[Thomas Dai]

Apologies if this USGA drone video has been linked here before - https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=qWl3FJN4ITg

Here’s a reminder from when Geoff Ogilvy won in 2006 - [size=78%]https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yoF0ZXeYEPE[/size]

Atb

[MCirba]

Nice...thanks for sharing Thomas.

[Greg Smith]

I am really liking the expanded and squared-off greens.  It looks like many interesting pin positions have been captured.  The video actually makes me want to go and play WFW, which is not necessarily a reaction I always would have had.  Now I'm really looking forward to the US Open telecast.

[Thomas Dai]

Well worth a listen - Gil Hanse, Geoff Ogilvy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfx86KMkBy0&feature=youtu.be
Enjoy
atb

[Sean_A]

Well worth a listen - Gil Hanse, Geoff Ogilvy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qfx86KMkBy0&feature=youtu.be
Enjoy
atb

Brilliant!

Ciao

[Ian Galbraith]

Nice drone shots and commentary. 


Is it only me that finds these squared off greens jarring and artificial?  Curves are much more varied and nuanced than straight lines. 

[Mark_Fine]

I watched the video but didn’t yet listen to the commentary by Gil.  I am trusting the squared off greens were original or he wouldn’t have restored them that way.  We did the same at Copake CC but the original plans showed them to be squared off.  Some like the look some don’t.  Kind of like square tee boxes.  Some like it some don’t though the square greens do look very unnatural but were common on many classic courses.  Tees you can argue are simply starting points for play and whether they are square or free form in shape it matters less.  Square greens and free form bunkers, however, will create some debate.  How well would they look/fit at Sand Hills for example? 

[Sean_A]

Nice drone shots and commentary. 

Is it only me that finds these squared off greens jarring and artificial?  Curves are much more varied and nuanced than straight lines.

I like the squared greens! Tee to green the course looks rather blah, like tons of US parkland courses, but those greens look very special.

Ciao

[Thomas Dai]

These short videos on the restoration process are worth watching as well - a restoration that must have cost a few $$$$ to say the least -

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=3Gk0xkNz4aA
&
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2Awtat8j1YM
&
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=G6vgfqSoSo0

Enjoy
atb

PS - here taken from one of the above USGA videos are four old b&w photos of Winged Foot with some colour now added to them -

[Michael Baity]

I wouldn't get too caught up on the squared look of the greens based on drone footage.  Given their raised nature, severe pitch, false fronts and tight bunkering, they do not appear square in my opinion from ground level except for the 4th hole now that the bunkers have been returned to the sides.  Reminds of when TD posted the pin sheet at Chicago Golf on IG once and remarked how he never realized how unique the green shapes are there.  The aerial view vs the ground view can be quite different in appearance.

[mike_malone]

Played it once before the previous Open and found the greens artificial and inaccessible particularly from high rough.

[JLahrman]

Is it only me that finds these squared off greens jarring and artificial?  Curves are much more varied and nuanced than straight lines.

I love the look.

[Ian Galbraith]

I wouldn't get too caught up on the squared look of the greens based on drone footage.  Given their raised nature, severe pitch, false fronts and tight bunkering, they do not appear square in my opinion from ground level except for the 4th hole now that the bunkers have been returned to the sides.  Reminds of when TD posted the pin sheet at Chicago Golf on IG once and remarked how he never realized how unique the green shapes are there.  The aerial view vs the ground view can be quite different in appearance.

Good to know - if I'm ever lucky enough to have the chance to play there I won't let it put me off 

[Ira Fishman]

After Olympia Fields, any bets on how close the USGA will set it up to 1974 Massacre conditions?


Ira

[Mark_Fine]

Very few pros wouldn't take even par and sit in the clubhouse and watch     These guys are really really good but Winged Foot is really really hard (at least it can be if they want it to be).  Played there quite a few times but in fairness not since the renovation. 

