Jack Nicklaus

He’s right you know. Crystalising the argument, what Jack is saying is that golf is losing one of its fundamental constituent parts – the democracy of competition. On the one hand, you can argue that golf is a sport and as such the pros should be prepared to make the most of their ability by training their bodies hard and making the most of the technological innovations out there; and you don’t see Scott Hend, Brett Wetterich or Scott Gutschewski dominating the PGA Tour as they do the driving stats.

But what Jack feels he’s witnessing, with some justification, is the tipping of the scales. And there’s no stopping him…

“Let me say one more thing about the top five players – Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and

er, [someone whispers a name to him] Vijay, thank you. All five have won Major championships and can hit the ball straight but they chose power over accuracy because they got more benefit from power.

That’s what I’m talking about and that’s what’s changing the game, which I don’t think is right. Golf has never been a game where the big man reigns supreme. Golf is a game played by all levels of golfer and that’s what has made golf so great for so many people, not just for the few.”

If you had the power to re-write the rules governing golf technology, what would you do?

“Well, every year we say the golf ball isn’t going to get any longer and the next year the ball lands 20 feet further up the fairway. Until we control the golf ball, we’re never really going to be able to control the distances people are putting the ball. I don’t think that you’re going to change graphite shafts, I don’t think you can change metal heads, perimeter weighting, trampoline faces. The only common thing between all players is the golf ball. If you reigned in the golf ball, Tiger Woods would still hit the ball 20 yards further than everyone else. Most of the manufacturers are happy to do that, but I think there’s probably one manufacturer who doesn’t want to do that, I don’t really want to get any more specific than that.

“If you look at Tiger Woods, he averaged 341.5 yards off the tee at the British Open and I’m sure many of those were with a 3-wood. I mean that’s just crazy. There’s no kind of strategy that can be adopted on any golf course in the world that can withstand that kind of assault.”

Which is the best course you’ve designed?

“If I answered that question honestly, I’m likely to upset at least 250 other people who I’ve designed courses for.”

Fair enough. What are your favourite courses, across the board...

“If I had one last round of golf to play I’d probably go to Pebble Beach. I think St Andrews and Augusta are my two favourite places to go. I love Pinehurst from a design standpoint. It’s a masterpiece by Donald Ross; and the most difficult course of all would have to be Carnoustie.”

Do you have a ritual round before one of your courses is opened?

“I’ve played maybe 90 per cent of them on opening day.”

Do you play well on tracks you’ve designed?

“Some I have, some I haven’t. I’ve won at Muirfield Village, I’ve won at Kings Island a long time ago and The Australian. Let’s see... The Tradition – I won that. I haven’t won the Canadian Open, Castle Pines, English Turn… There are several others of my courses I haven’t won at.”

» Jack Nicklaus part 4