Bill,
There's another reason I think the front tier was maintained as putting surface.
It's almost perfectly flat.
Some other Biarritz's didn't have that structure/configuration and we know that he entire footpad was constructed, so it wasn't by accident.
Jim.
I hit a real solid, low flying driver.
As ally stated, had it been slightly right, it might have stayed just at the top of the swale.
But, there was no way it could get to the mid point or even to the first third of the back tier.
And as we know, Pro V1's retain their round quality and roll about as pure as can be, unlike balls circa 1924.
The elevated nature of the tee, high above and distant from the green make running the ball from the front tier, thru the swale, to the back tier, a myth.
We tried putting from the bottom of the swale to a back center hole location and couldn't come close as the swale is deep and incredibly steep and the back tier is rather steeply sloped, back to front.
In 1924, it had to be an incredibly formidable hole.
I can't imagine any ball running through FAIRWAY across the front tier, thru the swale and up to the back tier.
If I couldn't do it with a low hit driver using a ProV1 with the surface mowed as a putting green, I can't imagine anyone doing it in 1924