The Errors of Maint Meld & Design over last 70 years

Being from St Andrews and loving Links golf, my view on golf and golf course designs are rather strong. I believe keep close to Nature and the Natural in both the game and more so design – the course should be in balance with its surroundings and that hopefully makes it sustainable, however many modern course and some designers believe that money allows for poor design and even worse taste, so we get courses that need much water and day to day maintenance because they are located in poor sites which have been stripped back to bedrock then reshaped and rebuilt making the course stick out as an alien structure. This can lead to poor design, lack or real hazards and bunkers as shallow that they serve no purpose than just an extension to the fairway. in short, in my opinion many a new course over the last 70 years are poor because poor site selection. Then this idea that golf requires a cart is one of pure fiction and quite frankly laziness on behalf of the player – can’t call him a golfer, because if he was one he would bloody well walk. If you want to play golf you first need a golf course – I wish many would take a trip over to Scotland and see Askernish on the island of South Uist – it was built on existing land for a cost of £50,000 with much work being done by the locals – its a course that embraces the very spirit of what golf is all about and it has a few great holes – if only designers and golfers would take the time to understand Askernish then they would understand design and golf and be able to correct the errors of the last 70 years.
Golf is about commitment and challenges, about the unexpected and the ability to adjust ones game to the course and the weather conditions because the rewards are just as breath taking. I am a man of the Links because its raw fun and exhilarating.