THE FRONT ROW with MARK NELKE, July 23, 2014

We've all had rounds like this.

Well, perhaps some of us - present company excepted.

Some golfers are so good at putting that on some days, the hole seems much larger than it normally does.

On Aug. 3 at The Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course, that will become a reality, not an illusion.

A week from Sunday, the Resort Course will cut a 15-inch cup in each green (the standard diameter of a hole is 4.25 inches) and move the tees up on each hole and see how the golfers respond.

"They (TaylorMade, which is helping sponsor the promotion) feel very strongly that this is a good little avenue to start bringing new people into the game, and old people back to the game," said Andy Mackimmie, head professional at the Resort Course. "Through the research, there have been millions of people over the last decade that have left the game. That's the push, to create something to get golfers back into the game that have left. There's still 40 million golfers out there, but we've definitely lost a little ground in the last decade."

THE GOLF industry has searched for ways in recent years to revive the industry. This particular idea - to shorten the holes and make the cups bigger - was initiated by Duane Hagadone, owner of the Resort Course (as well as The Press).

"Mr. Hagadone loves to do his research, and he's very diligent at looking at industry trends," Mackimmie said. "So he follows golf, and with the number of golfers being down in general, he's studying ways that the PGA and other organizations are looking to spark that interest back again."

The idea came from meetings between him and Bob Nuttleman, director of golf at the Resort Course.

"I think it's kind of turned into a personal experiment for him, to just see what the response would be like," Mackimmie said. "We've gotten a few signups just from the ad (Tuesday in The Press)."

TaylorMade, through a business partner, sent the Resort Course the device that cuts 15-inch holes.

Mackimmie said the Resort Course surveyed some avid local golfers, to gauge their interest. It was mixed.

"There's a part of the crowd says that's not even golf anymore - they love golf for what it is," he said. "Then there's the other side of it too, people saying 'it wouldn't be something I'd do every day, but it sounds fun - I'd like to try it for the simple fact that maybe I could get that hole-in-one, or chip one in, don't have any three-putts ... ' If you're one that's shooting around 100 or 90 or 80, you're breaking that next threshold that you couldn't have broken before."

SO, IT'S worth a try - if someone who hasn't played for a while enjoys playing a round with the shorter holes and bigger cups, maybe they come back and play from the regular tees, and shoot at the regular pins.

Mackimmie said he tested the 15-inch cup on the Resort Course putting green.

"All you have to do is make sure you have the line down," he said. "From about 15 feet in, if you have the line down and hit it firm, it's going in. It's really the end of three-putts, literally."

Cost to play is $125, which in addition to green fees includes a dozen Burner golf balls courtesy of TaylorMade, and two on-course beverage tickets.

Those planning to play the Resort Course that day also have the option of playing from the normal tees, and shooting at the normal-sized cups, which will be placed away from the 15-inch cups, which will be cut mostly in the center of the greens.

"We thought it was a good time to give it a try, and see what the response is like," Mackimmie said. "So we don't really know what to expect, to be honest with you."

Mark Nelke is sports editor of The Press. He can be reached at 664-8176, Ext. 2019, or via email at mnelke@cdapress.com. Follow him on Twitter@CdAPressSports.