Well, first when I said "generation of players" I wasn't referring to age - I just meant the latest spread of all demographics who've taken to the links in the past 15 years. I'm not pointing fault or causality at anyone for anything. As long as ageism is being broached, however, I will say just wait until you start getting the "old coot with cash" stereotype treatment and presume that I'm self-deluding. My father had to caddie in the 1930s just to get on to courses for a free round when Americans were still very class conscious, and I grew up learning from him on municipal courses. Every club in my bag is a poor-man's mixed collection of high-end clubs I bought 2nd and 3rd hand (because I refuse to pay $400 for a club made in China for about $50). Still, it's a fact that advertising has conditioned us that we need the latest golf club, car or cell phone. You asked me if I'm biased, and I'm saying I'm very much aware of my 21st century compulsion for bias and make extreme efforts to foster an open mind - which has actually gotten easier with age because I care less what people think.

As far as the game being played differently than it used to, I have heard that same line since high school for over 30 years and the only thing that has really changed besides a little technology and more fleecing of golfing consumers has been our perceptions. And we all still play the same game as back then. Average weekend and amateur golfers tended to avoid trying to shape shots back then as much as they do now. Pros are still very proficient at shaping shots and hit a draw off the tee depending on conditions. If you want to disagree and down vote, go for it, but overall course management has not changed that much in the past 30 years.