Tim Finchem - TPC and it's heritage

[John Chilver-Stainer]

Tim Finchem, the PGA Tour Commissioner, makes reference to the troubles at TPC this year

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2014/05/06/tim-finchem-greens-Stadium-Course.html

"Another option under consideration is reworking and enlarging some of the more troublesome greens."

"That means a little bit more space, another pin placement, a little different ingress and egress," Finchem said. "It's challenging because we don't want to give up the strategic value and the historical aspects, but we're looking to do some things around the edges that will help us during winter."

The commissioner added that "we can make bigger greens and probably not have a problem. We were trying to maintain the heritage of what these greens mean, historically, so you don't want to do that."

This is a refreshing statement for the lovers of the retention of traditional greens, even if they're not perfect.

Will he have any influence on the USGA and more importantly the R&A to discontinue their tinkering of courses that have been played the same way through different generations, just for the sake of making it more difficult for the top 200 golfers once a year.

[Bryan Icenhower]

The short answer is no.  Mostly because I would guess they go ahead and make the greens larger regardless of his most recent comments.

[jeffwarne]

Tim Finchem, the PGA Tour Commissioner, makes reference to the troubles at TPC this year

http://www.pgatour.com/tourreport/2014/05/06/tim-finchem-greens-Stadium-Course.html

"Another option under consideration is reworking and enlarging some of the more troublesome greens."

"That means a little bit more space, another pin placement, a little different ingress and egress," Finchem said. "It's challenging because we don't want to give up the strategic value and the historical aspects, but we're looking to do some things around the edges that will help us during winter."

The commissioner added that "we can make bigger greens and probably not have a problem. We were trying to maintain the heritage of what these greens mean, historically, so you don't want to do that."

This is a refreshing statement for the lovers of the retention of traditional greens, even if they're not perfect.

Will he have any influence on the USGA and more importantly the R&A to discontinue their tinkering of courses that have been played the same way through different generations, just for the sake of making it more difficult for the top 200 golfers once a year.

which version are we talking about?
those greens have had as many tweaks as Joan Rivers

[noonan]

Those greens are small.

[David Kelly]

Mostly because I would guess they go ahead and make the greens larger regardless of his most recent comments.

Exactly.  However unlike what the R&A, USGA and PGA of America does to classic golf courses in order to make them "relevant" to today's players I say knock yourself out PGA.  Its their baby, they have changed it many times before so I say go ahead and do whatever you want to it.

[Matt Kardash]

Am I the only one who thinks the course needs a few new back tees? It's gotten to the point where the holes are no longer being played as designed. The "long" par 4's are now being played with 3-woods followed by 7-irons. The 9th, which was always unreached in two has suddenly become reachable by the entire field in the last 5 years. I would even add a back tee on 17th to give the hole an extra 20 yards. making the greens larger is the last thing I would do. It's already a shame that they keep reducing the slopes in the greens, making it easier and easier to putt and get up and down.

[Ryan Coles]

Not seen it in person, but I read a quote that described course and clubhouse at monuments of bad taste and examples of more money than sense. Which seems hard to disagree with.

[Brent Hutto]

Not seen it in person, but I read a quote that described course and clubhouse at monuments of bad taste and examples of more money than sense. Which seems hard to disagree with.

Well around here we tend to value courses that exist in sympathy with local terrain, landscape and culture. TPC Sawgrass is, after all, in Ponte Vedra Beach, FL and contiguous with PGA Tour headquarters. As such a "monument of bad taste and example of more money than sense" would seem perfectly simpatico with the local environment.