Design for Matchplay

[Mark_Rowlinson]

The Ryder Cup Matches will bring matchplay into prominence for a brief period.  But there are clubs in Britain which are almost exclusively matchplay clubs.  If you were going to design a new course for one of these clubs would your design philosophy change?  What might you do differently?

[James Edwards]

Mark,

I would personally have more reachable Par 5's and 4s and with water as the main hazard if we are talking about building ''matchplay courses''. Holes like 16th at Sawgrass, 10th at Belfry etc etc - to just tease the player into having a go.  Risk Reward is what its all about really..  The Heroic Shot!

[Jim Sweeney]

JJS: I like your comments generally. However, since matches are generally only 18 holes, one style of architecture will probably unfairly favor one type of player. Therefore, I think I'd strive to have balance between heroic, penal, and strategic holes, vary the lengths and balance the lefts and rights, forced carries and lay ups. Nothing wrong with an unreachable 5 on the card, as long as it's balanced with a good risk/reward challenge. My match play course would try to keep everyone in the game, and not beat a particular player with a one-dimensional design.

Hope you are well.

Jesplusone

[Richard Pennell]

Mark - which courses are predominantly matchplay? I love matchplay and I think the pros miss out by playing strokeplay 95% of the time. Anyone know why the USPGA switched over to strokeplay?

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Richard,

Hunstanton, Royal West Norfolk, Aldeburgh, Royal Worlington & Mildenhall for sure, and they're all in East Anglia.  I suspect matchplay is also preferred at Royal St George's and Littlestone on the Kent coast.  

[Dan Herrmann]

If you want to see a great match play course, check out Gil's French Creek.

Every hole presents unique challenges and offer the player a safe route or the opportunity for the 'hero' shot.  

I think the course would drive tour pros nuts - it's not a course for scoring 65 (although that's been done), it's a course designed with the best intentions of the heritage of the sport in mind - in other words, match play.

Our first club championship was a 36 hole match that was won 1up after 37 holes.  It was golf at its best.  Sure - the players missed a shot here and there (heck - they're amateurs), but the strategy and highs & lows led to a thrilling finish.

I love match play!

[Brian_Gracely]

Anyone know why the USPGA switched over to strokeplay?

Television.  While greats like Walter Hagen won a number of PGAs, it also has a reasonable chance to produce finals and semi-finals with players that don't match the profile that creates good ratings on TV.  (see the innagural World Golf Championship finals in 1996 between Jeff Maggert and Andrew Magee)

Call it the "Arnold Palmer" effect....the last US-PGA to be played at match-play was 1957.  Palmer won The Masters in 1958, and it was the same year it was shown on television.  

[rgkeller]

There is a name for golfers who play a match using the "heroic" approach.

"Loser"

[ForkaB]

There is a name for golfers who play a match using the "heroic" approach.

"Loser"


[/quote

Hmmmmm......

Like Nicklaus on the 18th in his Open playoff with Sanders, or most of the Euro Ryder Cup team at the 10th at the Belfry in 2002, or Tiger's 6-iron out of the bunker across the water in the Canadian Open........

I'm partial to those kinds of "losers."

[Dan Herrmann]

There is a name for golfers who play a match using the "heroic" approach.

"Loser"

I guess it all depends on when you're heroic.    It's all risk/reward.

Bland golf can easily lose too...  Look at the last few Ryder Cup matches and how "safe" US team plays led to losses.

[Mike Benham]

The Ryder Cup Matches will bring matchplay into prominence for a brief period.  But there are clubs in Britain which are almost exclusively matchplay clubs.  If you were going to design a new course for one of these clubs would your design philosophy change?  What might you do differently?

Mark -

I had this same thought a few days ago and one point struck me as an obstacle in designing a course for match-play.  How many matches go to the 18th hole?  A hole such as Pebble's 18th, a pretty good match play hole with today's technology, might only be played once every 4 or 5 matches.

This obvious effect of this is do you try and route/your best match-play holes to fall mid-to-late in the round (#14, 15, 16) or earlier in the round, etc.  This assumes of course that there is flexibility in the routing ...

[Mark_Rowlinson]

Mike, You are absolutely right about not all matches going to the 18th, but in certain circles with the match won at, say, the 16th there are huge bets on the outcome of the other two holes and it can be a very expensive business settling the bar bill afterwards!  I was thinking more of the design philosophy - you might, for instance, design a nice par 3 across a valley.  For normal, medal play you might put two or three bunkers from which escape is possible but will probably cost a stroke.  For match play you might only put one bunker, but it might be a horror such as the Road bunker from which escape in a single shot is unlikely, for it doesn't matter if you lose the hole with a 4 or an 8.  Would there be a greater emphasis on cape holes - bite off as much as you dare?  

[Mark_F]

Mark Rowlinson:

Aren't those East Anglian courses you mentioned notorious for particularly quick greens?  

I'd like to see more short and medium par fours that really dish out the punishment if the big hitters go for broke and miss, leaving mere mortals like myself the chance to shine with my short game - always assuming, of course, I haven't taken up Marc Haring's suggestion that the Lob Wedge is the weapon of choice when insertion into the nether regions is required on club principals for overzealous rough.

I would think that to be a better matchpaly course, shorter and wilder would be the go - excessive length, rough and water only serve to exclude short but accurate players in favour of brute strength.

[rgkeller]

>>Like Nicklaus on the 18th in his Open playoff with Sanders, or most of the Euro Ryder Cup team at the 10th at the Belfry in 2002, or Tiger's 6-iron out of the bunker across the water in the Canadian Open........<<

Well, hitting driver off the 18th at TOC is not exactly an example of overwhelming bravery and Woods is a great iron player for whom a six iron from a flat bunker is quite routine. I will give you going for the 10th green at the Belfry in singles or in foursomes. Of course, in the past RC, Captain Torrence of Team Europe had the tees set to eliminate the choice.

[rgkeller]

"Smart" does not equal "bland."

I saw a lot of mishit shots but did not notice safety being the downfall of the US Team, but perhaps I was not paying sufficient attention.

[James Edwards]

Jim,

Agreed, although reachable par 5's and par 4's are only advantageous if you hit it straight of course...  thats my main point, so it does play into the hands of all players in my view.

[ian]

"Woods is a great iron player for whom a six iron from a flat bunker is quite routine"

rgkeller,

QUITE ROUTINE! Your kidding.........I hope?

I guess Watson's chip in on 17 at Pebble was routine too since after all it was JUST a chip shot, and it wasn't even 18 for god's sake!

[rgkeller]

Woods' play from the flat bunker with his six iron was 90/10 to clear the water and better than 60% to end up on the green. Only a 10% chance for a disaster into the water.

Watson's chip in was neither routine nor heroic but simply a well executed shot that hit the exact center of the flagstick.

It was the percentage play, not a heroic shot.