Austin CC?

[David_Tepper]

Is anyone else surprised to see that Austin CC is hosting the WGC Matchplay?

I played there 15+ years ago and remember the course being very tight, with plenty of water on the front-9 and plenty of hazard stakes on the back-9. (Note that the nines have been reversed for this event.)

While all the hazards might make for interesting play on TV, I imagine it will be a very tough course for spectators to negotiate.

[Howard Riefs]

Here's a rater's notebook review on the course from Brad Klein:


http://golfweek.com/news/2016/mar/22/raters-notebook-austin-country-club-pga-tour-match/

[Mike_Trenham]

Besides Rod Whitman who was on Pete's crew on this course?

[jim_lewis]

I just read Brad's column. All I can say is that Rod Whitman must have done a remarkable job. The course is apparently much better than when I played it about  15 years ago.

[Matt Kardash]

Never played it, but always thought based on photos that it looked great. This is Dye at the height of his 80s hard edges. I find it totally seems to work here.

[Josh Stevens]

Not a big fan of the bunkering style and some of the OTT lumps dips and swales.  Seems a little 80's and somewhat disjointed.

Hard to really get a feel only seeing on tele, but aesthetically I'm not a huge fan

[mike_beene]

Not sure why it bugs me so much, but I have always found the breakwater with the tee on it to be very artificial looking and the little par 4 around the inlet is just an iron and a wedge. Otherwise, some beautiful scenery. Perhaps the arid rocky hills call for a severe looking course. The place is snake and scorpion city when the weather heats up.

[Josh Stevens]

Well I saw on twitter today and Austin CC had been compared favourably to Royal Dornoch by one knowledgeable scribe

So it must be good.

[David_Tepper]

"Well I saw on twitter today and Austin CC had been compared favourably to Royal Dornoch by one knowledgeable scribe"

Josh S. -

Could you tell us who that "knowledgeable scribe" might be? Having played both courses, I don't see them having much in common.

One of the TV announcers did quote Shane Lowery as saying Austin CC did remind him of Valderrama in Spain. That comparison is a little more plausible.

DT

[JLahrman]

I live in Austin, have never played the course, and have heard mixed reviews from local GCA types. I'll be interested to see what the pros think.

On a somewhat-side note, there is a proposal to develop a portion of Walter Long Metropolitan Park into what would apparently be a municipal golf course that would be capable of hosting professional tournaments:

http://www.austintexas.gov/walterlonggolf

I don't know if Austin CC getting the match play is meant to be a positive sign for the Long proposal, or if the Long proposal helped Austin CC get the match play event, or if they're even related. Nor do I know the current status of the proposal, or do I have much of an opinion about the proposal. Perhaps someone else has more insight.

But I'm sure that the PGA Tour likes having an event in Austin, with the view of the Pennybacker Bridge in the background being an extra bonus.

[Lynn_Shackelford]

The Walter Long project is dead.  Seems one councilperson told Joe Ogilvie that golf will not exist in two years.

[mike_beene]

The joys of Austin politics. Years ago my cousin grew his hair long and all the sudden the zoning commission was easy to deal with.

[David_Tepper]

Rory likes the course (for matchplay ):

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2016/3/24/rory-mcilroys-assessment-of-austin-country-club.html

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

Have played it a lot in their great amateur event the Harvey Penick.the course has just reopened flowing a total regrassing and Ingsve seen it play this fast
They have reversed the nines for this event from the way it usually plays and the current in that MUCH better finishing hole the the current one.
Very Dye sort of course, visually intimidating but with more space than appears.
I always enjoy playing there in October always a good test with plenty is big number holes awaiting.
That been said these guys are playing second shots from places with which I am very unfamiliar😳

[Ken Fry]

I've watched a lot of television coverage of the tournament but have never been to Austin.  To those who have been on property please answer a simple question:  should a golf course even been put on this piece of property?

I know many have heralded the course as another great Dye course but I can't get over the extreme nature of the property, at least from the perspective of my couch.  It appears Dye HAD to build terraces and shelves to provides tees, greens and fairways on parts of the course.  Is the topography and the property that extreme??

Ken

[Jason Topp]

I've watched a lot of television coverage of the tournament but have never been to Austin.  To those who have been on property please answer a simple question:  should a golf course even been put on this piece of property?

