Arnie showed how to handle new gear

[Lemonhead]

With all the talk at the USGA about limiting distances through equipment requirements, I found it interesting how Arnie fixed the problem. Grow the rough to a point where it actually becomes some place NOT to be. His strategy kept the scores from running away (okay dropping par by 2 was one thing, but the holes that changed are now normal tour Par 4 distances).

I'm hoping to see more courses grow the rough for tour events. By growing it out like Arnie did, he kept the bomb-and-gouge players from having an advantage. At the Tour level, if you can't keep it in the fairway you should pay a price.

I've heard people say that they really like to see birdies, but then why not Eagles? Why not make the course so easy that birdies are the norm because people like it? Of course that's ridiculous. I prefer to see the game played where accuracy plays as much of a factor as distance.

So we've had the US Open last year and now Arnie's with super-high rough, I hope we see it as the standard.

Lemonhead

[MCDavis]

I agree...well put...

[Adam Pettman]

Yeah it seemed to work great, just hope that the players solution to longer rough isn't to go to the gym more often.

[sandwedge]

I agree. I would rather see them shoot the kind of scores they had this weekend. Every hole should not be a birdie hole.

When I got to the tournament this weekend and saw the rough I was amazed. I have never seen anything like it. I saw more players teeing off with 3 woods than drivers so they could stay out of the rough. Any tee shot that was hit into the rough was basically a one stroke penalty. I saw a lot of groups play the first hole and I didn't see one player go for the green on the 2nd shot when they were playing from the rough.

You can only make the courses so long. I think the longer rough is a good solution in some cases to make the course tougher. It evens the playing field so that guys that aren't as long off the tee still have a good chance.

[dave.]

and they could stop raking bunkers clean,leave them with Nicklaus style ruts

[LyleG]

Perfect set up. The last 3 tour events were all excellent in this regard.

[ThatCanadianGuy]

Originally Posted by dave.

and they could stop raking bunkers clean,leave them with Nicklaus style ruts

I agree with Dave on this one.

[gwlee7]

Originally Posted by LyleG

Perfect set up. The last 3 tour events were all excellent in this regard.

I hope Doral will be set up this way as well. I enjoy birdies, but I enjoy a "good" par just as much. I like seeing pros having to pay for wayward tee shots, then sticking it with a wedge on their third to make a 5, 6 footer for par. Also, I like the pros having to lay up if their drive isn't in the fairway on a par 5.

[Sandy]

I wonder what people would prefer to see happen, given how enjoyable the recent golf has been?

Go back to the 'docile' courses but take away the super-grooved wedges and possibly the current balls?

Stay with more aggressive rough, bunkers and other hazards, and let them keep the current gear - if you want to risk bomb and gouge then go ahead.

Stay with the aggressive rough, bunkers and hazards AND get rid of the current wedges and balls?

Personally I'd love to see the middle one - let the course provide the test, not artificially create one by taking backwards steps technologically.

[BigJim13]

Originally Posted by LyleG

Perfect set up. The last 3 tour events were all excellent in this regard.

Agreed, even though some of the names I have not seen before the tourneys themselves have been pretty interesting to watch. They have all pretty much come down to accurate driving, solid iron shots and good putting. Isnt that what the game is about anyway?

[Rockford35]

Originally Posted by BigJim13

Agreed, even though some of the names I have not seen before the tourneys themselves have been pretty interesting to watch. They have all pretty much come down to accurate driving, solid iron shots and good putting. Isnt that what the game is about anyway?

No. Golf is now about yelling "get in the hole" on the tee of a par 5 and having guys shoot -35 to win.

Personally, if I see a guy hole a 15 footer for a par on 18 to win, that's a course that's set up for professionals.

That weeds out the pretenders (Sergio) from the contenders (Vijay).

R35

[BigJim13]

Originally Posted by Rockford35

No. Golf is now about yelling "get in the hole" on the tee of a par 5 and having guys shoot -35 to win.

Personally, if I see a guy hole a 15 footer for a par on 18 to win, that's a course that's set up for professionals.

That weeds out the pretenders (Sergio) from the contenders (Vijay).

R35

Man I can't stand the guys that yell that, I used to love to hear Peter Alliss from the BBC respond to them when he was broadcasting for abc. It would usually be something along the lines of "ahh shut up" in that British accent. I will miss him the most from TB.

I have given up rooting for Sergio, I don't think I have ever seen a pro so good at ball striking yet look so LOST on the greens...

[Lemonhead]

This topic then begs the question: Would you like to play courses where the rough is really a penalty and then have your handicap suffer, or play courses where you don't get hammered for going out of the fairway?

Me, I think I would get pissed off at the tough rough, but I would still like to have the challenge. My score would suffer greatly since, of late, my drive has decided to take an early vacation. However, the course I play most often really doesn't have a penalty for being off the fairway. Granted, there is a lot of hardpan since it's a muni and they only maintain the fairway (it really is in better shape than almost all of the public courses in the area). But you never really get in trouble. The "rough" basically gives you a great lie in most places.

I feel that while my handicap goes down on this course, it leaves me feeling cheated because I can lay one out anywhere out of a bunker and keep playing without any worry.

I'm not talking about US Open rough because we would be losing balls too much for a public course, but just something that makes you pay a price for being there.

Thoughts?

Lemonhead

[Jules150]

i wouldnt want to see any new technology get banned but im all for making the course tougher. you should be punished for being in the rough. And we should stop raking bunkers, you shouldnt be in there you shouldnt get a nice lie.

[ManchesterGolfer]

I'm all in favour of Hazards becoming hazards again so rake the bunkers how Jack did. I also think that they should let the rough grow especially around the greens I'm sick of hearing pro's say that if they miss the green they'd rather be in a bunker than the rough. WTF, bunkers are meant to be a hazard & you should have to play a superb shot to rescue your par and the rough well it's meant to be ROUGH.

I'm not in favour of them bottle necking fairways to force them into hitting 3 wood from the tee. They should set up risk and reward holes so on the final day somebody chasing would be able to go for it if they so wish. Distance should not be punnished as long as you keep it accurate. Maybe have fairway bunkers like the one's found on links courses where they have a steep face so you can't hit a hybrid out of it and it therefore cost's you a shot unless you make up & down from 150+ yrds out after you've hit your s/w out.

As for taking technology backwards? Why? 300+ yard drives have been part of the game since permission woods and steel shafts. I think we should limit it to where we are at, at the moment set the limits now for ball speed, spin rates etc to that of the current Pro V. Set limits on the wedge grooves as they are now. We already have a club head size limit and c.o.r limit so that has been taken care of. Lets not go backwards when we don't have to thats my point of view.