WGC - Dove Mountain OUT, so who's IN?

[Kalen Braley]

Please keep the PGA waaaay away from Rustic Canyon, they'll only f___ it up.  Still I bet there would be more missed 5'-and-in putts at Rustic Canyon than at just about any course on the tour.

Are the greens that bumpy?  Tis a pity! 

[Sam Morrow]

They should move it to Vegas, play it at Wynn, match play in the shadow of The Strip, I like it.

[Jud_T]

Wouldn't you like to see this tourney played on a F&F links?  Barnbougle?

[Tim Gavrich]

I love the idea of holding it at Wynn or Shadow Creek, but that'd be doubling up for LV, which always has the tournament at TPC Summerlin.  I hope that wherever it goes next, it's staged on another golf course with a bunch of death-or-glory opportunities.  As much as the players seem to complain about this course, it's provided for entertaining golf because birdies and bogeys seem to pop up all over the place.

Another thing I would love to see happen would be a change in the seeding.  It'd be fascinating if the top half of the field drafted their first-round opponents, which would theoretically reward the highest seeds a little more for their OWGR by letting them prey on the players in the bottom half of the top 64 who haven't been playing well of late.

[Sam Morrow]

I love the idea of holding it at Wynn or Shadow Creek, but that'd be doubling up for LV, which always has the tournament at TPC Summerlin.  I hope that wherever it goes next, it's staged on another golf course with a bunch of death-or-glory opportunities.  As much as the players seem to complain about this course, it's provided for entertaining golf because birdies and bogeys seem to pop up all over the place.

Another thing I would love to see happen would be a change in the seeding.  It'd be fascinating if the top half of the field drafted their first-round opponents, which would theoretically reward the highest seeds a little more for their OWGR by letting them prey on the players in the bottom half of the top 64 who haven't been playing well of late.

If the community can get behind it I bet the players wouldn't mind going to Vegas twice.

[Matthew Petersen]

Leaderboards at the tournament were displaying the message: "Celebrate! The Accenture Match Play Championships will remain in Southern Arizona through 2014!" They are also selling weekly passes for next year's event at the gates this year.

So the event will still be in the Tucson area. Given that, I'd be pretty surprised if they moved the venue. Why would they? the only reason that occurs to me is that the players aren't especially found of the course ...

[Carl Rogers]

Dove Mt. seems a bit repetitive to me in its use of washes - desert areas 30 yards or so short of the green  ... or the fairway runs out taking the driver out of the pro's hands.

I think - know there are restrictions on the amount of irrigated turf?? Is this the only way to handle it?  Seems rough on the 20 handicapper.

Having watched the telecast today, it is hard for me to remember any of the holes.

[David_Tepper]

Looks like there is a chance the Matchplay will be held at Harding Park (San Francisco) at some point between 2015-2020.

http://blog.sfgate.com/ongolf/2012/02/26/citys-revised-deal-would-lock-in-pga-tour-for-2016/?tsp=1

[Gene Greco]

Leaderboards at the tournament were displaying the message: "Celebrate! The Accenture Match Play Championships will remain in Southern Arizona through 2014!" They are also selling weekly passes for next year's event at the gates this year.

So the event will still be in the Tucson area. Given that, I'd be pretty surprised if they moved the venue. Why would they? the only reason that occurs to me is that the players aren't especially found of the course ...

Matthew:

I believe your assumption is correct in terms of where it will be held the next two years.

Word is that it will remain at The Ritz.

I dont think the pros, their trainers and support group in general, the PGA reps, the Golf Channel folk, etc. mind staying there one bit. The hotel is stunningly gorgeous and has all that one could possibly want and is probaly more conveniently located to the tournament course than any other venue on tour.

     Gene

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Update is favorable for Tucson:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/golf/articles/2012/03/07/20120307wgc-accenture-match-play-appears-safe-tucson-now.html

[Steve_ Shaffer]

It's official: Dove Mountain is IN for 2013.

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2012/5/16/wgc-match-play-returning-to-dove-mountain.html

[Bill_McBride]

Leaderboards at the tournament were displaying the message: "Celebrate! The Accenture Match Play Championships will remain in Southern Arizona through 2014!" They are also selling weekly passes for next year's event at the gates this year.

So the event will still be in the Tucson area. Given that, I'd be pretty surprised if they moved the venue. Why would they? the only reason that occurs to me is that the players aren't especially found of the course ...

Matthew:

I believe your assumption is correct in terms of where it will be held the next two years.

Word is that it will remain at The Ritz.