I know many have heralded the course as another great Dye course but I can't get over the extreme nature of the property, at least from the perspective of my couch.  It appears Dye HAD to build terraces and shelves to provides tees, greens and fairways on parts of the course.  Is the topography and the property that extreme??

Ken

I have not played this particular course but most of the others I have played in the area are on some pretty extreme property. 

[David_Tepper]

Ken Fry -

Did you read Brad Klein' review in Golfweek (linked above)? He describes the course, in detail, quite well.

These words from him sum it up: "It’s a golf course unique to the site." 

DT
 

[Josh Stevens]

I'm over it now.  Looked kinda interesting first time, but now its just starting to get on my nerves

Imagine having to play this dog every Saturday.  You would slash your wrists

[Matt Kardash]

It's a beautiful looking course and makes for a great match play course for the pros. It's a birdie-bogey sort of course.

[mike_beene]

It is less extreme than the plantation course and arguably less extreme than Oak Tree to pick another Dye course in the area. A problem with Austin is you go from flat farmland directly to the rocky hill country. It is a beautiful place and yes a little severe. But so is most Dye...

[Matt_Cohn]

Imagine having to play this dog every Saturday.  You would slash your wrists

Have you played it? It's a wonderful, fun golf course.

[Rick Emerson]

I played this golf course a few years back in a Texas mid-am qualifier. It is really hard in my opinion. I shot 85 and felt like I played well. At the time I was a 2 handicap. There was a playoff for the last spot at 79. Supposedly the club champ shot 90 on opening day. It has back to back par 4's over 460 with 200+ yard carries over gullies. Lost ball left and huge slopes right with super long rough. The front 9 has the super long par three with peninsula green and an over 500 yard uphill par 4. It is interesting and well designed. I like the holes around the water. It was just too long for me. I played with one of the best amateurs in the state who used to play for Texas and he shot 73 with 36 putts. It is still the best ball striking I have ever witnessed. 17 greens in regulation. So I guess it's not that hard.

[Ken Fry]

Ken Fry -

Did you read Brad Klein' review in Golfweek (linked above)? He describes the course, in detail, quite well.

These words from him sum it up: "It’s a golf course unique to the site." 

DT

David,

Yes, I read Brad's review of the course.  Brad describes well why he feels this is an underrated course in Dye's portfolio but never got into details about the property itself.  Only that it would be tight for 10,000 spectators.

Brad did write, "Austin CC will be an eye-opener for a national audience into the beauty of Texas’ rugged Hill Country tamed – barely – for golf."  That could mean either the property or what Dye built.  Plus, Brad's comments could also hit a nerve like many tour pros would use to describe a course they were playing without degrading it:  "It's the nicest course of this type I've ever played."

Ken

[Michael Wharton-Palmer]

I've watched a lot of television coverage of the tournament but have never been to Austin.  To those who have been on property please answer a simple question:  should a golf course even been put on this piece of property?

I know many have heralded the course as another great Dye course but I can't get over the extreme nature of the property, at least from the perspective of my couch.  It appears Dye HAD to build terraces and shelves to provides tees, greens and fairways on parts of the course.  Is the topography and the property that extreme??

Ken




It is a severe piece of property but the course doesn't seem stretched in terms of an engineering feat when playing it.
It flows nicely which is a huge credit to Mr Dye.
I agree above that it is at ought golf course,with big numbers at every turn.
As said above several long oar fours with forced carries which for my game is a big test,and to see these guys hitting short irons into what they are playing as # 3/4 and 9 blows my mind!!!!
Not sure they are using all the back tees or not, you can ever rely on the TV yardages which always use the back tee figures.
I know the course is playing fast but it is just hard to imagine so so so many drives of 320 plus from so so so many of these players😉


The way that the bombers have played #13 blows my mind, that is one unbelievable gutsy suck it up, I have big balls tee shot!!!!
To me that is a suck it up three wood or long iron into a tight landing area leaving a scary wedge shot into a perilous green.
So these guys are really good

[Matt Kardash]

Someone mentioned Kapalua. I was thinking the same thing. The course kind of reminds me of Kapalua in a lot of spots with the extreme topography. Someone also mentioned the course was too long for them, which is funny since on the telecast they refereed to it as a short course, since it is barely 7000 yards long.