Re: Americans vs The World

Hi GJS,

That's a tough one . Lets consider Luke Donald for example, he has one of the smoothest flowing swings I have seen and although English he lives in Chicago and was educated at University there.

Re: Americans vs The World

The Swedish are the best and most consistent golfers in the world.

Re: Americans vs The World


Point well taken. But, as you say he is English, and perhaps his English culture, and/or ancestry is an attribute to his fine swing. GJS

Re: Americans vs The World

So many ways to address this...

Statistically speaking, the more players in at the developmental level "should" by way of a flow on effect produces more players out at the elite level.

Success breeds success is a popular maxim, so where a nation is succesful, then you will find a greater number of supporters and those wishing to emulate the feats of their heroes.

And of course the age old chestnut......

"Money" and infrastructure. Meaning in order to provide the facilities and equipment and trainers and coaches at all levels requires a bankroll...

Also each continent has its own share of "classic" golf courses that professionals and amateurs alike aspire to play on, and each provide their own inherent challenges. The wonderfully windswept links style of the British courses. The tough tight courses of America. The hard and fast treacherous putting surfaces of Royal Melbourne & Huntingdale here in Australia.

There was a time a few years ago when one G Norman was the only Aussie that Joe Bloggs on the street might know as an elite player in world golf. Even though your more dedicated club golfer who followed the movements of world golf may have been able to name 2-3 others. Now, however, we have 10 or 12 Aussies on the PGA Tour and several of them have been very succesful. Scott & Ogilvy to name the obvious 2.

These guys may or may not have idolised the younger G Norman in their respective youths, and indeed they both (as others have) move residence internationally to continue their learning and find tougher competition to hone their skills...

I guess I am saying that perhaps, given Golf is a truly international sport, perhaps a players Nationality is becoming a lesser part of what drives them.

Re: Americans vs The World

hi
i do think that the money in the usa has a lot to do with it, 200th in the money list there made $8,000,000 for the last 3 yeras and i have never heard of him, there are so many played making a very good living just making the cuts in the usa now, in the uk the need to win seen more as so many played lose there cards and have to go to school again to get there cards back. i also think the uk tour has so many diffrent type courses the play on and the weather plays a bigger part in uk golf and you have to play under the wind more and think and invent shots more, what i have seen on tv of the usa tour most times its the high aproch shot that sticks to the green so the players use that type of shot day in day out as it works there. i was listening to jack nicklaus and garry player talk about how the great course of the world were beeing beaten by the new equipment, garry at 72 years old hits the ball 55 yards longer now than when he was 25. both thought that the golf balls should have a limit inposed (300 yards) if only for the pros so the great couses like st andrews can still stage the the open and not shoot 20/25 under par or more. only great course that still seems to tame the golfter is carnoustie in scotland, so many have to be made longer and new bunkers put in that it changes the course and not always for the better.
bill

Re: Americans vs The World

golfjunkie,
when you say americans, are you refering to north americans, south americans, central americans, or all of the above?

Re: Americans vs The World


Is there more than one America???

Re: Americans vs The World

Well if you mean they are consitently above average then I agree.
If you mean that they are consistently the best then I totally disagree.

Re: Americans vs The World

hi cmays
yes when jack was talking about limeting the ball he said that some guys would still outdrive most and hit 300 yards and the rest would be back about the 250 mark. what he was on about was having to change all the top courses as the ball continues to fly longer and most course's you cant make them longer and most of bunkers are no lnger in play. he said you can now drive 4 par 4s at st andrews and that takes out all the bunkers there, par 5s are a joke as you can get there in two on most, he was saying olse the equipment is so good now that even a bad shot aint as bad as it use to be, he said you can only srink the fairways so far and gor the rough so high that if you keep going that way you will change the game so much and not for the better, i do think that too, i have played a few round at my old couse ( oldest one in the world, musselburgh) with wooden shafted clubs and found it so hard to get the ball in the air, made me think of how great the old players were back in the late 1800 and early 1900 who won the open here.
golf balls are restricted in how far they fly just now and have been since the small uk ball was replaced by the usa bigger ball. taking 30 yards of all balls would bring in the bunkers on a lot of course but some will still hit longer than others, to see players drive 50 yards past the bunker and have just a wedge on almost ever other hole its not as entertaining as seeing players
playing with all the bunkers in play.
bill

Re: Americans vs The World

Great Thread,

I think Europeans may just have the advantage and in my opinion I feel Golf is a little tougher in Europe, GB & I especially as the weather conditions we are raised playing in, our costal courses are wet and windy, needless to say very difficult also inland courses aswell go through the 6 months of the year when we loose great distance and roll etc

I suppose that I am trying to say from children playing the game in Europe we are taught many different shots to combat many different conditions and a tough mental ability to play when the weather gets tough.

However I am probably completly wrong as I have never been lucky enough to play in America, although I would love too, their courses are much longer and more pictureque than ours, with loads of water. So I suppose Americans hit it loads further with better climates, but have water to put up with.

I notice on tour that American courses have high rough around the green and play more flop shots than we do, with out chip and runs, 3 woods around the green etc.

So I am only guessing Europeans produce better players on past Ryder Cups, needless to throw a spanner in that Monty and Westwood and many more learned their game in America.


Ian.

Re: Americans vs The World

I have played a fair bit of Golf in the USA and have found some really nice courses, even the municipal courses can be good.

I have found a slightly different attitude by golfers in the States though, I don't like to generalise and I don't want us to get back into that slanging match that happened in a recent thread regarding USA and European golf.

My son lives in the USA and is a keen golfer, when I go out with him we have been paired up with others by the starter, American guys I have played with have been very polite and friendly but seem to be more laid back about the game, they have tended to take a few bottles of beer with them in the cart and seem less intense when playing. At home we seem to generally take the game more serious. Please don't take this as criticism.

What is junior golf like in the USA? It is well supported over here and has started to create some excellent young players.

Re: Americans vs The World

hi ian
i dissagree that westwood and monty learned there game in the usa, both were good player before they went to the usa college. i think you could say they fined tuned there game there. i know with monty his family gave him 3 years to see if he could make it in being a top pro golfer and sent him to the usa, if he had not been good before he went he would never have been taken into the usa system. now most top uk pros spend some time in the usa college system, monty was his college no 1 in his first year there.
bill

Re: Americans vs The World

Hi Bill,

One thing is for sure from both our threads the Americans look after there young talent better than we do, thats why alot end up in college there, I had Montys Biography for Christmas this year and just finished reading it, his first college was a Mexican army college, he lasted one day and climbed out of the window and rang his father from the airport, best move he ever made because he found another college on a walk in basis only for the first year and the rest is history.

You are correct they did learn there games over here, I am trying to say that if it wasn't for the American system then they may not have made it.

How many colleges do we have in this country? that cater for golfers...............I can name three.


Ian.

Re: Americans vs The World

Ah a different debate could open up here.

If I've read you right any implied criticism would be of the laid back American attitude; however you could turn that round and say that we in the UK are at fault for being too intense.

Do you know anyone who's a pain to play with they take it all too seriously (in fact do you think its possible to take it too seriously?)?

Unless its a competition, and even then does this face look bovvvered? its not the end of the world losing, then I'm with the Yanks, have a chat, have a stroll, have a beer and enjoy it.