Today, while the pros were at Pebble, I got to play Poppy Hills with same pins and tees as the pros used on Saturday. The only difference was that the greens were not rolled this morning.
I've attended the tournament for 9 years, and I used to think that the courses were set up relatively easy so the rounds would play as fast as possible, and the ams would have a chance. That may have been true 4 years ago, but it sure isn't now.
13 Pins were all the way back on the large greens AND tucked far left or right. #2, #10, #15, #16, #17 were the only pins NOT in the the most difficult and inaccessible location on the green. There were no front pins at all. The blue tees were set full-length. The flags were all white today, with no depth indication (after about 3 holes, you knew where the pin would be anyways - suckertown... )
Additionally, the fairways were mostly dry, but not generating much roll at all. But the greens were as firm as Poppy Hills can be. Balls would take big bounces, and our 4-some (playing today to 4, 6, 9 (me), 12 hcps) usually couldn't generate a enough spin to go at any of the tucked pins safely.
It was night and day from the way I played it just 10 days before - when the course was very, very wet and the greens were virtual velcro dartboards. I was pretty impressed with what they can do to get a course relatively firm. (I'm sure the good weather they mostly had in the meantime helped.)
Anyways, the mental difficulty of playing 8 or 9 tucked pins in a row is pretty severe for this average golfer.
In the end, our groups scores were 86 (incl eagle on 10), 88 (me), a 93, and the 12 hcp had a bad day and shot 106.
As if I didn't know before, I can tell you that Poppy Hills is plenty difficult, and the tour setup is a good 3 strokes harder than an average day, and the middle of the road tour players for whom it's is basically a par-69 are really, really good.
