Small changes at Harding Park

[Matt_Cohn]

In preparation for the '09 Prez Cup.

1) A lot of bunkers are being resodded and the sand replaced.

2) They are attempting to re-establish rye and bluegrass in the rough, as poa annua has already taken over in many places. A new agronomist has been on staff for about 6 months.

3) Two large fairway bunkers will be added in the hill left of #9 fairway, and a new back tee will create the option of a true par-5 for the pro's. (This will be the only hole on the course with fairway bunkers on both sides. Currently there are none.)

4) Three or four trees on the bank of the lake on #18 have been cut down. However, the first tree remains standing and probably will in the future as well. It seems to me that this makes the teeshot easier for anyone who can carry it 300 yards, and changes nothing for those of us who can't. I've illustrated this change below. It seems like it would be really nice if that first tree were removed as well.

[AndrewB]

I would have thought they were making these changes for the '08 City Championship, but I guess the President's Cup might draw a slightly better field.

Do you know how far out the fairway bunkers will be on nine?  I've seen many people hit it through the fairway and have very little penalty over there, and have done the same myself, so this will certainly make hitting the fairway more important.  Though, if they use the new tee you mention, I'll be laying up anyhow.

Have you heard any of the reasons given for cutting those trees down on 18?

[Matt_Cohn]

I've heard neither, Andrew.

The pro shop guy told me the fairway bunkers on #9 would be rather large - maybe they'll cover a big enough area to be in play from both the new tees and the current ones.

It's weird though. It's uncharacteristic for that course, and besides, for the pro's, isn't it tougher to be in 4" rough from 220 yards than in a nicely raked bunker?

Maybe the '08 City is going to have a stronger field than we thought...

[Joel_Stewart]

What prompted the changes and did they hire an architect or firm to do the changes.   The problems with Harding is they hired the "PGA Tour Architectural Services" which is a bunch of wanna bees with no vision to do the course a few years ago.  Thus you hire crap and your receive crap.

If they would have used real architects they wouldn't be in the mess they are in but then Tim Finchem would have never given them a tournament or two.  

[Matt_Cohn]

Joel,

The only thing I was told, again by a guy in the pro shop, is that poa annua has taken over very quickly, which prompted them to hire an agronomist over the summer.

They are also taking down a few trees. I don't know how many or where.

Interesting that you seem to not like the new design very much. I  never played the old one, but I think the new one is pretty good except that a handful of greens are too flat.

[Joel_Stewart]

My objection to Harding is the dirty politics of hiring the PGA tour architectural services to get the tournaments.   As a result they bring in this guy (I refuse to call him an architect) Chris Gray who is the ultimate hack and he spends $20 or $30 million on a rebuild of which most of it goes in his pocket and/or the the PGA.

Harding is very flat and very boring.  I believe he placed a bunker on the front left of every green except 18 which shows his vision.  I could go on and on but its a financial mess and an architectural embaressment.  Go look at TPC Valencia as another of Chris Grays abortions.

Do you know what type of bent they used at Harding?  I believe the greens were built to USGA spec but something has gone wrong if the poa is already taken root?

[Matt_Cohn]

Joel,

Apparently it's not the greens that are the problem but rather the rough, bunker edges, etc. I think the greens are generally fine.

Re: the bunkers, let's see.

1     R
2     R
3   L
4   L R
5
6   L
7   L R
8      R
9   L R
10 L R
11 L R
12 L R
13 L
14 L
15    R
16 L R
17 L R
18 L

I don't see any bias - 13 left, 12 right, and there are in fact front-left bunkers on #18. You might be thinking of another course (Torrey?) because your statement about the greenside bunkering at Harding isn't accurate.

Harding is flat, by San Francisco standards anyway, but is that really Chris Gray's fault?