US Open week. Golfers ripping the course.

[Rex Racer]

And the flip side of all this ..it should of never even come down to this.

Spieth had this locked up but inexplicably 3 putts on 17 for a double bogey.

Yeah, that too. I thought for sure that was going to cost him, but DJ let him off the hook.

 

[mrwallace2ku]

Let the pussies have fun at Oakmont next year...LMAO IF the yappers about this year's Open fair any better next year out.

Poa annua fescue ROCKS!

Kinda lawn I like playing on myself.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I agree 100%. I like this course.

Lot of folks seem to forget that this was the U.S. Open and that means the toughest test in golf. Personally, I think the course was too soft and the final score too high. I have no use for Open courses that can yield scores of -5, -9 (Kaymer in 2014) or -16 (Rory in 2011), I want these pampered babies to have to grind it out on every shot. Watching them trying to hit it as far as they can will little fear of a penalty is boring.

Every last one of these golfers had to play the same course so I'm not interested in hearing their complaints.

I thought the final couple of hours was great theater even though DJ 3 putting the 18th green was painful to watch.

Protecting Par is the standard...agreed, but on this track with some past experience from the '10 USAM, I actually have to commend the USGA for several things to give the players some scoring opportunities. They put some water on the course just about every night...if not, +5 could've won. At the same time, watering may have given the poa more incentive to grow up at the end of the day and add to the bumpy surfaces.

A smooth 12 stimping green with that kind of undulation was basically a trainwreck waiting to happen.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Yeah, but Pebble, Torrey also have poa in the greens...but those are established USGA venues...as you mentioned, the players know going in what to expect...perhaps the USGA could've done more in terms of pre-warning the players, but imo you were still going to get the Billy Horshels of the tour to complain...while collecting his $88k pay check for the week.

I like Billy Horshel. He lets some emotion show when he plays.

But his specific comments were completely out of line. Saying his lost some respect for USGA was the wrong thing to say. How hard is it to say something like "I will always respect the USGA, they do so much for the game, they just dropped the ball when it came to the greens"

I'm willing to bet there is an apology coming. The USGA deserves one.

 

[R.J. MacReady]

Protecting Par is the standard...agreed, but on this track with some past experience from the '10 USAM, I actually have to commend the USGA for several things to give the players some scoring opportunities. They put some water on the course just about every night...if not, +5 could've won. At the same time, watering may have given the poa more incentive to grow up at the end of the day and add to the bumpy surfaces.

A smooth 12 stimping green with that kind of undulation was basically a trainwreck waiting to happen.

1 less watering and you could possibly see the fairways no longer hold the ball let alone the greens.

 

[gohusk]

Protecting Par is the standard...agreed, but on this track with some past experience from the '10 USAM, I actually have to commend the USGA for several things to give the players some scoring opportunities. They put some water on the course just about every night...if not, +5 could've won. At the same time, watering may have given the poa more incentive to grow up at the end of the day and add to the bumpy surfaces.

A smooth 12 stimping green with that kind of undulation was basically a trainwreck waiting to happen.

I think how they had the course set up had a lot to do with it. The course was hard enough as it is, they didn't need to make it tougher with these ridiculously long par 4's. Seemed like they got the clue Sunday and guys started scoring. Oos just said fuck it, I'm going for it and shot a flippin 29 on the back 9. He wasn't pussy footing any of his putts either. He was going right after the cup. It seemed like players were doing a better job of using the backstops on the greens as well.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I like Billy Horshel. He lets some emotion show when he plays.

But his specific comments were completely out of line. Saying his lost some respect for USGA was the wrong thing to say. How hard is it to say something like "I will always respect the USGA, they do so much for the game, they just dropped the ball when it came to the greens"

I'm willing to bet there is an apology coming. The USGA deserves one.

I have no issue with him really, but the animation stuff, and comments later trying to show up the USGA were over the line...but with $10 mil in his account for the Fedex Cup LY...I guess he can be a little more bold with his comments.

My whole thing here is the comments in the early going...expected. After you've played the course a half dz times...you know what to expect...I don't want to hear about the greens now.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I think how they had the course set up had a lot to do with it. The course was hard enough as it is, they didn't need to make it tougher with these ridiculously long par 4's. Seemed like they got the clue Sunday and guys started scoring. Oos just said fuck it, I'm going for it and shot a flippin 29 on the back 9. He wasn't pussy footing any of his putts either. He was going right after the cup. It seemed like players were doing a better job of using the backstops on the greens as well.

