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Peter Pallotta

The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« on: August 13, 2018, 05:09:27 PM »
Following on the success of my 'one word' thread, a 'two word' thread:

Liebniz in the 1700s coined the phrase/concept that we live in  'The best of all possible worlds'. A couple of decades later, Voltaire mocked that notion mercilessly in 'Candide'.

So: in terms of the world & game of *golf*, what do you think? In one or (if necessary) two words:

Q: Do we live in the best of all possible worlds, yes or no?

And

(If no, one word) Q: Why not?


Adam Lawrence

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #1 on: August 13, 2018, 05:32:07 PM »
Ah, Dr Pangloss, I presume?
Adam Lawrence

Editor, Golf Course Architecture
www.golfcoursearchitecture.net

Principal, Oxford Golf Consulting
www.oxfordgolfconsulting.com

Author, 'More Enduring Than Brass: a biography of Harry Colt' (forthcoming).

Short words are best, and the old words, when short, are the best of all.

Peter Pallotta

Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #2 on: August 13, 2018, 05:49:16 PM »
As I thought about it before and after posting, I was surprised to find that I'd answer the question "Yes". 


Ira Fishman

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #3 on: August 13, 2018, 05:56:44 PM »
No.
Money.


Ira

JESII

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #4 on: August 13, 2018, 06:58:58 PM »
I would say Yes, Opportunity.

JMEvensky

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #5 on: August 13, 2018, 08:23:43 PM »

I would say Yes, Opportunity.



Yes--opportunities available.


No--opportunities unable to take advantage of.


Mark me down as conflicted.

Edward Glidewell

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #6 on: August 13, 2018, 08:25:31 PM »
I would say no, because a significant number of the world's best courses are inaccessible to the vast majority of golfers.


I don't have a personal problem with that -- club owners have the right to be exclusive; it's their property. But the fact remains that 99% of golfers will never be able to play courses like Cypress Point, National Golf Links of America, Augusta National, Pine Valley, etc.


EDIT: Just noticed I totally whiffed on the one word part of the prompt. Oops. Ken Moum's subsequent post works as mine, though.
« Last Edit: August 13, 2018, 11:30:16 PM by Edward Glidewell »

Ken Moum

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #7 on: August 13, 2018, 11:19:55 PM »
No.


Access.
Over time, the guy in the ideal position derives an advantage, and delivering him further  advantage is not worth making the rest of the players suffer at the expense of fun, variety, and ultimately cost -- Jeff Warne, 12-08-2010

Thomas Dai

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #8 on: August 14, 2018, 04:06:04 AM »
Yes.
4 words - waterproof shoes and clothing!
atb

Tim Leahy

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2018, 04:36:12 AM »
Pebble Beach


If you have money.
I love golf, the fightin irish, and beautiful women depending on the season and availability.

BHoover

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #10 on: August 14, 2018, 09:44:31 AM »
*Sward* *Loam*

Matthew Petersen

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #11 on: August 14, 2018, 10:22:42 AM »
Sure, if you live in the UK where nearly all of even the best courses are available to the public (for public play or in many cases reasonable rates of membership).


Not so in the US where the vast majority of the best courses are private, the private clubs tend to be quite expensive, opportunities to play at private clubs when they do exist are quite expensive and the good public courses that exist are also rather exorbitantly expensive.


I'm not sure about the rest of the world, seems like it's a mix though more places are like the US model than not.

Peter Pallotta

Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #12 on: August 14, 2018, 11:00:11 AM »
Breaking my own rule to toss out a bit so speculation:

If it could be any different it would be - there's only us here, people/golfers, and so the game as it exists must be what we want it to be, because we're the ones who made it & who keep it this way.

Exclusive American privates (and high priced destination/resort courses) continue to flourish because golfers (ie us) are more than willing to praise & support & value & aspire to high-priced exclusivity. 

Stop travelling so far and paying so much, stop grovelling for access, stop obsessing over a few extra yards via new equipment, stop belt-notching and excessively praising every (purported) new gem, support your local course consistently & above all else, embrace the more-than-occasional pond and trees, stop demanding 'greatness' every time out or believing that you 'deserve' etc - and the world/game of golf would be very different.

But we don't -- and so it isn't. So I suppose that's they way it 'should' be, and that all is well and all manner of things are well.

In short: it is indeed the best of all *possible* golf worlds, given who we are. 

« Last Edit: August 14, 2018, 11:14:53 AM by Peter Pallotta »

Kirk Gill

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #13 on: August 14, 2018, 11:13:33 AM »
No.


Knee.
"After all, we're not communists."
                             -Don Barzini

Sean_A

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Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #14 on: August 14, 2018, 11:15:04 AM »
Breaking my own rule to toss out a bit so speculation:

If it could be any different it would be - there's only us here, people/golfers, and so the game as it exists must be what we want it to be, because we're the ones who made it & who keep it this way.

Exclusive American privates (and high priced American destination/resort courses) continue to flourish because golfers (ie us) are more than willing to praise & support & value & aspire to high-priced exclusivity. 

Stop travelling so far and paying so much, stop grovelling for access, stop obsessing over a few extra yards via new equipment, stop belt-notching and excessively praising every (purported) new gem, stop demanding 'greatness' every time out or believing that you 'deserve' etc - and the world/game of golf would be very different.

But we don't -- and so it isn't. So I suppose that's they way it 'should' be, and that all is well and all manner of things are well.

In short: it is indeed the best of all *possible* golf worlds, given who we are.

Pietro

I dig what you are saying.  Lets not, however, forget that the world we make was built on the shoulders of the world our parents gave us...good and bad. 

Ciao
New plays planned for 2024: Fraserburgh, Turnberry, Isle of Harris, Benbecula, Askernish, Traigh, St Medan, Hankley Common, Ashridge, Gog Magog Old & Cruden Bay St Olaf

John Kavanaugh

  • Karma: +0/-0
Re: The Best of All Possible Worlds?
« Reply #15 on: August 14, 2018, 11:20:53 AM »
I don't get all the whining about access when there is far more opportunity than time.

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