Dan
First let me confess.....
Due to other obligations (i.e. trying to stay on the non-heid butting side of the lager-induced louts at my local pub insisting on watching the Spain-Portugal soccer game....), I only know of the tournament from the 8th hole onward (i.e. not tainted by any "experience" of the unholy 7th...).
OK, given that, let me try to answer your question.
1. I didn't see ANY holes of the.......
"Well, Rossie, he can take driver and try to fly the bunkers on the left, which will give him 153 to the pin and an easy angle to leave it below the hole, or he can take 1-iron short right and have a longer shot on a tougher angle..."
.......sort of shots. In fact no real decisions off the tee except what club to get to position B (position A being non-existent or out of the question in most cases). No alternative ways of people playing off the tee (except watching Tiger and Chopra on the 1st on Sat, in which case, BOTH alternatives left them with no real shot at birdie).
2. In most cases, the only way to get close to the pin was to hit your 2nd (or 3rd) shot the EXACT distance on the EXACT line. That is grinding and execution and not strategy, IMO.
3. #10 is a really good example. Great hole for you and me. Decide whether or not to hit straight club to the top of the hill, or try to hit driver over the hill into the gully. Case 1 you have a hill-to-hill shot of 170 or so, Case 2 you have a shorter shot (130?) but blind uphill. So, what did the big boys do? No choice, bomb it down to the bottom with a 3-wood or a 1-iron (Goosen) and then realise that even though the SW shot from there was "easier" than trying to hit 7-iron from one top of a Buick to another, it was still impossible. With the pin on the front, and the penalty for hitting your 2nd short being you'd have to hit it all over again, is it any wonder that everybody hit it long (even Phil with his bump and run). A strategy inducing hole? NOT!
3. 9 and 18. Bomb it and flip it. ZZZZZZZZZZZZ.........
4. Short game options? Not many at all. Nothing compared to the neighbor, NGLA, or almost any UK/Ireland links course.
You, somebody, anybody, tell me what I missed! Please!