Links Trust Head Says R&A Probably Never Expected To Get Its Way With Old Course Changes!

Even better, St. Andrews Links Trust head honcho Euan London uses a baseball analogy in making a stunning comment about the extreme nature of Old Course changes that his organization ultimately approved.

From John Huggan's must-read dissection of the Old Course meddling:

“So I understand there are legitimate counter arguments, one that says ‘don’t ever tinker with the Old Course’, and another outlining the futility of trying to out-run technology.

“There was, however, no obligation on our part to go along with the R&A’s wishes. In fact, when they first came to us I don’t think there was any expectation in the minds of Peter and Jim that any of this was going to pass first base.”

As Huggan pieces together, the original stance of the parties involved turned out to be a fictional account. Or at the very least, one designed to mislead about the chain of events.

The original Friday news dump press release suggested the changes were dictated by recommendations from architect Martin Hawtree, but as a subsequent admission from R&A Chief Peter Dawson hinted and Loudon confirms to Huggan, the changes were entirely driven by the R&A and that Hawtree was hired by the Links Trust merely to implement the plan.

“From my perspective, the R&A came to us with what they saw as the ‘big picture’,” says Loudon. “Martin was the detail man.”

Why does this matter? Because we have a governing body making changes to a masterpiece--the masterpiece--for no apparent reason other than to try and elevate scores and mask their regulatory malfeasance.

Sadly, Loudon reveals that the approach to the work wasn't even that thorough in its cynical calculation.

Players like Tiger Woods have wondered how they could try to make the Road hole tougher considering its astronomical scoring average at every Open Championship. Huggan, in going through each of the changes with Loudon, wonders how a hole like the Road could average closer to bogey than par and still need to be made tougher with new greenside contouring.