Neill, he apologised profusely-saying he saw it down exactly.
Must've taken his eye off as he walked the 40 yards forward from the top of the hill, and it was thick lush fescue
Said he had it down and convinced my caddie who was out ahead as well that he had it, so he didn't wave me to hit another, which I was already ball in hand.
Today I spotted a ball for Scott Parel on 14 in the same type grass, where he was laying up with a 4 iron. (he is super long and has been near top of the Tour in distance several years)
I waved for him to hit a provisional, which he did.
I ran across the fairway as there was no marshall.
I had the line but not the exact distance as I was 60 yards away, and it still took 2 minutes for 5 of us to find it.
He was just to the right of the ferns where I lost a ball Friday,in tall lush grass, five yards from the 20 yard wide fairway.
As I was exiting the scene an official asked me to stick around and marshall for the next few groups, thinking I was a volunteer, and asked where I had been... I laughed and said they can play under the same conditions I played in-no spotters.
There were some wonderful gallery areas that were mowed out over such areas, but they were miles out of play.
One such mow pass each side would've been a wonderful thing in the shorter areas off the tee where players were attempting to play safe-especially since they appeared to have done so in the supposed "landing areas" 50 yards down the fairways.
It was nice to see today in rougher weather the elite players using my landing areas of the first two days
.
I simply don't understand 4 foot ferns and two foot tall fescue that close to play,especially with minimal marshalls and then less of the tall gunch the further out one goes off the tee.
I'm guessing they were assuming certain "driving areas" and didn't account for wind, shorter hitters, strategy, struggles etc.
Scott is not short however.
On 17, I was up on the high ground watching them play and his eventual low-am fellow competitor hit one left in the gunch, again 5 yards out of play. He then hacked one out that only went about 30 yards still into the shite-I ran down the hill to help but didn't see it down exactly, and it was ferny dead. Scott, who was preparing to play his second ran up 60 yards and pointed out exactly where it was, and no chance we find it if he hadn't see it exactly down.. He then had to play backwards.
That said, walking the course today, even in the rain, was majestic.
Really a great course with great landforms and undulations, especially if you catch it dry.
I saw many things I really liked, and noticed many things I hadn't in my three rounds-especially on the holes I had played well, where you only notice the fairway and green if you stripe it.
Sean is correct about the soil. After being so fiery Thursday-Friday, the greens were puddling severely.
It seemed very odd to me that SOOO many of the pins were located on the lower areas of the green given the 100% rain forecast.
There were high points on very green that were high and dry, but the pins always seemed near a puddle.
Watching the officials instruct maintenance crew to squeegee water uphill was comical.
A great event to be a part of and Gleneagles Kings is certainly a fine golf course well worth playing.
In fact my first trip over where I did not play a links.
3 rounds at Blaigowrie Rosemount, 3 at Kings and one at Pitlochry.
Attended the Highland Games yesterday-stumbled on them en route to Glencoe, and stumbled on a mountain bike race there at the ski resort. Interesting day, culminating with a walk around Dalrigh battleground where Robert The Bruce supposedly threw his sword in a loch.
Just walked all 9 at Comrie and took some pictures.
very overcast and arrived at 8pm.
My kind've place with really cool greens benched into various corners of the property.
I could definitely see playing many a post dinner(with eating being the hardest thing to do in rural Scotland) round here for a magical end to a summer evening.