The Ocean Course at Kiawah looks GREAT from the air

[CHrisB]

The Ocean Course (hosting the World Cup of Golf) looks really good today--windy conditions, not a cloud in the sky, and the aerial shots are amazing! Looking forward to tomorrow to see how the cold front changes the conditions. I could think of about 50 U.S. teams I'd rather see than Leonard/Furyk (49 of them involving Tiger Woods), but that's OK. The golf course makes the event this year.

[A_Clay_Man]

Wow! is all I can say.

Made me think how ironic it is that many of the modern courses, in the UK,( or anywhere) don't look as good as this.  I love the bounce the ball is getting and the new bermuda surrounds slow it down before it gets too far off the beaten path.

[JNC Lyon]

 Even when I played it, I did nto realize how terrifying #17 really is. When I played, there was no wind at all, and I still racked up a high number, with the pin the same as today. Some of those bounces were bigger than any I had seen all year. Paul Casey whiffing that chip on #13 made my day

[Matt Kardash]

The fact that most teams had trouble playing par golf in foursomes just proves how difficult this course is. What other course could a team of pro golfers shoot 8 over in foursomes?

If the wind blows tomorrow, no team will even shoot par in alternative shot.

[Michael Moore]

That "alternative shot" format sounds intriguing . . .

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Believe me...  Conditions were as tough today as they were during the Ryder Cup.  The only difference was that the wind was blowing in the opposite direction (into the wind from 6-13, down wind 1-4 and 14-18) and Pete came back and softened the course up a bit.

The biggest difference between even the better ams and the pros -- the pros (at least the good ones) were still hitting it to or past the pins, even into a 25mph wind...  Amazing.  Furyk flew #8 almost on the fly...

Justin was all over the course today.  The German team was on the ball today, especially the young kid.

[Michael Whitaker]

Did you catch some of Curtis Strange's comments about Pete Dye not providing openings on some of the holes at Kiawah for run up approaches?!?!? He was commenting specifically about Leonard's 3rd shot on 16, a very diffucult lob over the left side bunker (Leonard hit a great shot to about 2 feet). Then the camera pulled back to reveal the open area on the right side of the hole that allows a much easier RUN UP APPROACH SHOT! I thought to myself, "What course is he talking about?" What Strange didn't mention is that Leonard had that diffcult lob shot because hit positioned his second in the wrong place. If he had hit his second shot up the right side (as I did the last time I played TOC  ) he would have had numerous choices for his third. Jeez... talk about people who don't "get it."

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Curtis was on the Golf Magazine ranking panel for the 2002-03 issue but is no longer one of their panelists...

[Mike Vegis @ Kiawah]

Wind is down to about 10-12 mph today and temps have dropped to the 50s and 60s.  It was 73 yesterday.  Average temps this time of are are in the high 60s...  Wind will be coming out of the north-northeast -- the opposite from yesterday...

[A_Clay_Man]

I didn't get to see all of the O course but the 11th hole really caught my eye. I guess it was the three bunkers dotting the approach. Pete did some similar centetline hazards at CC O Desert, just nowhere near as nasty (Scottish) looking. Also, the conical shape reminded me, in some form, of some of the cones at PGA west Stadium.

[Jeff Goldman]

The comment about runup shots was hilarious.  The ball was running everywhere.  One of the things most noticeable on tv was that many of greens seemed devioid of bunkers in front, and a few were totally surrounded by green, almost fairway extensions.  Terrific.  The other thing is that 17, while dramatic for tourney play, did seem to be the hole on the course that didn't really fit - who needs a water par-3 like that on that course?

Jeff Goldman

[Matt Kardash]

For some reason I don't mind the 17th hole that much. Maybe it doesn't perfectly fit in but since there are water holes on the course it's not totally out of place in my mind. The 5th at Whistling straits is another matter.