I dont think the pros, their trainers and support group in general, the PGA reps, the Golf Channel folk, etc. mind staying there one bit. The hotel is stunningly gorgeous and has all that one could possibly want and is probaly more conveniently located to the tournament course than any other venue on tour.

     Gene

Plus easy access for tour groupies!

[BHoover]

I know that Dove Mountain and the WGC Match Play event get beat up each year, but I for one love this event and I think that Dove Mountain is a great match play course.  Obviously there may be better match play venues, but given the available venues, I think Dove Mountain is a good choice (Pebble and Riviera obviously would be better venues, but the Tour's schedule simply does not permit it).  

I read a Golf Digest article suggesting either Sherwood or PGA West as potential sites to "fix" the Match Play.  Both of those would bore the hell out of me.  Leave the event at Dove Mountain.  This is probably the event that I most enjoy watching (outside of the majors).

I'm ordinarily ambivalent about desert golf, but I think Dove Mountain seems rather interesting.  The greens are probably too severe for a medal play event, but I think it works well for match play. There aren't many Tour venues that I would want to play (except for PB, Riviera, East Lake, Muirfield Village).  But if I'm ever in Tuscon, I think I'd make a point of playing Dove Mountain.

[Josh Tarble]

I agree with you on Dove Mountain.  It's a big burly course, but also has a few of the half par holes that are really fun in matchplay.  I also think the desert adds an interesting element, because if they can find it, they can typically play it, so no one is ever totally out of a hole.

I disagree with you on PGA West though.  I don't know much about it, but it seems a lot like TPC Sawgrass West version, so I think that would be a really cool match play venue.  Sherwood though - barf.

I know this would never happen, but I'd love to see it at Bali Hai or the Wynn in Vegas.  The courses probably aren't worthy of it, but it would be really cool to see right off the strip - plus maybe get a bit of action going at the sports books.

[Dave Givnish]

It's nice to see that they got good weather this year after the snowmageddon last year.

I'd expect to see this event go east, maybe to Lake Nona.

Would Streamsong be able to handle to corporate tents and crowd access?

[Terry Lavin]

I know that Dove Mountain and the WGC Match Play event get beat up each year, but I for one love this event and I think that Dove Mountain is a great match play course.  Obviously there may be better match play venues, but given the available venues, I think Dove Mountain is a good choice (Pebble and Riviera obviously would be better venues, but the Tour's schedule simply does not permit it).  

I read a Golf Digest article suggesting either Sherwood or PGA West as potential sites to "fix" the Match Play.  Both of those would bore the hell out of me.  Leave the event at Dove Mountain.  This is probably the event that I most enjoy watching (outside of the majors).

I'm ordinarily ambivalent about desert golf, but I think Dove Mountain seems rather interesting.  The greens are probably too severe for a medal play event, but I think it works well for match play. There aren't many Tour venues that I would want to play (except for PB, Riviera, East Lake, Muirfield Village).  But if I'm ever in Tuscon, I think I'd make a point of playing Dove Mountain.

Agreed on all counts.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Let's get real here. As Geoff Shackelford said in his article today,  " While I understand that a $12 million sponsor sacrifice necessitates that corporate entertainment's needs supersede the quality of course or format chosen, the fact is, a sponsor will benefit from a strong event wherever and however it is played."

I agree with Geoff's  suggestion to change the format to a 36 hole qualifier thus eliminating the "one and done" aspect of the current format.  As interesting as Dove Mountain may be to us, the pros don't like it. I'd like to see the pros play PGA West Stadium again. Then again, Sherwood could attract Tiger.

[Gary Slatter]

Great money, course, hotel, weather (tough anywhere), field - looks to me that it's in a perfect place already!
Thanks for coming Rory.
83 degrees
Hush up,  I'm watching Golf!

[Mike Wagner]

Diamante

[Steve_ Shaffer]

My guess is Florida. No state income tax.

[Mark Pearce]

Why is it that every single year the live scoring on the WGC website fails to work?  I'd like to follow this event but the ineptitude of somebody means that I can't.  Idiots.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I for one who hopes it moves away from the US and is incorporated with the schedule to be staged outside of the US.
Perhaps time wise close to the HSBC event in China which would open up alot of possibilities for the evnt to move to Australasia or elsewhere in the far east.
After all it is a "World' EVENT.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

MWP,

Mexico (Cabo del Sol Ocean) could be a contender. It's close to the "West Coast Swing" and sort of on the way to Florida.

[Ben Kodadek]

Would Streamsong be able to handle to corporate tents and crowd access?

At sub 7,200 yards, those guys would destroy Streamsong.

[Jason Thurman]

It doesn't really matter if they go low in match play does it?