Have golf plaques gone too far?

First thing I’d like to do is blame our good Golf Twitter friend Brian Kirschner for igniting this debate. That’s how you deflect, folks.

The debate in question? Have golf plaques for specific shots gone a little too far? This discussion began when Brian, who was very clearly trolling, referred to this plaque that was unveiled at the Renaissance Club, site of this week’s Genesis Scottish Open, as an example of the “participation trophy era”:

Now, to reiterate, this is a clear troll, and if you can’t see that you should probably log off of Elon Musk’s Twitter X. Of course, a number of folks didn’t see it that way, nor did they appreciate me pouring gasoline on the fire by semi-agreeing with Brian’s troll job. The No. 1 argument in favor of this particular plaque is that it directly led to McIlroy winning the golf tournament, a big one in Scotland’s national open, not to mention the fact that it was one of the filthiest golf shots we’ve ever seen. 

Silly, silly stuff. Plaque-worthy? 

We debate this topic on this week’s episode of The Loop podcast, which you can listen to in full below. There were some strong takes on both sides. Also joining us was Golf Digest’s own Shane Ryan, a Ryder Cup guru who had plenty to say about the selection of Keegan Bradley as U.S. captain for 2025 at Bethpage Black. Please, have a listen below, and like and subscribe to The Loop wherever you get your podcasts.