Nick Faldo believes golf should be making a more conscious effort to endorse shorter golf courses to promote a more forward thinking and family friendly approach to the sport.
There have been several initiatives to try and make golf more ‘fun’ and less time consuming with ‘Ready Golf’ proving to be a success. However, golf’s constant obsession with lengthening golf courses is a huge factor as to why rounds of golf are threatening the five hour mark.
Do people really have the time for 18-hole singles put out in four balls? Faldo reckons the future is shorter 12-hole courses rather than beastly 18-hole championship layouts.
Speaking to The PGA, Faldo said he is a “huge fan” of shorter courses moving forward.
“I’ve been pushing that for years and it’s been blooming difficult!” he explained. “You go to a hotel and they say, ‘We want an 18-hole championship course.’ I say, ‘It’s not going to be championship, you haven’t got the room. Why don’t you have a nice 12 holes?’ ‘No, we’ve got to have 18.’ We’ve been fighting that.
“It’s taken 20-plus years but we’re finally getting people to go, ‘You know what? Eighteen is a lot. I can’t disappear from the family for six hours.’ Pop down, do nine holes. Do 12. I’m a big fan of 12 holes, because you can do two sixes. Do another one and there’s your 18.”
Faldo also related that the Open Championship began as a 12-hole championship and thinks the R&A should explore more options like it.
“The Open started with 12 holes,” he added. “It’s a good story. I’m trying to get the R&A to back me on that one because I’m saying, ‘You started that way. Why don’t we just push that?’ That will happen more.”