The 18th at Olympic - "That's One Mean Looking Finishing Hole"

[jeffwarne]

Given the willingness to make changes, why not introduce a centerline hazard/hazards of some sort and challenge to the players to do something to gain an advantage by widening the fairway, but protecting the better spots to approach from?
I'm sure the photo is distorted, but it looks ridiculous with the rough corridors wider than the short grass and completely takes recovery (and jail) out of play.

It's interesting to me that during the second Golden Age of design such decisions could continue to be made (as much as I enjoy the creativity of using a Ladies tee )
They've already disfigured(sorry- modified) the greens to accomodate speed, and added a bunker to "challenge" a layup on a par 5, what's one more bunker rather than a ribbon of fairway (at least widen it at 280 + to tempt use of a driver/wood)

[Sean Leary]

Wasn't the 18th at Bethpage soundly criticized for requiring a similar strategy? At least the green at Olympic requires a precise approach.

[Sam Morrow]

Wasn't the 18th at Bethpage soundly criticized for requiring a similar strategy? At least the green at Olympic requires a precise approach.

How much of that was on Sunday when they had to move the tees up so far?

[Scott Warren]

Does the club change mowing widths and styles regularly? Looking at these pictures, it's difficult to deduce what is the "typical" mowing on 18.

[George Freeman]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that shot taken from well back from where the players will be hitting their approaches?

[Kalen Braley]

That last pic is absurd in terms of how narrow the fairway is compared to the amount of space available.

But perhaps even more absurd is that most of these guys can easily just play the hole with 4 iron layup, leaving a 9 iron/wedge approach.