[David Stamm]

Dan Hicks: "Gary, tell us why this course is so difficult and why the players are saying it's one of the toughest majors, senior or otherwise, they have ever seen."


Gary Koch: "Well Dan, you've got the narrow fw's, in some cases only 24 yds wide. And then there is the very brutal rough that makes goinf for the green almost impossible. And when you do get to the green, they are running about 11.5-12 on the stimp."


Have they told us ANYTHING about the course?? This was more or less the conversation when coverage started for the Senior PGA. It's a conversation we've heard countless times between lead announcer and the color commentator. Not a thing about what makes Oak Hill such a challenge, or what seperates it from other great courses. The description given pertained to SET UP and did not tell us a damn thing about the course. I know this has been modus operandi for quite some time, but after hearing it again today it just set me off. Does it matter if these majors are held on old classic courses when the set up is almost always the same and therefore stifles the uniqueness of the indivdual courses? Could they put these tournaments anywhere and get the desired effect? How far would an architectural desription go with the golf viewing public, or are they content to hear over and over again "Well, it's playing long, the fw's are narrow and the rough is thick. And the greens? Well, Johnny, it's like putting in a bath tub".

[Jeffrey Prest]

Fair point, David. Just once, it would be nice to hear the 'blame' being ascribed to tee shots that offer so many options, the players can't handle all the extra thinking they're being asked to do...

[JNC Lyon]

One thing the announcers said was that Oak Hill tests every aspect of a person's game.  There is no shot which you are not asked to hit.  This is something mentioned multiple times in the telecasts, and it is entirely accurate.  As a member who plays the course everyday, this is certainly the case.  There are multiple ways to get things done, but you have execute every shot properly to achieve a good score.  The course never turns into a pure putting contest like we saw today at Colonial, nor is it a pure ballstriking challenge as is seen at very often at the Players Championship.  It is a perfect combination of the two, plus the ability to save pars from treacherous green surrounds.  One should also remember that the course as seen today is not changed drastically for a Major Championship.  It is very close to how the course plays day to day, which is to say it provides a great test to compliment a gentler and more pure West Course at Oak Hill.

The main characteristic of Oak Hill that separates it from many great courses is its simultaneous emphasis on the driver and the putter.  One is asked to shape the ball both ways off the tee, or otherwise commit fully to either a draw or fade.  A player cannot back down on any tee shot without accepting a bad score.  This may seem a little unreasonable to the average golfer, but for a tour pro it provides nothing but a good test. 

The greens, however, are the main reason why players have consistently scored poorly at Oak Hill throughout every championship held here.  The 14 original Ross greens are elegantly designed, each eminently fair yet extremely vexing.  Ross built most greens with falloffs on multiple sides, meaning that a poor miss will create an extremely difficult up-and-down.  The four Fazio greens are of course the weakness at Oak Hill, something which keeps the course from being among the best dozen in the country.  Read Bradley Klein's review in Golfweek as to how Ross used the land to make Oak Hill unique.

I think the main complaint here is with how architecture is portrayed on television.  I'm afraid this will never change.

[Mike_Cirba]

JNC,

That was a really superb post to a difficult question.

I would simply ask if there are any holes where multiple choices exist from the tee, and not just whether to hit driver or lay-back with something shorter.   In other words, are there holes where a daring drive challenging a hazard or difficult angle might yield some advantage in terms of setting up the next shot?

Thanks for your thoughts.   I haven't played Oak Hill, but I have to admit that I'm in love with the intricacies of the glacial terrain of upstate NY and find myself wishing the season was longer up your way.

[cary lichtenstein]

Great observation

[David Stamm]

One thing the announcers said was that Oak Hill tests every aspect of a person's game.  There is no shot which you are not asked to hit.  This is something mentioned multiple times in the telecasts, and it is entirely accurate.  As a member who plays the course everyday, this is certainly the case.  There are multiple ways to get things done, but you have execute every shot properly to achieve a good score.  The course never turns into a pure putting contest like we saw today at Colonial, nor is it a pure ballstriking challenge as is seen at very often at the Players Championship.  It is a perfect combination of the two, plus the ability to save pars from treacherous green surrounds.  One should also remember that the course as seen today is not changed drastically for a Major Championship.  It is very close to how the course plays day to day, which is to say it provides a great test to compliment a gentler and more pure West Course at Oak Hill.

The main characteristic of Oak Hill that separates it from many great courses is its simultaneous emphasis on the driver and the putter.  One is asked to shape the ball both ways off the tee, or otherwise commit fully to either a draw or fade.  A player cannot back down on any tee shot without accepting a bad score.  This may seem a little unreasonable to the average golfer, but for a tour pro it provides nothing but a good test. 

The greens, however, are the main reason why players have consistently scored poorly at Oak Hill throughout every championship held here.  The 14 original Ross greens are elegantly designed, each eminently fair yet extremely vexing.  Ross built most greens with falloffs on multiple sides, meaning that a poor miss will create an extremely difficult up-and-down.  The four Fazio greens are of course the weakness at Oak Hill, something which keeps the course from being among the best dozen in the country.  Read Bradley Klein's review in Golfweek as to how Ross used the land to make Oak Hill unique.

I think the main complaint here is with how architecture is portrayed on television.  I'm afraid this will never change.

JNC, thank you. That is the insight that I wish we could hear on a regular basis when tuning in to watch a tournament.

[Dan Herrmann]

JNC - well said.

I seldom watch the Champions Tour guys, but was glued to my set for the PGA Sr. Championship the last few years.  Why?  Because the courses they played brought out their best and made for compelling TV.

Norman's mini-charge followed by his psychlogical defeat ("That may be the last golf I ever play") was drama of the highest order.

But there was no doubt - Oak Hill was the star of this show.

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