Champions Tour here this week...

[Bravo]

http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/s564

This tournament has been here for 14 years and has been played at the Greystone CC during that period.

Next year, it is moving to the new Ross Bridge Robert Trent Jones Trail course which opens this summer. This course has been ready for play for six months but they have not opened it yet because the resort hotel is in the final stages of completion. Supposed to open both the hotel and course in July or August.

We can play this course in November.

I attended the tournament once about ten years ago and enjoyed it but have not been back since. The thing that impressed me then was how far these guys hit the ball.

The course (Greystone) this week will play to 7200 yards which is a pretty good distance for a seniors event.

 

[bdcrowe]

It's amazing what technique will do for you.

I consider myself a pretty long hitter. Most everyone I play with hold that opinion also. I feel OK about that.

Couple of weeks ago, I played with the senior VP of our IT division. He's a scratch golfer, 53 yrs old, been a playa for years. It was give and take all day with us. One drive I may be 5 yrds ahead, next he was 5 yrds ahead. I'm 32. I was amazed.

 

[Farquod]

Technique and technology, as well. What was he hitting?

I played an outing this year with a guy who is about 50, and was routinely striping them out about 300. He had one drive we measured at about 320 based on the tee placement. He was hitting...no kidding...a Cobra driver.

Driver/wedge is a totally different game to me. I could get used to it, however.

7200 is a lotta course to me, Bravo. One of the tees play to about 6500?

 

[Bravo]

Technique and technology, as well. What was he hitting?

I played an outing this year with a guy who is about 50, and was routinely striping them out about 300. He had one drive we measured at about 320 based on the tee placement. He was hitting...no kidding...a Cobra driver.

Driver/wedge is a totally different game to me. I could get used to it, however.

7200 is a lotta course to me, Bravo. One of the tees play to about 6500?

Well the course they are playing this week is Greystone and this is the last year they are playing it before it goes to Ross Bridge next May.

Ross Bridge will play (no misprint) 8100 yards from the tips. I think they were serious when they said it was built for PGA tourney play and as far as I have heard, they are using the Champions Tour as a "test" in terms of playability and crowd/gallery movement etc as an evaluation for a PGA tournament...

In any event, I will get a chance to play it when it opens and we will find a set of tees that will work for us.

Like you - I look for the tees that play between 6400 - 6600 yards. I think this is a good yardage for most amateurs and since this is part of the Trail - I am sure they will have a set in this range.

Would be hell to play the tips though wouldm't it??

 

[Farquod]

8100 yards? Hell is an understatement. That's, what, maybe 90 yards more per hole, on average than 6500?
Tell me it's all uphill, too, whydontcha? :faintthud

 

[Loop]

And headwind too?
So that's like 300 yard par 3.... Yikes.
I knew the PGA wanted to test longer courses conditions... but on the Senior Tour? I can only see long hitters like the Walrus and Thorpe getting thru, and with difficulty.

 

[Quentin]

Hey Bravo,

It's actually pretty fun to go to a Seniors event. Less crowds and you get to see some fairly interesting ways to hit the long ball.

I think I mentioned to you last year that they also play up here in Minnesota.

http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/s568

They will be here the first week of August. My company has a membership at the TPC and I usually play there twice a year. Pretty long course too.

~QQ

 

[bdcrowe]

Technique and technology, as well. What was he hitting?

I played an outing this year with a guy who is about 50, and was routinely striping them out about 300. He had one drive we measured at about 320 based on the tee placement. He was hitting...no kidding...a Cobra driver.

Driver/wedge is a totally different game to me. I could get used to it, however.

7200 is a lotta course to me, Bravo. One of the tees play to about 6500?

R7........................

 

[Farquod]

R7........................

Yah, mon. Technology indeed. At least you know his driver's not holding him back.

 

[Bravo]

Hey Bravo,

It's actually pretty fun to go to a Seniors event. Less crowds and you get to see some fairly interesting ways to hit the long ball.

I think I mentioned to you last year that they also play up here in Minnesota.

http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/s568

They will be here the first week of August. My company has a membership at the TPC and I usually play there twice a year. Pretty long course too.

~QQ

I am in the pro shop this morning at 7 am, getting ready to play.

They have a stack of free passes to the event today and I still did not go.

Tom Kite went low yesterday with a 63 but it was not in the cards for me today...