Uhmm, wow. I'd be happy with a bogey!

[Clugnut]

PGATOUR.COM - R&A lengthens Road Hole for 2010 Open Championship


The Road Hole grows to 490 yards for the 2010 Open Championship.

[JEFF4i]

Rough man.

[295yards]

Originally Posted by Clugnut

PGATOUR.COM - R&A lengthens Road Hole for 2010 Open Championship


The Road Hole grows to 490 yards for the 2010 Open Championship.

I played a long course with one 490 yard par 4. My driver was in for repairs so the longest club I had was a driving iron.

It was cold, wet and the ball was plugging deep into the soggy fairways. I smoked my driving iron right up the middle and had more left than I hit from off the tee. Standing in the middle of the fairway after ripping a tee shot I was already content with a bogey.

These guys on tour are real good ( ? ). It amazes me that they will lay up sometimes outside 200 yards knowing that worst case scenario they can save par. Depending on this revised hole I wouldn't be surprised to see some guys hit 3wood off the tee.

For me I start a hole backwards and if my tee shot can't get me inside 150yards without a driver I am severley contemplating hitting the big stick and how much troube there really is

[BrandonM7]

The 9th at my course is a 497yd Par 4, with a bunker the width of the green right in front of it. It's straight, too, so no cheating over corners or anything. I've only made par on it once, and that was thanks to a great putt. I've never made green in regulation. I've made that bunker in regulation a bunch of times, but I usually don't even make that. It takes me a perfect drive followed by a perfect 3W just to do that, and I'll rarely make two perfect strikes in a row. Terrible finishing hole, because you leave a half round with no chance at a good score. In fact if I'm only playing 9 I'll usually play the back since it ends with a 368yd par 4. Or I'll play 9 from the whites. That still makes it 457yds, but I at least have a snowball's chance in Hell of getting to that in 2.

[295yards]

I like your post!

Cutting corners isn't cheating, it's a risk / reward shot and I had no idea that you could reach bunkers in reg. But I know what you mean.

A straight up 500 yard par 4 with all carry to the green is no easy hole. Must been someone who's husband or wife was cheating on them who put that hole out the course.

Inside joke: You hear what snowmen are made of? Snowballs!

8

My friends would say the best way to avoid a snowman on a hole like that would be to take a 9.

[BrandonM7]

Originally Posted by 295yards

I like your post!

Cutting corners isn't cheating, it's a risk / reward shot and I had no idea that you could reach bunkers in reg. But I know what you mean.

A straight up 500 yard par 4 with all carry to the green is no easy hole. Must been someone who's husband or wife was cheating on them who put that hole out the course.

Inside joke: You hear what snowmen are made of? Snowballs!

8

My friends would say the best way to avoid a snowman on a hole like that would be to take a 9.

Yeah I didn't mean cheating cheating, I meant like cheating the numbers. Shortening the hole, if you will. I'll bet I've made a whole friggin' village full of snowmen on that stupid hole.

[runninlope]

490 is long for a par for but for a pro i dont really think its that bad. seeing how they his their drivers with an average of 300 yards. Then 190 is only about a six iron. Maybe a strong 7 for guys like tiger. But for the everyday golfer yeah that is one rough hole.

[WelshGolfer]

I am not normally in favour of seeing classic holes lengthened for the sake of it. In this case though, I like the change.
It will hopefully make the road hole intimidating again even for the pros. This will be beastly into the wind!
Hopefully we will see a lot of 10 feet off the ground, sling hook type 3 woods into the right side of the green. Proper linksy stuff!!

[Bignose]

The really dumb thing is that it is not like the Open competitors were dominating it by any means:

2005 Open difficulty ranking 1, stroke average 4.63
2000 Open difficulty ranking 1, stroke average 4.71

It was the toughest hole to score on the last two times the Open was help at St. Andrews, and it still needs 40 more yards of length? Give me a break.

[LeftyHoges]

Originally Posted by Bignose

The really dumb thing is that it is not like the Open competitors were dominating it by any means:

2005 Open difficulty ranking 1, stroke average 4.63
2000 Open difficulty ranking 1, stroke average 4.71

It was the toughest hole to score on the last two times the Open was help at St. Andrews, and it still needs 40 more yards of length? Give me a break.

I agree Bignose, they struggled as is. It was still a risk/reward to shoot at the flag for birdie. Now its just ridiculous. I predict two birdies on the hole for the entire open. And they will be from about 30 feet.

[WelshGolfer]

Originally Posted by Bignose

The really dumb thing is that it is not like the Open competitors were dominating it by any means:

2005 Open difficulty ranking 1, stroke average 4.63
2000 Open difficulty ranking 1, stroke average 4.71

It was the toughest hole to score on the last two times the Open was help at St. Andrews, and it still needs 40 more yards of length? Give me a break.

While it was difficult, I think the R&A are just trying to bring the chance of going OB on the right more into play again as it was with the "old" equipment.
Perhaps this will re-create the air of intimidation on the tee it used to have when taking the "tiger" line over the edge of the hotel outbuilding.
Anyway they all can make their scores round the turn as usual, right?