This take might deviate from the topic but I do feel it is relatable and a big challenge for the game of golf today when we are exploring ways to grow it. I think one misconception that exists in golf is that it is public/munis vs elitist, snobby private clubs when in fact there are hundreds of thousands of smaller, very much middle class private clubs that have been around in some cases, like my course, for over 100 years that have been struggling since 2008, some of which have filed for bankruptcy and/or sold and developed. These memberships largely consist of middle aged membership who are blue collar, hardworking members that like to have a good time. The easy answer as to why these clubs have struggled is declining membership but I think the data has shown across regions that there just aren't members. One thing that doesn't help grow the game and increase membership at these clubs is the perception I mentioned above. Tournament golf on the amateur level is a dying breed in American golf. People think an 18 hole scramble is a tournament nowadays and that is a shame. Feedback I have gotten is people feel intimidated joining a club and playing in a quota or four-ball bc they don't know the rules. I belong to a club just for the tournaments and camaraderie. The USGA should be doing a study on the deaths of smaller private club across the country then worrying about how far pros hit it. Viewers are going to watch the PGA/US Open whether it is at a muni or Brookline.

As some allude to, access to major sites has two parts: physical and financial. The UK model is more "equitable" (IF one has the financial ability, one can access) and potentially game sustaining but most powers to be on this side of the pond are too wrapped up in their own egos to see the greater good and perpetuate the extreme elitist model. Golf is seeing a temporary surge but once the pandemic is under control, it will continue its decline as time and cost barriers are not going away with the way the game is currently structured, which are incongruent with modern life. The Metacomet's of the USA will happen with greater frequency - sad but reality.

I agree on GW in Boston, great layout and it would be tremendous to have a PGA Championship in the city. Time to call Mr. Crenshaw! Triggs Memorial is fun too!

As a former New Yorker, The Black was a steal, and I let it beat me up too many times to count! The Red could host a championship and is worth a trip to Bethpage to play it if you live in the region.

I agree, golf gets REAL expensive when you think about playing at a course where a pga tournament has been played at. On Maui, for instance, even to play the Kapalua Plantation course for locals is over $100. It is not a municipal course, but still, $100 round gets expensive. We play the municipal, Waiehu course along the beautiful coastline of Kahului harbor for $30, or $20 when we shared a cart before covid. If golf is ever going to really engage larger numbers, it needs to make it affordable for more people, this includes senior citizens.

Golf is stuffy. Always has been. I live close to Torrey, awesome to play and know what the pros have done there.

However the $240 they charge nonresidents is outrageous. At that price point, there’s better courses in the area.

a $300/round muni??!! $15 million redo!!!??

Just a dream but wouldn't it be nice Add 4 Ross Courses with some work, Wilmington Muni in North Carolina, Green Complexes are outstanding, only plays about 6800, par 71, looks like it has some back tees they don't use any more. The North East could use a Major event, were pretty deprived of PGA golf now a days!! Triggs Memorial in Providence, Save Metacomet from Brad Faxon. Up near Boston in Canton Ma there old Ponky # 1. In Boston, there is real gem, George Wright GC a city owned Munil, par 70, ignore the card, it plays about 6800 + from the tips to back of the greens because of a bunch of new tees, with room to move back on some par 4's and 2 of the par 3' s, restore an old tee on a third par 3. Eight par 4 's out of 12 play over 400! Only one guy has had the guts to try public courses on a regular basis is Mike Davis! We need Ben Crenshaw to restore GW get rid all the over growth!

Why do you insist on calling Bethpage Black, Torrey Pines, Pinehurst #2, and some of these other Muni's "Affordable". There is an obvious disconnect between price and value. I don't know what it costs to play Harding Park, but it is like Bethpage and Torrey, only the locals get a break on the green fees. If I am not a resident of the counties those courses are in, I'll be paying north of $100.00 to play there, which added to the cost of traveling there, lodging, etc. makes them far from affordable. The talking heads keep saying they want to be more inclusive, yet elitism in the form of cost is still a huge barrier.

Forget exactly where I read it but the story was that there is just a lot of bureaucracy in dealing with some government agencies. Shocking! I know.

This point is well made, there are certainly a number of high quality public courses that would be challenging for the pros. But Collin Morikawa's point (perhaps implied by McIlroy) could be even stronger if the private US major venues made some rounds available as well. We are only able to enjoy playing private Open venues because most of these clubs allow non-members access one or more mornings/days a week. The joy of playing such tracks as Royal Dornoch, Muirfield, and many others should be repeated on our side of the pond.