Coore & Crenshaw Letter On Pinehurst Changes

[Bruce Wellmon]

Today's Charlotte Observer
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2010/05/25/1458023/turning-back-the-clock-on-pinehurst.html

[Craig Disher]

The fairways now are actually closer in width to the photo than to the computer rendering but we'll have to wait until the bermuda rough has been completely stripped before the final width is known. To anyone who has played the course a lot, the new width is just jaw dropping. The watering on the sides of the fairways also has been turned off so drives that are sent down the edges go significantly farther than ones striped down the center.

[Chris Flamion]

This has moves up from the bottom half of the list to very near the top.   looks fantastic.

[Steve_Lovett]

However.....  the greens are awful at present.  I've played #2 several times, most recently last week, and I was extremely disappointed in the condition.  I understand they have given refunds or offered reduced rates to those who have complained.  I also heard while I was there that the Super was recently fired.  Unfortunately, when the greens are very slow and bumpy #2 presents a greatly diminished experience, still at a very high price.

[Steve Kline]

I would love to know how Pinehurst's numbers have been affected since Bandon opened. Nothing hits home like money, and if the folks at Pinehurst have seen a decline (or relative decline) in revenue because people prefer to go to the middle of nowhere Oregon to golf, then they really may have woken up.

I can't say how much Bandon has affected their business but the recession definitely has. It's been very noticeable. The recession has caused a lot of people to drop their memberships.

[Steve Kline]

It doesn't appear they plan to flash the bunkers.

They have already reshaped the bunkers between 13 and 14. They have rough, jagged edges on them as opposed to the smooth curves that are on them now. Also, many of the green side bunkers actually have a lip that comes back at you. So it is possible to literally be under the lip. The plan is to fix those bunkers by restoring the lips and possibly even making them somewhat shallower. The front right bunker on 17 is a great example of what I'm talking about.

[Steve Kline]

However.....  the greens are awful at present.  I've played #2 several times, most recently last week, and I was extremely disappointed in the condition.  I understand they have given refunds or offered reduced rates to those who have complained.  I also heard while I was there that the Super was recently fired.  Unfortunately, when the greens are very slow and bumpy #2 presents a greatly diminished experience, still at a very high price.

The greens were filled with poa. They sprayed an experimental chemical from one of the local universities on the greens to kill the poa. It did that but it took some time for the bent to fill in. The bent is now filling in but the greens are slow. Apparently they've been offering a $100 off a round on #2. My dad said when they were killing the poa that some resort guests walked back in after the second hole and demanded their money back. Sometime this fall the course will be closed so they can do the bunker work.

[George Freeman]

Sounds like an outstanding project and goal, and one that desparately needed to be undertaken.  It would be great to see more projects like this.

It will be interesting to see/hear the responses to the restored/renovated course at the 2014 US Open, from both pros (PGA and LPGA) and the media.  I would imagine it will play like a COMPLETELY different golf course compared to the 1999 & 2005 Opens.