We're in the midst of being treated to some awesome tournaments. We've had The Masters, the Wachovia Championship, this week is the TPC at Sawgrass (also known as the 5th major), the AT&T Classic, and next month the US Open. The awesome golf we've been witnessing got me to thinking about something. It's no secret that the pro's do things with the golf ball that we only dream we could. There are golfers that we've never heard of that can go out and shoot 65 at any moment so the point isn't to discredit any professional or low handicapper.
However, how would we shoot when the course conditions are perfect???? How would a 15 handicap shoot when the fairways are soft and spongy, the rough is actually rough and not patchy, and the greens rolled true and weren't a matt of hair compined with aeration or rolling marks? Length would still be an issue for us amateurs so I'm not being ignorant but there isn't a bald spot, bare patch, pitch mark, or tractor print anywhere on the entire course the pros play on. They wouldn't stand for it.
We, on the other hand, play on some dog tracks where the course conditions vary by the day. Yet we stil play the ball as it lies and we go through some rotten lies. I'm talking rotten lies in the fairway or not too far off it. Just once I'd like to play a course in tour like conditions just to feel what it's like to not hit off of any hardpan or have a putt that doesn't bounce 40 times before it comes to rest no where near it was aimed. Obviously not a course that's set up for a major or something like that. A course like the John Deere Classic with normal greens and mediocre rough.
Think we would shoot lower or do they play courses that are really that difficult?
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
How Would We Shoot???
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3 comments:
I can give you my two brief stories. First I was blessed enough to play Firstone one week before the tourny Tiger won last year. The rough was up 7 1/2 inches compaired to the 3 1/2 the tour guys would be playing. That being said the fairways were perfect, and greens were slick. I hit the ball ok, but the rough killed us, losing 4 balls in our group each one only 4-5 feet off the fairway! Shot an 82 but loved every minute. To see the ball roll 30+ yard when you hit the fairway. Greens that didnt bounce when putting but rolled true and FAST. Every nick on the course sprayed out as ground under repair, They are spoiled. Second i got to play BayHill in August several months after the tourny. The caddie I had caddied during the Bay Hill for up and coming pros that needed a caddy. He lead my by my nose around the golf course, I was hitting the ball very well and shot 76 from the back tees. I think it is a combination of skill first and foremost, golf conditions, always perfect never a bad spot, and great caddies. Just look at the US Open scores historically. Thick rough and fast greens give the pros trouble. The british courses are more like conditions the average golfer plays. Hard fairways and squirly lies in the rough. That is a better test of day to day. We also take for granted the benefit of a great caddie!! You need to discuss how important they are in golf, every player is good, not every caddie!!
Awesome post foz. If anyone else has more info about this topic or any others we've discussed, please feel free to share your experiences. We can all learn some more about the scenarios covered on this website. Keep up the good writing linckstir.
First of all, I'm going to preface this by saying that I completely understand that pro courses are set up to be very hard and are extremely difficult with regard to layout and course architecture. That being said, from my own experience I can say that there is a world of difference when playing a high end course versus the usual weekday track we amateurs play. I had the priviledge to play 3 higher quality golf courses in Georgia (The Frog, Georgia National and Chataeu Elan). All were in pristine shape,ie..... plush fairways, immaculate greens that rolled true, soft and consistant sand bunkers. The point I make is this......when in the fairway, I had a lie that could only be made better by using a tee. When playing out of a bunker, I hit out of sand rather than mud or Georgia clay. Even the occasional (ok,.... often) missed green was a pleasure because I was actually chipping off of maticulously mown grass. The condition of the course absolutely has a direct affect on the quality of shots we amateurs hit. Am I saying that I would shoot in the 70's even from forward tees on a pro course...certainly not, but on a whole, the quality of shots would be greatly improved based on the lie, which is dictated not only by location but also by course condition.
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