St Leon Rot: Not a single thread?

[Marty Bonnar]

Unless I've missed it completely, has there been any discussion of the golf course at all here?
This must be a first for GCA. Normally, any of the big tournaments generate at least eight threads on a wide range of topics to do with the hosting golf course. This time not one?
In this instance, is this a function of the quality of the course design, a compete lack of interest in the match or has everyone dozed off after the continuing, ehm, 'excitement' of the FedEx?
Hmm?
F.

Oh, PS Congrats USA. Karma.

[Adam Lawrence]

I'm at the Solheim. The golf course is... well in all honesty it is better than I expected (I have very low expectations for Dave Thomas courses). Competent. Nothing special

[RJ_Daley]

I'm afraid the Solheim is suffering from being opposite too much broadcast sports on TV at this time of year in U.S.  With college football on from 8:30Am to past midnight, on multiple channels, and likewise Pro Football all day and into the night Sunday, coupled with baseball pennant races, tennis hangover from last week, and the FedEx cup with Jason Day drawing a huge crowd of interest at his blistering pace... well, the ladies aren't on the radar.

I for one only saw about 20minutes of it on Friday morning.  The fleeting impression I got from the TV pics was that the course was a nice CCFAD style sort of venue.  I'm more impressed with Conway Farms at FedEx, birdie fest as it is... 

[Adrian_Stiff]

Course looks good for a modern one, plenty of interest in the greens, bunkering a bit repetitive perhaps. All overshadowed by the disgraceful antics of the European Team......what ever happened to it being a game for gentlemen?

[jeffwarne]

  All overshadowed by the disgraceful antics of the European Team......what ever happened to it being a game for gentlemen?

Adrian,
Surely you have experienced the horror that is ladies day

[David_Tepper]

Don't forget that Pat Bradley, as U.S. Solheim Cup Captain a number of years ago, made Annika Sorenstam replay a holed putt because Annika was not furthest away. "Hard-nosed" competitors!

[Jim Nugent]

Don't forget that Pat Bradley, as U.S. Solheim Cup Captain a number of years ago, made Annika Sorenstam replay a holed putt because Annika was not furthest away. "Hard-nosed" competitors!

It was even worse than that.  Annika was not on the green, and had just holed her chip.   One of the Americans, on the green, was a few feet further from the hole, though.  Bradley made Annika take the shot again.  She missed.  Europe, already down, went on to lose the match. 

Even with that, Europe held a huge lead going into the singles, and won pretty easily.  In one of those interesting coincidences of history, Carin Koch - captain of this year's Europe team who strongly defended Pettersen this year --holed the putt that won the Cup for Europe.   

[John Cowden]

There's talk the Solheim Cup is headed to Gleneagles in 2019.  Is it too late to lobby for the Kings Course over Centenary?

[Thomas Dai]

Regarding 'the incident', I recall something not dissimilar during what was then the World Matchplay at Wentworth back in the late 1970's involving Gary Player and either Hale Irwin or Graham Marsh. One player putted up closeish but not close enough for a tap-in and expected to be given the putt but his opponent walked away without giving the putt whereupon the tiddler was missed and chat about etiquette and the spirit of the game resulted.


I also recall Player telling Marsh to repeg a tee ball as he was in front of the markers whereuopn Marsh replied with something akin to "Why, I'm teeing it up in the exact same spot as you hit your drive from a minute ago!".


Atb


PS - insn't there something in the rules of matchplay that if both players agree to waive or ignore a rule of golf they are both disqualified?

[Jaeger Kovich]

Course looks good for a modern one, plenty of interest in the greens, bunkering a bit repetitive perhaps. All overshadowed by the disgraceful antics of the European Team......what ever happened to it being a game for gentlemen?

Adrian - Not even close! I was there yesterday with another friend/architect/colleague/etc who participates here. The routing was as vanilla as it gets. The bunkering was laughable. And most of the greens were pancakes, minus a tier here or there... We didn't even bother to walk the back 9, aside from 16-18.

[David_Tepper]

Suzann Pettersen apologizes:

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2015/9/21/suzann-pettersen-i-am-sorry.html

[David Kelly]

There's talk the Solheim Cup is headed to Gleneagles in 2019.  Is it too late to lobby for the Kings Course over Centenary?

If you look at the US. venues for the Solheim Cup they have been for the most part interesting golf courses.  However, it seems that in choosing European sites the organizers have gone out of their way to pick uninteresting courses.

[BHoover]

There's talk the Solheim Cup is headed to Gleneagles in 2019.  Is it too late to lobby for the Kings Course over Centenary?

If you look at the US. venues for the Solheim Cup they have been for the most part interesting golf courses.  However, it seems that in choosing European sites the organizers have gone out of their way to pick uninteresting courses.

Isn't this the same problem with the Ryder Cup?

[Jim Hoak]

It is the same problem with the Ryder Cup.  With all the great courses in Europe, especially the UK, they always go for the money and take a very substandard course.  The US courses are a bit better, but we have our own problem with the PGA, not the PGA Tour, controlling the event.  The problem in both Europe and in the US is that the Ryder Cup has become such a payday for the sponsor, and is such dominant part of their budget, they think they can't go with what's best for the event.  I, for one, have lost interest in the Ryder Cup, I've stopped watching, and I don't care what happens.

[Criss Titschinger]

If you look at the US. venues for the Solheim Cup they have been for the most part interesting golf courses.  However, it seems that in choosing European sites the organizers have gone out of their way to pick uninteresting courses.

