Stevinson Ranch

[AndrewB]

I'm actually the only guy I know of who owns a stimpmeter. I stimped them on Friday and they were 8. I figured they were half a foot MAXIMUM faster on Saturday and Sunday. There were wet, sandy, and grainy, and were absolutely, positively, no faster than 9 (I've been stimping greens for two years and have come to be pretty accurate with my estimates before I even roll the balls).

Okay, then, I stand corrected.  From talking to greens superintendents over the years, I have gained the impression that any time I think greens are slower than 9 or faster than 12, I am just wrong.  There's nothing like first-hand experience, though, so I take your word for it.

With all that I heard about the weather on Friday, I'm surprised they didn't speed up more than that.  I would have figured them to be significantly slower with both the wetness and sand adhering to the ball.

[AndrewB]

Boy, you make some GREAT points about both 11 and 18. I certainly never even considered laying up to the left on 18 (I layed up on Saturday to the right and hit the green in two on Sunday). You're absolutely right: There's no reason to do so. Hmmmmm....

Yeah, I went for the green on Sunday and duffed it so I just cleared the hazard.  I ended up about 80 yards out and the angle coming in was not nearly enough of an advantage to make me want to layup there.  In fact, with the pin back left, I'd have preferred to be on the right side so I could hit into the green's slope rather than with it.

Maybe 11 would be made better if there was lay-up area to the RIGHT of the bunkers that guard the right side of the fairway from 115 all the way up to the green. Kind of a lay up OVER the bunkers and to the right of them -- make sense?

I think that makes a lot of sense from a playability standpoint, but I don't see enough of an advantage to laying up down the left to make it work from a risk/reward view.  I fanned my layup just right of the first bunker on Saturday and ended up with a fine angle in out of light rough.  If there was fairway over there I wouldn't even consider laying up on the left and bringing the hazard into play.

And, what's the story with the left fairway on number two?  Is there any reason someone would play up that side?  It makes the hole longer and the angle into the green is substantially worse.  I didn't go up there, but it didn't look much wider either.  Please enlighten me.

[Mike Benham]

I certainly never even considered laying up to the left on 18 (I layed up on Saturday to the right and hit the green in two on Sunday). You're absolutely right: There's no reason to do so. Hmmmmm....

Forton's second shot to 18 green ...

[Mike Benham]

And, what's the story with the left fairway on number two?  Is there any reason someone would play up that side?  It makes the hole longer and the angle into the green is substantially worse.  I didn't go up there, but it didn't look much wider either.  Please enlighten me.

Here is the view from the right edge of the upper left fairway supporting Andrew's observation ...

[David Ober]

I'm actually the only guy I know of who owns a stimpmeter. I stimped them on Friday and they were 8. I figured they were half a foot MAXIMUM faster on Saturday and Sunday. There were wet, sandy, and grainy, and were absolutely, positively, no faster than 9 (I've been stimping greens for two years and have come to be pretty accurate with my estimates before I even roll the balls).

Okay, then, I stand corrected.  From talking to greens superintendents over the years, I have gained the impression that any time I think greens are slower than 9 or faster than 12, I am just wrong.  There's nothing like first-hand experience, though, so I take your word for it.

With all that I heard about the weather on Friday, I'm surprised they didn't speed up more than that.  I would have figured them to be significantly slower with both the wetness and sand adhering to the ball.

I think they lowered the mowers a tad for the tournament, which is why the sped up a bit. They couldn't lower them too much, though -- too much sand.

[David Ober]

Boy, you make some GREAT points about both 11 and 18. I certainly never even considered laying up to the left on 18 (I layed up on Saturday to the right and hit the green in two on Sunday). You're absolutely right: There's no reason to do so. Hmmmmm....

Yeah, I went for the green on Sunday and duffed it so I just cleared the hazard.  I ended up about 80 yards out and the angle coming in was not nearly enough of an advantage to make me want to layup there.  In fact, with the pin back left, I'd have preferred to be on the right side so I could hit into the green's slope rather than with it.

Maybe 11 would be made better if there was lay-up area to the RIGHT of the bunkers that guard the right side of the fairway from 115 all the way up to the green. Kind of a lay up OVER the bunkers and to the right of them -- make sense?

I think that makes a lot of sense from a playability standpoint, but I don't see enough of an advantage to laying up down the left to make it work from a risk/reward view.  I fanned my layup just right of the first bunker on Saturday and ended up with a fine angle in out of light rough.  If there was fairway over there I wouldn't even consider laying up on the left and bringing the hazard into play.

And, what's the story with the left fairway on number two?  Is there any reason someone would play up that side?  It makes the hole longer and the angle into the green is substantially worse.  I didn't go up there, but it didn't look much wider either.  Please enlighten me.

Regarding number 11, I don't think I'm communicating what it is I think should be done to make the hole better.

Regarding the split fairway hole, I think you're absolutely right, and I mentioned that to one of my playing partners. The split fairway thing is cool, but it needs to be a viable option for it not to be simply a contrivance. If the top left fairway were MUCH wider out to the left, THEN it would be a great addition. It would tempt the player with it's "safeness," but the further the player went left to "play safe," the longer the second shot would be.