Let it Blow

One of the classics of the sports year begins tomorrow morning with the start of the British Open. For fans of the game, it is simply called The Open.

First off I love golf, but I also love tradition and I love nature being such a big part of this event. The other classic of golf is The Masters. It is also full of tradition and I love it in its own way. The Masters however, is a manicured tradition and was bred from a private invitation only tournament. Not only is the course and the setting manufactured to perfection, the men that run the tournament control every facet of it. At the Masters there are no fans, they are patrons, and there is no rough, it is the second cut. If a commentator makes the mistake of using the wrong word there is a good possibility that he will never be allowed back on the premises. The Masters has that controlled feeling that you might find in a museum of art. The Open, is more like a day at the frozen tundra at Lambeau Field.

The Open is golf brought back to its basics. The weather is a big part of the game and often the biggest star of the tournament. Though held in July, summer in Great Britain is usually quite different from what we see here. We have images of wind howling over the exposed course as players brace themselves for each shot. The wind becomes a factor in where you aim your shot and imagination is brought into play. Players no longer hit high shots like darts into a soft green. They must ride the wind or hit low into the wind, but they must always consider the wind and beware of the contour of the land facing them.

When we play golf here we look at the forecast and hope for a sunny day. For the Open we expect and even hope for some rain. We want to see the golfers bring out their rain gear and caps and brace down for a true fight with nature and themselves. I had my first golfing trip to Ireland a couple of years ago and was almost disappointed by the lack of “terrible” weather. As golfers, I think there is a bit of a masochist in all of us. We want to be faced with the impossible shot and we play for the feeling of conquering that moment even it is only one time out of ten.

Today’s golf pro seldom faces these challenges. They usually play on courses that have been set up perfectly for the week of the tournament. Yes those courses are long and have many man made obstacles, but usually the fairways, bunkers and greens are almost too perfect. Landing in a bunker is seldom much of a penalty and greens are almost always receptive to a shot hit at the pin. At The Open, the rules of engagement change.

The Open golf course rotation features courses that have more been carved out of nature then manufactured. The fairways are not framed by trees and they are not flat. They are hard and rolling and your ball will bounce and run in ways that you do not expect. The bounces will not always be fair. The imagination and character of the player is tested. Here the golf course is not manufactured. Here the player who must manufacture their golf shot. The low bump and run, hitting an iron on a long hole off the tee for position, battling out of knee high wild grass, putting from off the green and playing escape shots away from the hole all become part of the game.

Turnberry, where The Open is played this year, is a true classic. Located on the south west coast of Scotland it is a natural masterpiece. It is the history of golf and it is the history of the land. Turnberry was used as an airfield during WW II and it still retains that feel.

If you can find the time, sit back and slip back to the basics of sport and enjoy this weekend at The Open.