[JC Jones]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern." 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

Brad Klein only gave it a 7 overall.

Only a 7?  That is solidly a top 100 Modern course.  70th to be exact.  I think we can all agree that Brad wasn't being serious with his review or comments.  He was just being courteous to a course that would hosting many of his colleagues during the tournament.  It is also somewhat of a tribute to a long standing superintendent.  Of all people I should be the most pleased by the review.  Maybe ten years from now when every course with a few bucks has reseeded their greens with bermuda they won't replace their antiquated fans.

If they would have paid more they could have gotten an 8.

[Mike Nuzzo]

Maybe ten years from now when every course with a few bucks has reseeded their greens with bermuda they won't replace their antiquated fans.

The fans is funny, and the grass does not produce a seed.  It is grown from sprigs.*

*furthering JakaB's turf degree one step at a time.

[Jud_T]

I like Phil's comments and it certainly ain't at the top of my wish list, but it wasn't exactly a winner's mindset as it sounds like he'd already written the course off prior to teeing it up Thursday morning.  Why bother showing up except to collect his sponsor's money?

[Kalen Braley]

I like Phil's comments and it certainly ain't at the top of my wish list, but it wasn't exactly a winner's mindset as it sounds like he'd already written the course off prior to teeing it up Thursday morning.  Why bother showing up except to collect his sponsor's money?

Cause that sponsors money for one week is likely more than what 80% of folks make in an entire year.

[Jud_T]

Kalen,

It ain't like he's sweating the mortgage.

[Sven Nilsen]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern." 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

Brad Klein only gave it a 7 overall.

Only a 7?  That is solidly a top 100 Modern course.  70th to be exact.  I think we can all agree that Brad wasn't being serious with his review or comments.  He was just being courteous to a course that would hosting many of his colleagues during the tournament.  It is also somewhat of a tribute to a long standing superintendent.  Of all people I should be the most pleased by the review.  Maybe ten years from now when every course with a few bucks has reseeded their greens with bermuda they won't replace their antiquated fans.

Yep a 7 is his low for a top 100.

Furthemore, the members at AAC can play any tee of their choice, not the one Mickchokelson is playing...

Thanks

I think you need to read (or listen to) Phil's comments pretty closely to pick up on what he is actually criticizing.  Keep in mind this was an interview and not a scripted response, thus the delivery might not have been as succinct as he wanted.

I don't think he has a problem with stretching courses out, his issue was with the changes made in the fairways and around the greens.  Note his discussion of being able to run a ball onto a green and the problems of greens guarded by multiple hazards.  His concern is with playability, not length.

[Dan Kelly]

I don't remember ever seeing a professional tournament with so many doubles and Others.

I hope someone of the statistically minded among us will look into that.

http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2011/scoring/course_stats.cfm

As of right now, midway through the morning wave of the second day, there have been 151 doubles and 34 Others.

[Andy Stamm]

Phil also noted that member play at the course is DOWN 20%.  Putting this into context, his point was that the course was so unenjoyable that members were avoiding it.

The AAC disputes Phil's stats (http://www.ajc.com/sports/golf/mickelson-takes-swing-at-1100175.html):

Mickelson was wrong on that count. Members played 3,600 rounds in June compared to 2,400 the previous year, according to Tom Adderhold, tournament general chairman, who added that members play from tee boxes based on their handicaps.

While I've never met Mr. Adderhold, I presume he is a wonderful and dedicated chairman. That said, I wonder if he has spent a considerable amount of time as a political strategist to come up with "Members played 3,600 round in June compared with 2,400 the previous year." No shit? I'm shocked. People actually want to play a course the last month it is available before it hosts a major?

Who knew?

Thank you! I'd love to know what the effect of the redesign has had on play, but Phil's comments and that statement don't do much to help.

[Bruce Leland]

Note that PM did wrap the interview with this CYA comment:

“It’s a perfect example of how modern architecture is killing the game, because these holes are unplayable for the member,” Mickelson said. “… Now, for us out here, it doesn’t make a bit of difference, because we are going to fly the ball to the green either way.  And that’s why I say it’s great for the championship.”

[Dan Herrmann]

To me the course is the personification of the typical blah that the Dark Ages in GCA produced.    To borrow inspiration from Johnny Miller, "Bob Jones would puke if he saw what his club had produced".

[Mac Plumart]

I saw this on Geoff Shack's site, which is part of a quote from Phil Mickelson on the Highlands course at AAC...

There's no options to play the holes different ways. It's pretty obvious you are going to play it this way, so it doesn't take experience to know that. You just have to execute.

I think that is a pretty darn valid statement.

[Jon Spaulding]

Good for Phil. There's always a CYA element, but at least he tried.

I must admit that my favorite part of the press conference is the fact that he came out of the nerd closet and gave some manlove to C&C, Hanse, and Kidd. One could preactically hear Doak's ego crying for justice.

Perhaps Phil is angling for some design work.

[Jim Tang]

I agree w/ Phil's comments.

I pretty much feel the same way with the work Rees Jones did at Cog Hill.  After the renovation, it is now just a long, narrow, difficult golf course.  I didn't have much fun playing there last time and doubt I will go back anytime soon.

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