KPMG hosted the 2009 Golf Business Forum May 4-6 at the prestigious Celtic Manor in Wales, home of the 2010 Ryder Cup matches. Dave was a Sponsor and Guest Speaker, joining the panel discussion "New Trends in Golf Course Design"

In this discussion, Dave explains that the length of the hole doesn't always mean the distance of a hole. In renovation strategies, you can make upgrades to holes to make them play longer without adding distance. In the past, an overhaul of a course in an attempt to modernize holes to meet today's longer hitters meant increasing the distance. As this practice was used, it wasn't long before players realized the real impact was felt by the shorter hitters. Distance made holes unplayable for these players, while the longer hitters went unpenalized. Changing a hole's length is not about adding distance; it is about making the hole fair for all skill levels. Length of a hole can be adjusted using many different techniques.