[Sean Leary]

Adam:

I thought you were just poking fun. I guess I know what you're referring to about 5 and 15. I'd never seen #5 before and I was impressed with it. I think a mid fairway bunker on #15 is a great idea but the one there now is terrible in my opinion. It's not in the right place and it's far too big. But to do what I think would be right on that hole with a mid fairway bunker they'd also need to expand that fairway well to the right.

I'd agree to a mid fairway bunker on 15, if it were in keeping with the other center line bunkers on the course. The current one appears to be air lifted out of some other course, and while it's gathering nature is cool, as you say. it just does not fit.
It's been a repeated error of several other architects lately, to make these center pots out of scale. Diminishing their strategic value because there's less fairway to one side of the other, making that side, not an option. #9 at Sebonack, #10 at Dismal River etc.

The 5th hole is not horrible, it just is not as gret as it could've been, and, it's effect on the routings flow, is a great loss from the older version of Pebble beach.

Adam,

If you could recreate 5 again, what would it look like, in its current spot?

[Richard Choi]

You can't have a truly firm and fast Open when there is so much difference between the fairway speed and green speed. I think this event would have been perfect if the greens were running 10 to 11, not so much at 13.

[Dave_Miller]

Tommy
I was also at Pebble for most of the week and the set up was terrific.  The conditions I felt were perfect and firm and fast it was.
Mike Davis did a great job.
Best
Dave

[Pat Burke]

Watching Pebble was interesting for me.  I played the US Open in '92, and have had the fortune of
playing PB probably a hundred times.  
The '92 open was a shocker for me.  The greens were pitiful.  Unbelievably firm, and the ball wiggled
all over the place.  1 footers were an adventure.  The only color, was paint
I missed the cut by a few shots, but not because of the conditions (IMO) because of first timer mistakes.
I never took my lumps when I should have   6 doubles in 2 rounds
I loved the mow lines this year, '92 not so much.
I was always pretty confident in being able to pull off tougher shots, and I AM a believer in everybody plays the same place, and you may not like it, but are never forced to play.
IMO the USGA overdid hard on the greens, going a touch too far over F&F.  I would use 11 as an example.  Moving the fairway over was kind of cool in my opinion, IF a perfectly struck shot can stop.  If getting extremely hard beyond being able to stop the ball is the goal, leave the left option for guys to bounce it in to postion, rewarding some control over the ball other than backspin.

[Bill Brightly]

I thought the course conditions looked EXCELLENT from my seat in fron of the TV. I think the USGA made Pebble play much more like a links course than ever before.

And I think this style of play is a far better way to determine the best golfer because it strikes a better balance between the players' overall game rather than identifying the best putter. Players who hit it in the wrong spots were almost never allowed to salvage par with their putter. IMO, they had to properly think and execute from tee to green. For that reason, I thought it was a GREAT U.S. Open set up.

I am a very recent convert to understanding and enjoying fast and firm, having been lucky enough to play 8 rounds in Ireland last fall and 9 rounds at Bandon this past May. This experience taught me a few things:
1) I am not any good at playing F & F
2) my 5 hdcp is a fake home course/parkland hdcp.
3) par is a great result requiring good shots throughout a hole, and
4) I REALLY want to learn how to play F & F.

[Charlie Goerges]

He did even though I can see the potential for "badness" or whatever it is you mentioned that I should keep an eye out for. But with a level-headed mentor and chaperone like me around him at all times the real-world opportunities were minimized.

The only way having TEP around will minimize opportunities for badness is the fact that TEP will use up said opportunities before the rest of us can get half a chance to take advantage!

[Phil Benedict]

What I thought was most interesting was that the rough wasn't much of a factor in the play.  I don't remember too many examples of guys just pitching out like usually happens in the US Open, because most of the time the player could advance the ball to the green or close enough to run it up.

I didn't like the shaggy stuff around the bunkers.  Contributed to Dustin Johnson's demise and caused a double by Els on 17 on Thursday.  Not sure what the point of such penal rough is, particularly on 17 which is a stupid hole to begin with.

[Doug Braunsdorf]

Looking ahead to next year, I wonder what kind of setup the USGA will provide for Congressional.  In contrast to PB, Congo is played a lot more through the air.

I would imagine the 'graduated rough' will be used.  Congressional is a tough test of golf, but a different test from, say, PB, Shinnecock, or Pinehurst.  Maybe the setup will be closer to what we saw at Winged Foot a few years ago. 

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

TE I also could not agree more. The course played beautifully. The hickup at 17 was it. To Play off the back tee to those back pins was over the top.  I thought the edges of the traps were silly and worse, just like what they did at Olympic with what appears to be St Augustine.  I thought 14 was perfect, well maybe a hair softer would not have been horrible. Otherwise it was a preparation for the ages. Mike Davis did a great job.

[Adam Clayman]

Sean, I don't pretend to be an architect (or a wannabee)
 When the land was raw, after all the tree clearing, my mind's eye saw a hole that screamed "draw it out over the cove". What did Jack do? He put in a cut green. Having the golfer focus away from the cliff's edge and cove.

The essence of the old hole's architecture was it's uphill shot test to a well guarded, wickedly sloped, deceptive green. The new green is no where near wicked and it's downhill. It's open to the left front, making the safe shot (any shot front left) far from the intimidator it's predecessor was. The green is now very straight forward, with no mystery, or secrets to learn. The uphill hole complimented the down hill 7th and 12th holes very well in a variety sense.

The current site, while along the cove, disjoints the routing. Previously the unreal feeling one had when they turned the corner, and, the landform that houses the 6th, 8th, and 14th holes opened up to the golfer. Seeing it every time, in all it's glory, was an unbeatable feeling. (Like seeing Lake Tahoe for the first time you drive up from Reno) It was a huge part of the experience. Now, after completing the 5th, the player must turn their back on the 6th, and climb the hill to the teeing ground. Turning around to see the same vista, is nowhere near as impactive as the old routing. Serendipity comes to mind, when you learn the story of how Mr. Morse and that land owner could not come to terms back before 1919.

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