Drivable Par 4 during 2012 PGA Championship

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

I just got out of a meeting where it was discussed that No. 12 at The Ocean Course will probably play at 370 yards during next year's PGA Championship.  Downwind, this hole will be quite drivable for a number of players.  The kicker is is that Pete has been "tinkering" with the hole.  He brought the bulking on the right in a number of yards in front of the hole giving the players only a fairly narrow shoot to find the green.  Should make for an interesting part of the course...

[JNC Lyon]

I like that move a lot.  I always thought the Kiawah needed a short par four (1 and 3 don't quite qualify for me), and it works perfectly at the 12th.

[Carl Nichols]

Interesting.  My initial reaction was that the hazard is too close to the green on the right for it to make sense to go for the green.  Do you know whether there will be rough between the fairway/green and the hazard? 

[Joe Bausch]

Here is a (old?) diagram of the hole:



Here is a Sept 2010 Google aerial:



And some images from last last year (Dec):

[Mark Saltzman]

I think 12 would be perfect as a short/drivable par 4. The water starts to pinch the fairway around where many driver tee shots will land and the mounding and bumps left of the green will mean that any player that bails out just a little won't have a gimme up and down.

I only wonder if the hole need play so long. Even down wind, only a handful of players could reach at 370. Especially given all the trouble around the green do you guys think many pros would take a shot at driving the green, or just make it an iron-wedge par 4?

[Sam Morrow]

I've never played it but looking at the pictures it seems like it needs to be shorter. How many players will take that risk, they can hit an iron off the tee, hit wedge close, and make birdie that way.

[jonathan_becker]

With the water right and the bunkering to the left mixed with the 370 yards, imo, the risk involved is still too great to take a crack at the green.  

Kiawah is hard enough and this is a difficult hole.  An iron off the tee and a flip wedge will probably give you half a shot off the normal setup.  

But for TV purposes, I hope everyone goes for it!

Sam - good thinking

[Jim Colton]

I got these pics from our old friend TJ Patterson (he sends his love). These were taken in mid-Feb this year.

new teeing area being built (very beginning stages)


from left of the fairway looking back across at the new mounds being constructed


from the back of the green looking back down the fairway

[Alex Miller]

What will be on those new mounds? Don't they effectively widen the landing area if they are grassed because a shot will now kick down into the fairway?

[Carl Johnson]

Or maybe just a very difficult par 3.

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

What will be on those new mounds? Don't they effectively widen the landing area if they are grassed because a shot will now kick down into the fairway?

Those are bunkers.  And, it you look further up the fairway on the left, there are more of them.  Plus, Pete will be adding a couple more on No. 13 for the bombers...

[Doug Wright]

With the water right and the bunkering to the left mixed with the 370 yards, imo, the risk involved is still too great to take a crack at the green.  

Kiawah is hard enough and this is a difficult hole.  An iron off the tee and a flip wedge will probably give you half a shot off the normal setup.  

But for TV purposes, I hope everyone goes for it!

Sam - good thinking

From my one play of the hole, I'd certainly agree with this. But as they say, these guys are good [if not smart].

[Jay Cox]

Was the option of moving the tee up on 13 and keeping 12 long considered?

[Matt Kardash]

What will be on those new mounds? Don't they effectively widen the landing area if they are grassed because a shot will now kick down into the fairway?

Those are bunkers.  And, it you look further up the fairway on the left, there are more of them.  Plus, Pete will be adding a couple more on No. 13 for the bombers...

Yeah, those are definitley bunkers. Dye's style the last few years has been to keep the sand at grade and put a big high face. Very imposing look.