Do architects use PGA Tour stats (and, if so, which ones)?

[Carl Nichols]

Golf Digest's website has a pretty interesting article focusing on how six pros substantially improved their rank in a particular statistical category tracked by the tour. (E.g., Sean O'Hair went from 68th to 1st in accuracy from 250-275 yards; he averages a remarkable 48 feet, 11 inches on such shots.)  In any event, the article got me wondering whether and to what extent architects look at fairly granular PGA Tour data -- like accuracy from specific distances, whether on average, or even for the 150th ranked guy -- in thinking about how to design specific holes.  For example, if we know that for 175-200 yard shots, the 150th ranked guy in that particular category -- an obviously very good player who's not as good as other pros at that particular shot -- hits it X feet away on average, is that relevant to how an architect might defend a par 3 of that distance?

[Tom_Doak]

Carl:

Tom Marzolf is using such statistics to suggest tinkering to the tenth hole at Riviera.

And, of course, the Tour design staff uses them a lot.

Otherwise, I wouldn't know of any such examples.  A couple of years back, when we were looking at designing a TPC course (a project that is now defunct), I got all the shot charts for the TPC Scottsdale and had my associates dissect them to see what we could learn.  Answer:  not too much.  On that course, anyway, the pros did not play very strategically at all ... there was no evidence that they were missing to one side of the fairway more than the other, unless they were playing away from a severe hazard.

[Carl Nichols]

Thanks Tom.  I was wondering whether something like data on average distance to the hole from specific yardages might affect your thinking on either par 3 green sizes or internal contours, but it sounds like they generally don't.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Carl,
  We used several years of stats that Shotlink put together from players in the Crown Plaza Invitational. We used average tee shot distances when placing every fairway bunker this past summer.

Tony Nysse
Asst. Supt.
Colonial CC
Ft. Worth, TX

[Tim_Cronin]

Rees Jones used Shotlink stats in helping determine bunker relocation on Cog Hill's Dubsdread course.

[Tom_Doak]

Well, I rest my case then.

[Neil_Crafter]

We use the leader of the yearly money winner's list to determine our yearly earnings - divided by 100.