New practice facility being built...

[golfbulldog]

Scenario

In the pacific there is an island where the game of golf has rarely been heard of but the inhabitants are sports mad and generally healthy. The inhabitants are made up of a wide variety of racial mixes and there is little racial tension between them. Inter-racial marriage has been practised for many generations and the general physical characteristics of the people appear to be somewhere between brazilians (no waxing jokes Mandrin - I know your sense of humour! ) and people from the Caribbean. Their best athletes have already represented their island at the Olympics and won sprinting medals in track and swimming.

Their economic status appears to be simliar to ... pick your own comparison place...but we are not talking G8 country....they have only two 18 hole courses (1 of which is private and the other "pay and play") but there are 2 pitch and putt facilities and lots of barren space available for practice ranges.

Futher investment is limited - no more golf course building but some cash for developing practice facilities...They do have internet though...

Questions

How would you introduce golf to this island's population in such a way that they might have a chance of winning an Olympic Gold medal within 20 years (or a real major)?

Or ...

What things do golfers in Europe/North America/ Australasia/ Asia commonly learn/encounter early on in their journey that hinder/help their development ?

 

[golfbulldog]

Would you introduce a handicap system to the island? (ie. what are the merits of the handicap system in developing elite golfers?)

Do our current practice facilities (driving ranges) help or hinder the development of shot making/ tournament players?

How do golf business/leisure industries help/hinder elite player development?

What was it about caddying that made Byron and Ben etc. so good?

Brian (or anyone), if the mythical president of this mythical island came to you with a JFK-style concept dream (eg. men on the moon before this decade is out) to get Olympic Gold for the island in Golf - how would you set up the infrastructure to achieve the goal??

 

[Chip Putterman]

golfbulldog, you are describing the City of New Orleans. The similarity with your scenario is though provoking. New Orleans is basically an island with a wide variety of racial mixes, it has produced many great athletes in various sports and has a government that often resembles a banana republic. But golf is another story. The city has very few golf courses, only one public driving range and no short game practice areas. Perhaps we could start there.