Courses improved due to ball/club technology

[mtp]

Any examples of courses whose holes became more interesting and/or strategic with the advent of enhanced equipment. ie par fours that might now be reachable, par 5's that now require 2 shots, trouble that wasn't intended to be in play off the tee is now a factor etc.

[THuckaby2]

Pebble Beach #18, for us normal guys.  It's now within reason that we can reach it in two, which heightens the strategic choices big-time.

TH

[Geoffrey Childs]

Tom

Have you been visiting BALCO labs?

PB reachable in two for you?  It will take mare then a ProV1 to do that.  I'll be getting a report next week from my spies.  If you find yourself on #16 in two from the back tees at SH I will be asking for urine and blood tests.

[THuckaby2]

GC - I've done it - did so last time I was there - got it to the front of the green.  And I am a fat blob as I have been for many years.

It was dry and I had a helping wind.  In normal wet and sans wind it remains well out of my range.  But I'd guess of the 15 guys I was with last week at Bandon (college friends), at least 5 others could reach the hole as they are all longer than me off the tee.

As for #16 SH, you mean Sand Hills, correct?  That remains WAY out of my range from the back tees and hopefully always will be.  From the middles, it has already been reached.

 

[Geoffrey Childs]

TH

I guess all that good modern food we eat to become those middle age blobs results in greater athletic ability then those flat bellied PGA touring pros of 20 years ago.

Its not the equipment.

You are a stud and an elite athlete.  

[THuckaby2]

If there ever was proof the golf ball and equipment are out of control, GC's last post is it.

 

[Geoffrey Childs]

If there ever was proof the golf ball and equipment are out of control, GC's last post is it.

 

Tom

Who needs BALCO when we can all go to MacDonalds  

[wsmorrison]

I have never been there but it seems to me that the 10th hole at Riviera probably is more interesting today because the distance and trajectory factors today make for more options on the tee.  Of course, that also means that approach shots are a bit easier with the wedges and balls of today.