Ivan Morris is a dedicated golf nut….he has the award to prove it.  But more than anything he is a thoughtful and insightful student of the game.  This interview with Golf Club Atlas reveals his thinking on a range of subjects including health benefits of golf, preference for match play, the contributions of Eddie Hackett to Irish golf, nuances of links course design, and so much more.

Ivan Morris’s wise old swing with modern equipment (golfclubatlas.com)

In many ways he has a unique Irish view of the development of the game but at the same time it is applicable to all of us.  As the co-author of Larry Lambrecht’s wonderful photographic collection “Emerald Gems-The Links Of Ireland” and a couple of books of his own,  Morris has an articulate and engaging way of expressing his opinion.  I am sure you will find some wise parables that apply to your golf experience in his answers.

On self flagellation: “If only I realized sooner that golf is a privilege….not a crusade or an obligation.  My life would have been more serene if I had realized that.”

On benefits of playing with hickory shafts:  “One is forced to ‘listen’ to the golf club and develop a more harmonious relationship with it.  One has to feel as if the club head passes your hands in the hitting area, a completely different sensation than the ‘late hit’ employed in modern golf.”

On the chances of hosting an Open Championship in Ireland:  “I would suggest that if golfing challenge alone was the criterion, The Open could just as easily be played at The European Club, Portmarnock, Waterville (in Ireland), Kennemar in Holland, Royal Zoute in Belgium, Falsterbo in Sweden, or Barnbougle Dunes in Tasmania.  For heaven sakes, isn’t it supposed to be THE Open?”

The would be site of #2 an Inch Island Links (golfclubatlas.com)

He even takes the time to talk about potentially the best links course in Ireland, Inch Island on the Ring of Kerry, that may never see the light of day because of the myopic views of the Irish Planning Authority.

Take ten minutes and read this interview.  You will come away a bit golf smarter as a result.

(Click to read the Ivan Morris feature interview from Golf Club Atlas)

Ivan Morris Interview
Golf Club Atlas.com
August, 2012