Yep...the USGA took the foot off the gas pedal a bit, and for good measure...set up allowed for a great finish...DJ almost delivered, but hard to discredit the Masters Champion's effort...OWGR says Rory, but he's proving to be the best player in the world at the moment...and he doesn't try to dismantle the ball on every swing.


Now that you've walked it and had a chance to see it on TV...would you play it? Obviously from the forward tees.

 

[uncfan103]

I agree 100%. I like this course.

Lot of folks seem to forget that this was the U.S. Open and that means the toughest test in golf. Personally, I think the course was too soft and the final score too high. I have no use for Open courses that can yield scores of -5, -9 (Kaymer in 2014) or -16 (Rory in 2011), I want these pampered babies to have to grind it out on every shot. Watching them trying to hit it as far as they can will little fear of a penalty is boring.

Every last one of these golfers had to play the same course so I'm not interested in hearing their complaints.

I thought the final couple of hours was great theater even though DJ 3 putting the 18th green was painful to watch.

Last year Kaymer was one of three golfers that didn't finish over par. It was definitely a very challenging but fair course last year and only one golfer complained

 

[uncfan103]

Yep...the USGA took the foot off the gas pedal a bit, and for good measure...set up allowed for a great finish...DJ almost delivered, but hard to discredit the Masters Champion's effort...OWGR says Rory, but he's proving to be the best player in the world at the moment...and he doesn't try to dismantle the ball on every swing.


Now that you've walked it and had a chance to see it on TV...would you play it? Obviously from the forward tees.

I know you didn't direct this to me but I would love to play it. But, there's no way I could justify spending $500 to golf there. If I have that much to spend on golf I'm going somewhere else like to the ocean course at Kiawah. It's a course I'd play, but it's so hard to justify $350 plus a caddie and a six hour round when it's going to be that hard.

 

[gohusk]

Yep...the USGA took the foot off the gas pedal a bit, and for good measure...set up allowed for a great finish...DJ almost delivered, but hard to discredit the Masters Champion's effort...OWGR says Rory, but he's proving to be the best player in the world at the moment...and he doesn't try to dismantle the ball on every swing.


Now that you've walked it and had a chance to see it on TV...would you play it? Obviously from the forward tees.

Hell yes! The course looks fantastic. From the looks of it I'd be happy breaking 90 but the views are spectacular. It's a tough course. Not a course to drink beers on though with all the hiking you're going to do.

I'll hit it around October or something this year. The ironic thing is that the reason the PGA stayed away from PNW courses is because none of them drained well enough to ensure they could get 4 rounds in with rain.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

I know you didn't direct this to me but I would love to play it. But, there's no way I could justify spending $500 to golf there. If I have that much to spend on golf I'm going somewhere else like to the ocean course at Kiawah. It's a course I'd play, but it's so hard to justify $350 plus a caddie and a six hour round when it's going to be that hard.

I've got 2 vices...golf and NFL and the NFL is starting to wane a little...just gave up the Sun Tkt after a 10 yr run.

Strange fetish I have with golf...weekend golfer...week in week out $40 is about my threshold for the afternoon, $45-50 early morning tee...The really nice upscale tracks here that cost $100+ on Sat... I avoid those like the plague, but will pay $450 to play PB...or $250 to play Ocean Hammock (a must play).

There are a few golf destinations out west on my bucket list...Pebble, & Bandon Dunes...everyone I know that has done both say Bandon is just better...it's like a golf mecca I'm told...so...my objective is to do the Bandon trip and hopefully play Chambers Bay while we're out there.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Hell yes! The course looks fantastic. From the looks of it I'd be happy breaking 90 but the views are spectacular. It's a tough course. Not a course to drink beers on though with all the hiking you're going to do.

I'll hit it around October or something this year. The ironic thing is that the reason the PGA stayed away from PNW courses is because none of them drained well enough to ensure they could get 4 rounds in with rain.

It looks awesome on TV in terms of the elevation change...imagine 12 would probably play 260ish for us.

 

[Ralph Murphy]

I wonder how green Chambers Bay is on a normal weekend. Also how much does it cost to play there?

I have paid $325 for Pebble, $160 for Spyglass and $80+ for a number of courses.

My normal course is $43, although I play a course that runs $55 and one owned by the Indians now that costs me $60 on weekends.

My thing with Chambers Bay was how it penalized shots that were hit into the middle of fairways or the middle of greens. You shouldn't hit the middle of a fairway and end up in a bunker or hay. Same with hitting the middle of a green. Also, I am just not a big fan of links courses.

