[Andrew Summerell]

Watching the Presidents Cup (only on TV) I was wondering about the rough around the greens & whether it is necessary for a matchplay event. I have heard the argument that in stroke play events the rough around the greens in required to defend par. I would prefer to see an event like this have more short grass around the greens allowing for more short game options.

Is Harding Park normally set up like this & if not, why do we need it for an event where ostensively the score doesn’t matter?

Has this style of set up become a habit?

[Adam Clayman]

I have heard the argument that in stroke play events the rough around the greens in required to defend par. I would prefer to see an event like this have more short grass around the greens allowing for more short game options.

Is Harding Park normally set up like this & if not, why do we need it for an event where ostensively the score doesn’t matter?

Has this style of set up become a habit?

Andrew, You have heard the argument, but, What do you think?

This is what I like to call The Westchester County maintenance presentation. It is so predominate, that is just has to be wrong.

It's wrong because;
                          1) it allows balls to finish closer to the green that if the surrounds were low mowed.
                           2) it makes the shot demand virtually one dimensional, taking away all the other clubs in the bag options.
                             3) it perpetuates a myth that this type of golf is harder. When it actually is easier.

How about those greens at Harding park? Has anyone seen a putt break more than six inches?

The desire to not embarrass the professional, is at the heart of these ills, imo. Humility is part of this sport and designing it out of competition, in this way, has diluted the product.

I would cite Mark Michaud's presentation of the tenth hole in '04 @ Shinneythingy as an example of a proper green surrounds set-up with the ability to challenge and humble the best in the world.

[Mike_Clayton]

Andrew,

If you come from Melbourne it is amazing to see just how many courses are not set up like this - one mower cut around the green of short grass then rough and then the increasingly less relevant bunkers.
So many of the heathland courses in London have followed this pattern.
Hopefully many here will see Kingston Heath is a few weeks and that it proves you can have bunkers cut right into the greens with no fringe and all of the green surrounded by hazardous short grass that leaves so many options.

Why almost no one oustide of Australia tries to adopt these options is a complete mysyery.

[Andrew Summerell]

Andrew, You have heard the argument, but, What do you think?

No, I don't agree with the argument, but it's how people justify having rough so close to the greens.

I agree with your 3 points. It has been a few years since I played in America, but I came across a few courses that set up like this for the members. I found that once I developed the little 'pop-up' shot around the greens I was fine (even with my average game). Mike is correct about Melbourne. At Kingston Heath, if you miss 9 greens in a round you could easily have 9 different shots to recover.

[Matt_Cohn]

It's hard to picture. I don't think that Harding's greens were designed with short grass in mind at all. I wonder what that would be like?

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