If we were to start again from scratch, how would the game of golf be different today? For those of us with a vested interest in navigating the modernisation of the sport, this is a question that often gets asked. My own answer is fairly simple, albeit radical and at the moment hard to imagine... Reduce the number of holes from 18 to 12.
Time is the enemy of almost all those for whom golf plays an important social and sporting role. As a 40-something with two young kids, most of my golf outings involve fewer than 18-holes already and yet, because of the age-old format, I play less competitive golf than ever. To avoid getting stuck, I'm forced to play the majority of my golf when the course is quiet, first thing in the morning or at the end of the day.