 

[gohusk]

It looks awesome on TV in terms of the elevation change...imagine 12 would probably play 260ish for us.

Yeah. Maybe I carry that with driver if I'm swing really well. That green is way the hell up there. When I play I'm laying up. Caddie's are like 100 bucks at the place but from what I heard it's well worth it. They'll tell you right where you need to put the balls.

 

[WizardHawk]

Couple of notes/thoughts:

The leaderboard vetted out the course rather nicely. If it had been no name shlubs at the top you would have a case for the course allowing bad shots to be as productive as good shots, at least on the greens. Seeing Rory come back hard with that 4th round, Luis torching it up on the final day, and all of those expected contenders on that leaderboard said all this hot air over the conditions are just that.

I've never seen that course look that brown and I think you blame the USGA for it. The weather before the start of the tournament was 85+ for a solid week prior to it starting and the USGA was entirely in charge of the watering plan at that point. We aren't used to having long spells of hot weather this early and clearly they over dried it in an attempt to set it up to run as hard as they wanted. By the time they realized it, there wasn't much they could do. Had they over watered it the growth would have made it worse and the difference between AM and PM shots would have been far more pronounced. They fucked it up the week before, not actually during it.

Reports are already coming out after the end of that round yesterday that the powers that be at the USGA were so happy with this course that they are all saying it is only a matter of when they return, not if. I'm sure we can expect to see the greens changed up, some of them flattened out more, and other tweaks before that time such as creating better fan experiences on a couple of holes that were hard to get to. It's a learning experience for all involved and I'm sure the next go around there will be much improved.

 

[TheDayMan]

I wonder how green Chambers Bay is on a normal weekend. Also how much does it cost to play there?

Chambers Bay Golf Course - Rates & Services

 

[SJ76]

I've got 2 vices...golf and NFL and the NFL is starting to wane a little...just gave up the Sun Tkt after a 10 yr run.

Strange fetish I have with golf...weekend golfer...week in week out $40 is about my threshold for the afternoon, $45-50 early morning tee...The really nice upscale tracks here that cost $100+ on Sat... I avoid those like the plague, but will pay $450 to play PB...or $250 to play Ocean Hammock (a must play).

There are a few golf destinations out west on my bucket list...Pebble, & Bandon Dunes...everyone I know that has done both say Bandon is just better...it's like a golf mecca I'm told...so...my objective is to do the Bandon trip and hopefully play Chambers Bay while we're out there.

Ocean Hammock is sick. Played there many times 7-8 years ago. Had it -4 or -5 a few days after greens were punched on a hot summer day. Had a deuce on #11 or #12 460 par 4. The view from the range will make you want to sit down and drink some rum.

Played Kiawah Ocean course a few times too. Big difference between playing there in Aug when the US Open was there and Sept/Oct when the atlantic winds start to chirp.

 

[uncfan103]

I wonder how green Chambers Bay is on a normal weekend. Also how much does it cost to play there?

I have paid $325 for Pebble, $160 for Spyglass and $80+ for a number of courses.

My normal course is $43, although I play a course that runs $55 and one owned by the Indians now that costs me $60 on weekends.

My thing with Chambers Bay was how it penalized shots that were hit into the middle of fairways or the middle of greens. You shouldn't hit the middle of a fairway and end up in a bunker or hay. Same with hitting the middle of a green. Also, I am just not a big fan of links courses.

Chambers bay is $300 plus a five percent fee and fifteen percent tax and another $80-$100 for a caddie. It's probably typically very green, but they wanted the course best for the players rather than the spectators so to firm it up they sacrificed the color. They saved money and had a perfect course aside from the greens.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Ocean Hammock is sick. Played there many times 7-8 years ago. Had it -4 or -5 a few days after greens were punched on a hot summer day. Had a deuce on #11 or #12 460 par 4. The view from the range will make you want to sit down and drink some rum.

Played Kiawah Ocean course a few times too. Big difference between playing there in Aug when the US Open was there and Sept/Oct when the atlantic winds start to chirp.

Ocean Hammock is sick...I've had the pleasure of playing about a dz times on 2 trips...our pkg granted us replay rates for $80...we did 36 a day on it....I will say...it can be a beast when the wind shifts and comes off the ocean. It doesn't have the views but I dare say I still like TPC Craig Ranch better.

I've never played Kiawah, but yes, I would fork it over to play it.