Interesting article in todays Golf World (UK) on the changes at Wentworth. I have thought I would keep an open mind on this but now I am seeing more and more pics and forming my opinion. My opinion is ... 'it's minging'.
Some interesting statements on the changes from Julian Small who seems the spokesman for the Wentworth company.."There is no doubt you will need to fly the ball through the air more than ever here".... "The West course is now very much about target golf"...."We all want to make history here. Harry Colt was a visionary. But, no-one will ever know what he would do if he were here today" ... Mr Small goes on to say they believe they have been respectful.
The article goes on to describe how some greens have be raised 10 feet! In my opinion the new 8th green looks rather nasty.
There is no doubt they should have rebuilt these greens as beneath the surface was pretty bad and in rebuilding there is the opportunity to improve a few things, but from my memory I am not sure that anything needed to be done to improve the 1st, 2nd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, 11th, 12th, 13th, 16th, 17th or 18th green surfaces, safe some very minor bits. I think 3 needs a redo, but that was not HC anyhow. 4 was a bit of a steepish cross slope, 7 not enough pin areas, same for 14 maybe 15 was a bit severe, but to raise it 5 feet, surely the visibiity is gone.
It cost £6,000,000 ...my take it will cost £12,000,000... another 6 to put it back!