I'm taking a break from thinking about winter turf damage to watch the WGC at Doral. Listening to the commentary after the first three rounds I was struck by certain quotes. Of course Johnny Miller insisting there was grain all over the greens-south by southwest I heard him say. But Bubba Watson's comment with ESPN Golf Reporter Michael Collins gets the prize.

"I hit the shot I normally hit when playing in the US", Bubba explains of his shot that hit the green and rolled into the water, "that ball NEVER DOESN'T stop." Now let's explore two things, first what "shots" most US golfers play and second what they expect when they hit it. In short it is the golf version of "bumper bowling".

Over the last 40 to 50 years the US golfer trained by the teaching pro's, cultured during the Nicklaus era of TARGET GOLF, has learned to hit the ball high with lofted clubs. When that high shot or more likely a skulled worm-burner gets going the only thing going to stop it are those SOFT, lush surfaces provided on US golf courses. Golf's version of "bumper bowling".

We've encouraged big sweeping swings mindful of every inch and foot of distance needed to carry this bunker or clear that hazard and the fact is the majority of US golfers can't make these shots. We can't make tough shots and courses are considered too long, and many woman and children are intimidated. Golf lost 4.1 million golfers in 2012.

What is most disconcerting is that a creative guy like Bubba Watson, architect of one of the great "clutch" shots of all time, cannot adjust to Gil and Jim's new playing angles at Doral, and Don Thornburgh's firm and fast surfaces.

I contend we have taken the creativity out of the game of golf and we are seeing our best golfers struggle to adjust when it is required. The game needs some new creative energy to make it cool and designs that maximize options to play a hole.  Our courses need to use less inputs-especially the non-renewable kind, but also less water to make them drier-especially now that we are experimenting with new colors-greens (pigments, dyes, paints) as well as shades of brown.

This could be welcome news for golf course architects who might be revising courses to make them more fun and emphasize creativity. Highlighting these efforts can be excellent ways to market a course.

This is also good news for golf professionals who need to teach creativity, not just the perfect Ben Hogan swing. Here's my advice-be sure to get the club face square at impact, step right up and hit it like DeBuisson did in the Desert a few weeks ago from the cactus. Players will need to learn to play along the ground, punch a 7-iron to run up to the green, putt from 10 yards across the fringe of the green-the USGA might even find the pace of play improves.

Golf course superintendents will produce firmer surfaces that will require fewer inputs. But like the other aspects of golf, this won't happen overnight and from a turf perspective shouldn't. Anyone with high percentages of annual bluegrass knows any dramatic changes to management and an entire population of plants could be dead. So some re-grassing should be involved, but that should not stop us from discussing this with our golfers.

Jim Koppenhaver of Pellucid Golf keeps saying we need to take better care of our existing avid and regular golfers as most "grow the game" efforts have not delivered. I think no effort will succeed that does not include teaching about the design of the course and the character of the surface. Jim is right we need to tend to our base, however golf can't afford to cater only to Hogan-swinging-Nicklaus targeting, radar detecting, gps monitored, "bumper golfers".

I am thoroughly enjoying watching Doral this weekend and rooting for my pals Gil and Jim and golf course superintendent Don Thornburgh and his staff. These folks are demonstrating the value of creative design that provides options for play on surfaces that are more sustainable, resilient, and intriguing. Now I can do with seeing less of Mr. Trump, but this weekend what he helped pull off could help save the game of golf-Mr. Trump NEVER DOESN'T save something-maybe the Olympics ARE NEXT for him?