[Thomas Dai]

A snippet from 2006 US Open winner at Winged Foot Geoff Ogilvy.
Food for thought?

atb

[Mike Sweeney]

Played it once before the previous Open and found the greens artificial and inaccessible particularly from high rough.

Mayday,

Yes, let's judge courses based on dated information

https://golfclubatlas.com/in-my-opinion/rolling-green-golf-club/


Thomas,


Come on, it is a "Winged" foot via the Founders/Members of the NY Athletic Club:


The NYAC's commitment to athletic excellence began with its founding in 1868 and continues, as steadfast as ever, to this day. The NYAC's athletes are its most visible ambassadors, all committed to the vision of their late teammate, Olympic legend Al Oerter, who stated, "Great things are expected of you when you wear the winged foot."




Congrats to not-frequent poster Neil Regan. It is a Committee up there at Winged Foot Golf Club, but Neil puts in lots of work to show the history of the course, the club, and its championships to insiders and outsiders.

The weather looks great, and hopefully we will see a great US Open this week.

[Tim Gavrich]

Tee to green the course looks rather blah, like tons of US parkland courses, but those greens look very special.

Ciao

Glad this was raised. I've never been there so I'm sure I'm missing something, but at least holding the green contours aside (which look incredible, and clearly are the star of the course, WFW looks not all that different from many courses GCA aficionados might dismiss as lacking strategy.


Tee-to-green, is WFW a "Dark Ages" golf course?

[corey miller]

Would Winged Foot be better (as per those that "rate") were the course maintained differently?  And since it was the  subject of  a recent well received restoration could  the course have been made better had the  project focused more on fairway width and rough height rather than restoring the original green surfaces through expansion?


Or should it be maintained much like Bethpage? And if so I would think it much more a "crime" for WFW to be so penal in light of the fabulous greens which don't exist at Bethpage. 

[Ira Fishman]

I noticed only one green where the rear sloped to the back so that shots more likely to run over. Is that typical of Tillinghast?


Ira

[Jeff Schley]

After Olympia Fields, any bets on how close the USGA will set it up to 1974 Massacre conditions?


Ira

Ira good question to pose. I haven't seen WFW since the renovation, but before that trees were a factor much like OF or similar parkland courses. The real difference is the severity of the greens at WFW, so in the same conditions of firm and fast I would guess WFW would play 2-3 shots more difficult than OF for the pros. It wouldn't be fair to compare the scores of the BMW to the US Open this year as OF hasn't really been touched significantly since Rees Jones before the 2003 open. Not to mention the OF setup, while difficult could have been pushed even more. I'm not saying they should have, but I'm sure Mike Davis would have some ridiculous ideas for that. Golfers love a car crash so as much as we are purists here, the normal golf fan wants them to shoot over par and the higher the better for the US Open draws people to watch; not -30.

[Kalen Braley]

A snippet from 2006 US Open winner at Winged Foot Geoff Ogilvy.
Food for thought?

atb

Hilarious that Geoff thinks he actually won that Tournament.


Phil handed it to him on a silver platter when he chose to play aggressive when he only needed a bogey on the 72nd hole to win.

[Jeff Schley]

A snippet from 2006 US Open winner at Winged Foot Geoff Ogilvy.
Food for thought?

atb

Hilarious that Geoff thinks he actually won that Tournament.


Phil handed it to him on a silver platter when he chose to play aggressive when he only needed a bogey on the 72nd hole to win.

With Monty also making the worst club switch of his career going with 7i last minute.

[Tim Gavrich]

Hilarious that Geoff thinks he actually won that Tournament.

That's a pretty odd thing to say. Ogilvy played the course in the fewest strokes over 72 holes. Of course he won the tournament. Why diminish the accomplishment?


The 72nd hole counts the same as the first and every hole in between. Switch out a par Mickelson made early on Sunday for a double and the double on 18 for a par and the result would have been the exact same.

[Thomas Dai]

A short video from WF you may wish to watch - the voice is that of caddy Billy Foster -
https://twitter.com/i/status/1305904007890776068
Make of it what you will.
atb

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