For the Ryder Cup, the Ryder Cup IS the European Tour's money maker. I'm sure it's the same for the L.E.T. They'll go wherever they can get the most coin, regardless of golf course.


If they keep playing places like Crooked Stick (I actually attended that one), Colorado GC, and Des Moines G&CC, I'll tune in; but it spurts. I have to shave my face at least twice for the stubble that grows during a Solheim Cup four-ball that goes all 18.

[Jon Wiggett]

PS - insn't there something in the rules of matchplay that if both players agree to waive or ignore a rule of golf they are both disqualified?

Certainly in strokeplay but I don't think it is the same in matchplay and that certain rules can be ignored as no one is disadvantaged by the players ignoring the rules.

[Sean_A]

There's talk the Solheim Cup is headed to Gleneagles in 2019.  Is it too late to lobby for the Kings Course over Centenary?

If you look at the US. venues for the Solheim Cup they have been for the most part interesting golf courses.  However, it seems that in choosing European sites the organizers have gone out of their way to pick uninteresting courses.

It is quite an investment (including a substantial payment to the Euro PGA) to host a Ryder Cup.  Not many, if any, of the famous member clubs in GB&I have the dosh to put up to host a Ryder Cup.  Until the money side of the Ryder Cup eases it will be near on impossible for a member's club to host a Ryder Cup. 


Ciao

[David Kelly]

There's talk the Solheim Cup is headed to Gleneagles in 2019.  Is it too late to lobby for the Kings Course over Centenary?

If you look at the US. venues for the Solheim Cup they have been for the most part interesting golf courses.  However, it seems that in choosing European sites the organizers have gone out of their way to pick uninteresting courses.

It is quite an investment (including a substantial payment to the Euro PGA) to host a Ryder Cup.  Not many, if any, of the famous member clubs in GB&I have the dosh to put up to host a Ryder Cup.  Until the money side of the Ryder Cup eases it will be near on impossible for a member's club to host a Ryder Cup. 

Yes, but I was talking about the Solheim Cup.

[David_Tepper]

"Yes, but I was talking about the Solheim Cup."

David K. -

My guess is the Solheim Cup is just as important financially to the Ladies European Tour as the Ryder Cup is to the European Tour. Money talks very loudly when it comes to choosing a venue for these events.

DT

[Bill_McBride]

There's talk the Solheim Cup is headed to Gleneagles in 2019.  Is it too late to lobby for the Kings Course over Centenary?

If you look at the US. venues for the Solheim Cup they have been for the most part interesting golf courses.  However, it seems that in choosing European sites the organizers have gone out of their way to pick uninteresting courses.

As usual , cherchez l'argent!  (Follow the money!)

[Thomas Dai]

PS - insn't there something in the rules of matchplay that if both players agree to waive or ignore a rule of golf they are both disqualified?

Certainly in strokeplay but I don't think it is the same in matchplay and that certain rules can be ignored as no one is disadvantaged by the players ignoring the rules.

Perhaps there's something else in the Rules or the Decisions that also has an effect here but Rule 1-3 specifically says -


"Players must not agree to exclude the operation of any Rule or to waive any penalty incurred.
Penalty for breach of rule 1-3:
Matchplay - Disqualification of both sides
Strokeplay - Disqualification of competitors concerned"


Curiously I heard a TV interview yesterday in which one of the Euro players mentioned that the US player who picked her ball up on the 17th had been warned a couple of times earlier in the match not to pick up her ball too soon

History now. Live and learn. Well done to the winning team.

Atb

[Mike Hendren]

Professional athletes mis-behaving is dog-bites-man stuff.  This I know, you don't walk to the next tee while your opponent has yet to finish the hole.  You also don't pick your ball up if there is any doubt as to whether your putt has been conceded. 
 
Regardless, it's incredibly disappointing that no one has mentioned Gerina Piller's heroic putt - perhaps the best clutch putt I've ever seen. 
 
Bogey

[Jim Hoak]

Golf is an individual sport; events like this make it a nationalistic one.  And brings out the worst in many people.
As an American, I still like to still cheer for Rory and Jason Day--among others.  Their home country should be irrelevant.
I wish all the "country team" events would go away--or that true golf fans would wake up and realize that they don't matter--only the majors and a few others do.

[Niall C]

Jim


I mostly agree with you. I think the team events are mostly over rated and don't match up up to any of the majors. I wouldn't go as far as to say they don't matter as clearly what happens at a Ryder Cup or whatever has repercussions as can be seen here.


FWIW, I didn't see the incident at the Solheim Cup but as I understand it one of the Euro players and both caddies had turned and walked away prior to the US player picking up the ball. That being the case I think the US are entitled to consider the putt given, either that or the Euro's were exhibiting rank bad manners which I'm sure you wouldn't get in ladies golf !!


Either way, congratulations to the American team on a stirring fightback.


Niall 

[David_Tepper]

Jim & Niall -

Listening to many of the golfers who play in these events, a good number do seem to get up for them and get emotionally invested in them. I heard Angela Stanford being interviewed after she beat Suzann Pettersen in the singles on Sunday and she was thrilled to win that match. Guys like Seve, Lannie Wadkins and Ian Poulter certainly have had a lot invested in their Ryder Cup careers.

With regards to the Solheim concession incident, the practice of walking away to the next tee while your opponent is still putting sadly now happens too often. I recall it happening in the last Solheim Cup (with the US players leaving the green early) and it happened more than once in the recent U.S. Amateur. Bad manners for sure.

DT