elevations, rocky outcroppings) with design features like bunkers, tiered greens, elevated tees. The aesthetic side of Golf cannot be underestimated, the shaping and undulations like a beautiful woman’s body can reside in my memory for years, even if I played the course only once. So, write on!!

Brad:
Great first article with your new position! Your expertise will really help the millions of viewers of the Golf Channel learn substantially about Golf Course Architecture. I hope you are featured often!
Congratulations!
Best Regards,
Tom Schneider
St. Louis, MO

Wonderful,concise, well written article by an extremely bright guy. I continue to learn from you and to enjoy your knowledge. I hope golfers heed your advice regarding playing from the correct tees and finishing out their putting. All the Best to you going forward in your new position

Truer words were never spoken. I play the 100 year old antique hickory clubs that my grandfather made. He was sent to America in 1897 by Old Tom Morris to be a pro/greenkeeper/club maker. I play at our home Club from tees that are 5300-5500 yards because the old stix don't hit the ball as far and are much less forgiving than modern clubs. Most everything in this article can be said about playing antique hickory as well.

Excellent analysis of why most golfers don't enjoy the game from the tees they choose. Unless you can carry your drive over 250 yards,don't play a.course longer than 6500 yards. If you carry 225 yards, play at 6000 to 6250 That way you can " replicate the second shot of the average " pro

Bradley -- Greetings! from beautiful Western NC. I found your article here very informative and refreshing.
Re: point no. 7 "Walk, don't ride" -- I have a tag on my golf bag which is likely 10 years old. It says 'USGA
Walking Golfer'. So just yesterday my golf buddies I were only able to walk after asking in the pro shop. (Broadmoor GC, Public Course, and highest rating for walkability).
The response was a polite " OK this time because it's not very busy, but our policy is walking only after 3 PM. Can you help point me in the right direction for support so that we can approach management and suggest that expanding their waking policy can be a win-win for management and players alike? I recollect years ago GOLF DIGEST championed a 3 part series advocating 'Your Right to Walk', but no help with a strategy for players to effectively approach management. I also recollect somebody referring to a National Golf Foundation report debunking the myth that walking slows down play. I'd love to have access to that article or something (credible, evidence-based) like it. An on-line "Society of Walking Golfers seems to be of little help with more than rhetoric about the benefits.

Thanks much, Bradley!

Jim Reed
age 73, USGA hndcp. 14

Great insights. Thank you. Wish more players would abide ~ they’d definitely have more fun and isn’t that what it’s all about!!

Glad to see you are still active. You and The Forecaddie are the reasons I continuously re-subbed to Golfweek. I wonder if I'll ever get to all the architecture books I've purchased.

I have severe vertigo and cant walk either uphill or downhill but still love Pebble or Ballybunion or Old Head in a cart