Women's PGA Championship & Oak Hill

[Ronald Montesano]

Since the announcement that the Wegman's LPGA Championship ceases to exist after this year and the Women's PGA will be born in 2015 {http://www.golfwrx.com/214021/by-any-other-name-the-womens-pga-championship/} I wondered about the return of the women's tour to Rochester and the viability of hosting an event at Oak Hill...West.

For those that have played it, how viable a tournament site would it be for the LPGA?

[JNC Lyon]

Ron,

I've had the same thought for a long time.  It would be a great tournament site.  The two short par fives on the back (11 and 16) could actually remain fives for the tournament.  Some of the par fours would have to be played from shorter distances, but the challenge would still be intense at the greens.  In many places, the sight lines are much better on the West Course than they are on the East Course because there are fewer trees to block the view.  Oak Hill West is my favorite layout in the Rochester area, so naturally it would make for a great site for the LPGA major.

The main problem is: the membership would likely never go for it, and I don't blame them.  Hosting a tournament like an LPGA major every year takes a lot of work and shuts down the course for a few weeks during the precious few good golf months in Western New York.  I've never been a big fan of Locust Hill, but the club deserves real kudos for managing the tournament infrastructure the way they did for all of those years.

[Tom_Doak]

Ron:

I'm surprised that you would ask such a question.

You know that any very good golf course would be a fine tournament site, if the sponsors wanted to play it.  And Oak Hill West is certainly good enough to qualify on that count.

[Ronald Montesano]

Ron:

I'm surprised that you would ask such a question.

You know that any very good golf course would be a fine tournament site, if the sponsors wanted to play it.  And Oak Hill West is certainly good enough to qualify on that count.

Read me out, Tom, et al.

I've only seen bits of the West course (and the East, for that matter) when on the grounds for PGA Championships (2003 and 2013.) I know that many in this DG have played it and some may have worked on it.

What I hope to generate with this thread is a discussion of how the merits of an unspoiled Ross would play into the hands of a tour event that would not necessarily be a major championship. When Wegmans took over the Rochester site, it was delivered for a few years as a non-major, but the finest of the non-majors, thanks to the sponsorship. From the various news outlets, it seems that Wegmans gave the tour a time frame in which to find a new direction for its LPGA championship, as the tour did.

From all that I read and heard leading up to the 2013 US Open, I believe that Merion danced along the edge of unworkable as a US Open site. It was ideal for the Walker Cup (as was NGLA) and is ideal for many tournaments, but not others. Ergo, my question on the West Course at Oak Hill.

I welcome commentary from folks with experience in directing tournaments at all levels, from those who have competed in them, and anyone with a pleasant or noxious opinion.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

They could play the event on either course at Oak Hill should the club want that.
Both courses would be great for a womens event, the great thing about Oak Hill is that you can play the course so that any level of play can stage an event there.

You just cant hide good, well constructed architecture it applies to all levels of play. The East will beat amybody up it is very indiscriminative in that way

[Matt Bielawa]

In my opinion, the best scenario for the LPGA, sponsors, and Rochester would be to rotate around a handful of courses.  There are plenty of classic Ross courses to choose from in Rochester, and rotating it would likely make the memberships more amenable to hosting, as long as it's only once every 5 years or so.  I don't see Oak Hill giving up the East Course for an LPGA major.  They MIGHT give up the West.  However, even if they didn't, Monroe is plenty good enough and to my knowledge, pretty un-touched.  Irondequoit had a web.com tournament a few years back and would be fine for ladies.  CCR has had a couple women's events in the past....not sure how spectator friendly it would be, but it's a great track.  Maybe Brook Lea too?

[Nigel Islam]

So is the West course much closer to the original design than the East then?

[Matt Bielawa]

Yes, un-fazio'd as far as I know.

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Nigel,
Very much so, it plays alot more Rossish than the East does and it alot more untouched.
As much as I love the East there is no doubt that the changes made to accomodate the big events have diminished the Ross feel of some of the holes. That been said MOST of the holes still show the characteristics of Ross.
Unfortunately many become obseesed with the redo holes of 5/ 6 and 15...which to be fair do not resemble Ross design....and ignore how much of the original design does indeed exist.

I often think this is unfair because the majority of the great holes 7/8/9/14/17/18 although may now play longer, still exhibit great Ross design.