[Ted Sturges]

During this weekend's golf tournament coverage, I believe I heard Brandel Chamblee say that the average distance from the flag on the PGA tour for approach shots hit from the rough was 42', but that this past week, the average distance from the flag for approach shots hit from the rough was 55'. 


How does Pete Dye accomplish this?  This seems to be a significant statistic (31% farther away from the hole for these approach shots).


In an age where many think the only way to defend par is to make the course 8,000 yards long, Mr. Dye is revealing a more thoughtful way to defend par.  But...what is it?  How does he accomplish this?


TS

[Jim_Coleman]

   I would say two things  First, his greens are often at angles to fairways.  So, if you are on the wrong side of the fairway there is very little to shoot at.  And second, his greens are often smallish, with sharp run offs on many sides.  So, a ball that might land 42' from the pin on one green, may run away on a Dye green.  Full disclosure, my experience is pretty much limited to much play (100's of rounds) on his five courses at Casa de Campo, and a very little play (one or two rounds) on a few others (Hilton Head, Ocean Course, La Quinta, TPC, Bulle Rock, Long Cove).

[Matthew Sander]

Hi Ted,


The first, non-related, answer one could suggest is the quality/difficulty of the rough. I watched very little of the  event, but if the rough was comparatively long or "juicy" then the numbers would stand to reason.


If that was not the case and we are simply considering Dye's architecture, then I would suggest angles and visuals  are the likely culprits. Those two characteristics certainly work in tandem. The sharp edges and perceived risks/rewards of lines of play may steer even good players to the fat, or more visually receptive portions of the greens...even with their relatively small size.


Being a mental midget, Dye's visual presentation (especially around greens as opposed to tee shots for me personally) wreaks havoc on my approaches. Now, I'm not sharing state secrets in suggesting tour players' mental discipline is a bit better than mine, but it is possible that the effect is still present even if it is only minimal. If all courses mowed all grass to fairway height, I would guess that Sawgrass would still demonstrate higher proximity numbers from locations located further from the line of charm.

[Conley Hurst]

It seemed to me like the greens this past week were much firmer than they are most of the time on the PGA Tour. I rarely saw a shot into the greens that didn't take a considerable bounce forward before checking up. I would think that this has a lot to do with the higher rough proximity numbers. Also, the greens at TPC Sawgrass appear to be smaller and more severe than the average tour course (I've never played there, so I actually have no idea).

That said, the angles of the greens at Sawgrass do seem to reward being in the fairway far more than most tour courses. At just over 7200 yards, it has to be one of the shorter courses on the tour these days, but it still holds its own. It was a true pleasure seeing so many irons and fairway metals of the tees this past week.   

[Kalen Braley]

I wonder if this has anything to do with them moving back to March next year?


Milder temps, less baked out greens, greener looking course for TV, being the 1st big tourney of the year instead of #2.....

[Mike Hendren]

Like the Wicked Witch of the West, professional golfers are afraid of water.

Bogey

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