One-Track Shack

Is 15" the new 4.24"?

Shackelford posts at Golf Digest's The Loop to ask golf purists to keep an open mind about 15" cups, which he characterizes at his own site as an "open letter."  While I feel that I'm the purist on trial, I'm not sure what it is I'm expected to remain open-minded about.  In any event, as we expect from him there's great details and historical perspective on offer, so let's dive in with his lede:

Self-described "purists" have been dismissing Hack Golf's push for 15-inch cups. While I

admire those who want to protect the integrity of our courses and rules, let's get something straight: The evolution of the modern green into a marble-like surface is not pure. Nor is it healthy. And for most people, super-slick greens are not really that much fun.

This is a common theme of Geoff's over the years, so let's see where he goes with it:

If purists want to see great architecture shine, they have to remember that the faster putting surfaces get, the more the design from tee-to-fringe loses its importance. Too many rounds over-emphasize putting both regarding the overall score and time-spent playing. 

This is why I'm fascinated by larger cups. The 4.25-inch size was an arbitrary number reached at Musselburgh after the first cup cutter was invented, and the R&A made it official in 1891. Greens were Stimping about 5 back then. Putting greens were merely a continuation of the fairway. Speeds gradually climbed over the next century until the last decade or so, to a game with a pursuit of speed not just in tournament golf, but in daily setups that view 10+ as essential for Stimpmeter readings. With a manufactured, shockingly distinct surface rolling infinitely faster than ever on nearly all golf courses, the hole has remained the same size.

And here's his wrap:

That's not to say 15-inch cups are the best answer. Moderating green speeds is. But purists should be open to trying a version of golf that restores the putting surface to a more sensible place in the cosmos.

 I was under the impression that Hack Golf was promoting and we were considering the 15" cup as a "Grow The Game" initiative, to be used with new and frustrated golfers to attract them to the sport.  Geoff seems to have expanded his concept to include more frequent play, against which I have no brief except for the obvious impracticality of it.  Shack is too knowledgeable and loves the game too deeply for me to dismiss him out of hand, but I simply can't see how this ever gets any traction.  I've said it before, but cutting 15" cups into regular greens is going to be a non-starter, and where does one find the underutilized real estate to give this a go?