East Lake #9 to become #18 for Tour Championship

[Mike_Young]

Seems TV has requested #9 be the finishing hole.  And it seems they have moved the tournament tee 8 yards forward so that all contestants will be able to fall to the bottom of the hill leaving approximately 240 yards to the green.  And so again TV rules again and now everyday when you see all the corporate guest who have shown up for the tee shirt, they will want to finish on #9..or is it 18???

[MCirba]

I find this disappointing, Mike.

18 is a very tough finisher as a lengthy par three and provided more than enough challenge and drama in its own right.

[Tom_Doak]

I am not surprised at all.  I'll disagree with Mr. Cirba in that a 240-yard par-3 seemed a pretty awkward finishing hole.  [Not that I've ever spent much time watching the Tour Championship on TV -- the only time I watched a bit was the year Tiger was hitting his stingers.]


Funny though that they have ditched a finishing hole with a 240-yard approach shot in favor of a par-5 with ... a 240-yard approach shot.

[MCirba]

Tom,

I think I enjoyed the unusualness of a long par three finishing hole, as opposed to the stereotypical water-laden long par four (ala Pete Dye) or the "reachable" par-five with water in play we usually see at these events.

Good point about replacing a 240 yard approach with a 240 yard approach!   

[PCCraig]

My home course has a ~150-170 yard par-3 hole as the 18th hole. I actually think it's a really underutilized feature and not as awkward as you might expect or assume. For matches it's especially fun.

[Josh Tarble]

This is the best thing they could ever do.  #18 is the perhaps one of the biggest let down holes I've played.  I have nothing against par 3 finishers, but the 18th there is just so bland. 

[Joe McCormac]

The entire course seems bland but Coca-Cola executives are not leaving Atlanta for the Tour Championship.  The ONLY way to add excitement is a change of venue.  Heck, embrace the NFL and head to a course near the biggest game of the week.  With only 30 participants, the logistics cannot be too difficult.


Can you imagine, "We're here at LACC North for the Tour Championship and tomorrow the Rams play on MNF against the Dallas Cowboys."

[BCrosby]

I like the change, not because the new finishing hole is an improvement (I think it's a wash), but because the new back nine (the old front nine) has better, more interesting holes and those will be the holes shown on TV as the players come down the stretch.


Bob



 

[SB]

Totally disagree with the complaints.


It's only a 240 yard approach if you hit a perfect drive to get you to the bottom tier of the fairway, which requires a 310+ yard drive with a slight draw.  If you're not on the bottom tier, you're looking at a 260+ yard approach.  And that's assuming you hit the fairway.  If not, you're hitting out of bermuda rough with a sidehill or downhill lie.  It's a very good hole, infinitely more interesting than the par 3. A lot more potential for scoring swings.


The new 15 has an island green, the new 16th is the hardest hole on the course, and the new 17 is a driveable par 4. Compare that to a par 5, two average length par 4's, and a par 3 where almost everyone gets par.  I don't see how there's any comparison. 

[Tom_Doak]

My home course has a ~150-170 yard par-3 hole as the 18th hole. I actually think it's a really underutilized feature and not as awkward as you might expect or assume. For matches it's especially fun.

P Craig:  I'm not against par-3 finishing holes.  The 18th at Garden City is one of the great finishing holes in golf, and the last one at Pasatiempo isn't bad, either.  But a 240-yard par-3 where a 2 seems a fluke, and basically everyone in the field makes 3 or 4, isn't a great finish in my book.

[MCirba]

I'm probably a bit slow today as it didn't occur to me that by default it simply means they flipped the nines, and several made good points in that regard.

I still like a tough par three as a finish for that level tournament.   Having to make a 3 on that hole to win is no sure thing but agree that birdies to win are less likely.

[Mike_Young]

The best part is the old 6,7,8 being in the final 4 holes...and supposedly they will be able to have more premium sky boxes down right side of nine etc...

[Matthew Essig]

The best part is the old 6,7,8 being in the final 4 holes...and supposedly they will be able to have more premium sky boxes down right side of nine etc...

These are the big positives. The old back 9 was quite bland going up and down the hill.

[Jim Nugent]

Funny though that they have ditched a finishing hole with a 240-yard approach shot in favor of a par-5 with ... a 240-yard approach shot.

The difference is that now players have a good shot to finish with a birdie or even eagle, where at the par 3 they were happy to make par.  A one-shot lead will not feel secure at all on the new 72nd hole. 

[PCCraig]

My home course has a ~150-170 yard par-3 hole as the 18th hole. I actually think it's a really underutilized feature and not as awkward as you might expect or assume. For matches it's especially fun.

P Craig:  I'm not against par-3 finishing holes.  The 18th at Garden City is one of the great finishing holes in golf, and the last one at Pasatiempo isn't bad, either.  But a 240-yard par-3 where a 2 seems a fluke, and basically everyone in the field makes 3 or 4, isn't a great finish in my book.

I wonder why they wouldn't play it from more forward tees.


Wasn't the Old White Greenbrier 18th a pretty short par-3?

[Mac Plumart]

Totally disagree with the complaints.


It's only a 240 yard approach if you hit a perfect drive to get you to the bottom tier of the fairway, which requires a 310+ yard drive with a slight draw.  If you're not on the bottom tier, you're looking at a 260+ yard approach.  And that's assuming you hit the fairway.  If not, you're hitting out of bermuda rough with a sidehill or downhill lie.  It's a very good hole, infinitely more interesting than the par 3. A lot more potential for scoring swings.


The new 15 has an island green, the new 16th is the hardest hole on the course, and the new 17 is a driveable par 4. Compare that to a par 5, two average length par 4's, and a par 3 where almost everyone gets par.  I don't see how there's any comparison.

Agreed.  They also added a fairway bunker as you get over the pond on the right side of the fairway on the "new" 18.  If you don't hit a great tee ball, the hole has some bite to it.  If you hit a great tee ball, you better hit a crisp 240 yard shot to hold that green.

[Kirk Stewart]

I was told in December that they were moving the tee on 8 (new 17th) back into the trees almost to the fence. The Tour wants them to hit driver there.  Additionally, was told that they are building a new tee on 7 (new 16th) into the water behind the island green. Lastly most of the trees on 9 (new 18th) left of the green were going to be removed to make way for hospitality tents.

Did these changes ever take place ?