Chris Maletis is a four-time Trans-Miss Senior Amateur champion who has plenty to say about the U.S. Golf Association, the R&A and their decision to outlaw the anchored stroke.
Maletis, along with his brother, Tom, owns Langdon Farms Golf Club in Aurora, Ore. Langdon Farms, designed by John Fought, is a public course. Despite the ban on anchoring as a putting method – which is expected to discourage many golfers from buying and using belly putters and long putters – Maletis says he will go out of his way to encourage ordinary golfers to continue playing with their belly and long putters.
In protest of the anti-anchoring rule, which was announced Nov. 28 by the USGA and R&A, Maletis says he is prepared to erect a sign at the entrance to Langdon Farms: “Golfers with belly putters and long putters welcome here.”
“Golf needs to attract more players, not drive them away,” he said.
“These putters are a very good thing for golf,” said Maletis, who uses a belly putter. “I don’t want any golfers to stop playing because somebody suddenly told them their putters were nonconforming.
"I don’t have any problem with the USGA and R&A setting the rules for competition, but this is going too far. For ordinary golfers, I would like to see anchoring treated like the golf carts that people ride in -- if you need to use it, fine, you can take advantage of it.
“Golfers should feel good about their golf clubs. These putters are a big deal to a lot of golfers. Why take something away that has been legal for all these years?
“I’ll put up a sign just to show golfers that the whole world hasn’t gone nuts.”
