[Thomas Dai]

Something different - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ML43Ud8R56o
I reckon it would be nice to see more imagination and shotmaking again, especially in the TV game.
Time to reduce the number of clubs to say 7 or 8 with no club having more loft than say 50 degrees?
Thoughts?
Atb
Note - Alister MacKenzie apparently advocated the game being restricted to only 6 clubs.

[Evan_Green]

A fun video to watch for sure. Fowler & Thomas handled the shot pretty well and it shows these guys have tons of shot making ability if they need it. It would be fun to see more of it. But when you can hit most par 5's with a 350 yard drive and a 9 iron, there isn't much need for it.


With the professional game, I am completely in favor of changes that would require more shot making ability - it more fun to watch.

14 clubs is an arbitrary number - it would be fun to see a tournament where they get to pick less whether it be 6 or 10 or # of your choice...

[Kalen Braley]

Even with 10 clubs in the bag these guys could go super low.  I'd love to see em do a classic 3 club tourney, perhaps 18 holes on wednesday instead of the pro-am suck-up fest!

[Thomas Dai]

Even with 10 clubs in the bag these guys could go super low.  I'd love to see em do a classic 3 club tourney, perhaps 18 holes on wednesday instead of the pro-am suck-up fest!

I appreciate that they can all go super-low on their day, some more often than others, but it would be nice to see some more variety and skill, which is there, we just don't see it these days, more often and I reckon less clubs in the bag and a limitation on maximum loft would aid this. Seve bending the ball both ways with different trajectories etc etc.
I reckon 3 clubs is a little to few though Kalen, but I go along with where you're coming from.
There's a Faldo book where he talks about playing Swinley Forest with only about 6 clubs and shooting 68. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall as it were for that round.
atb

[Kalen Braley]

Thomas,


The reason why 3 clubs sounds so intriguing is half the battle is just picking which 3 club you'll take.  I suspect many would do the 3 wood/7 iron/putter combo.


And phil would probably take a driver and two wedges!! 

[Sean_A]

I am in favour of 8 clubs for elite golfers with loft between 15 and 50..tops. It would be more entertaining to watch.


Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

Pondering this again. For some the hole a probably a full 5-iron anyway. Can't imagine many high handicappers or short hitters landing a 5-iron on this green and getting the ball to stop on the island though.
Atb

[Scott Warren]

Thomas,


I seem to recall the hole playing between 130-140 yards (118-126 metres) the days I watched.


Who between the ages of 15 and 70 needs a five iron to hit it that far?

[Joe Zucker]

I am in favour of 8 clubs for elite golfers with loft between 15 and 50..tops. It would be more entertaining to watch.


Ciao

Sean, do you think it would be more fun to watch on TV?  I 100% agree it would awesome to see in person because the challenge and creativity would be very apparent.  However, I don't know if this would translate well to TV where we see the ball go up and then reappear on the green.  I think the scores would obviously be higher, so we may see fewer balls getting close to the pin and therefore less excitement on TV.  TV would not do the shotmaking justice in my opinion.

[Mark Pearce]

Thomas,


I seem to recall the hole playing between 130-140 yards (118-126 metres) the days I watched.


Who between the ages of 15 and 70 needs a five iron to hit it that far?

No-one I know.  However my father-in-law recently got cut back from 15 to 14 at the age of 84.  Into a slight breeze it's a 5 iron for him.  Don't we allow octagenarians to play good courses now?  If not, the HCEG didn't get the memo.

[Scott Warren]

Not at all, Mark, but TPC Sawgrass is clearly not a course that was intended to be playable to every single golfer.


They have their place and I don't think being able to carry it 130 yards (probably 110 or less from the forward tees) and stop the ball within 20 yards of landing is too high a bar for the course to be reasonable.

[Garland Bayley]

Pondering this again. For some the hole a probably a full 5-iron anyway. Can't imagine many high handicappers or short hitters landing a 5-iron on this green and getting the ball to stop on the island though.
Atb

Not if they play the 92, or 115 yard tees.

[Thomas Dai]

Thomas,
I seem to recall the hole playing between 130-140 yards (118-126 metres) the days I watched.
Who between the ages of 15 and 70 needs a five iron to hit it that far?

Precisely.
And unlike another famous par-3 you can't skim one across the lake - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtUhkw6YMRU
atb

[Erik Mosley]

Thomas,
I seem to recall the hole playing between 130-140 yards (118-126 metres) the days I watched.
Who between the ages of 15 and 70 needs a five iron to hit it that far?

Precisely.
And unlike another famous par-3 you can't skim one across the lake - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtUhkw6YMRU
atb

That's not entirely true...


Played Sawgrass for the first time on Saturday and on 17 my playing partner's ball took one hop in the water and skipped onto the green for a 20 foot birdie putt!  Caddy said it was the first time he'd ever seen it there.  Obviously, the course appears to be getting too easy - must be time for another redesign.

[Ed Brzezowski]

Played it back in the 90's but I seem to recall the tee shot being at 155 to 165, so it was a solid 6 iron back then.

Anyone else recall this or have I lost it??

[Matthew Petersen]

Played it back in the 90's but I seem to recall the tee shot being at 155 to 165, so it was a solid 6 iron back then.

Anyone else recall this or have I lost it??

I don't recall that it has ever played that long, on the card anyway. Certain;y, into a stuff breeze it can effectively play that way.


It's 'sister' hole at PGA West plays 170 but (a) I believe the green is fractionally larger (b) the tee at PGA West is ever so slightly elevated and (C) the dry desert air likely makes a few yards of difference vs swampy Florida. The wind can blow in both places.

[BigEdSC]

When I was living in Jacksonville from 2008-2014, I was a member of the Valley Course at TPC Sawgrass.  I got to play the Stadium a couple of times a year.  I always kept a couple of crap balls in the bag.  When I got to 17, I would try to skip the balls with a 3 iron using the downslope.  Never was able to hit the green.  Either it skipped over, or hit the railroad ties.  I would aim for the bunker,  but that was hard to hit too.

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