Southern Hills Hole 9 discussion

[Chris_Clouser]

Now that the US Open is over let's talk about a real course...

Let's hope this weeks threads generate more discussion than the last two I put up.  


Hole 9 – 374 yards

Maxwell’s routing returns the player back to the clubhouse as the final hole of the front nine runs back up the hill.  The hole doglegs from left to right and bends around a single hazard on the right side.  The preferred line from the tee will be directly over this bunker or the player will risk the ball rolling through the fairway and into the rough.  This will setup a short-iron or wedge into the green.  The approach will then be greatly affected by the wind direction of that day as nothing will be blocking the breeze on this hole, especially if it is coming from the south.  
The rebuilt green for this hole, courtesy of Keith Foster contains the original contouring in the heart of the putting surface.  But the alterations include a little expansion to the left and softening the front and backs of the green.  Three knobs on the green and the three surrounding bunkers make from some difficult pin positions throughout the target.  Perhaps the most difficult will be on the right side behind the hazard, but real challenge will be for the players that are more than twenty feet away from the hole.  Then they could encounter some putts that break multiple times and in various directions.

Hole Layout


From the tee


Over the hazard


Up the hill


Back down the hole


Keith Foster's contour chart on the revised putting surface


Link to 8th hole

[ed_getka]

Chris,
   Why the softening of the front and back of the green?

[Garland Bayley]

If I remember correctly, this is one of the greens they had to mow higher at the US Open to get balls to stay near the hole when putt there. Do I remember correctly?

[Wyatt Halliday]

Garland - From the June 4th champions press conference w/ El Tigre:


Q. There was a lot going on in 2001 when you came here, the Tiger Slam, I think your father was ill. What do you recall about that week?

TIGER WOODS: Well, off the golf course it was one thing, but on the golf course, I kind of struggled a little bit with my game. I really struggled at 9 and 18 getting the speed of the greens. Those were two different greens at the time, and I just found it to be just a test that was a little difficult at the time. I just was not hitting the ball well enough to put myself in position to win the Championship.

and more....

Q. To follow up on Rick's question about this golf course, can you give us more of an indication of what you think of this course from your past visits?

TIGER WOODS: I always thought it was a wonderful golf course. It really tests your ability to shape shots. To keep the ball in the fairway you have to shape it correctly on a couple holes, hit the ball against the hills. It's certainly a golf course you have to maneuver the golf ball both ways, you can't just go out there and hit it one way. You also have to hit it different trajectories, too, which is great.

The greens are -- I can't remember how they were in 1996 for the TOUR Championship, I just remember I was leading one day.

During the Open, I know that obviously 9 and 18 were playing at two different speeds than the other 16 greens. But overall, I think they kept the greens pretty soft that year because it was so hot, they were more bouncy, and I don't really know how they're going to be this year.

and yet, more....

Q. To follow up, not knowing what the changes have been at Southern Hills because you haven't seen it yet, but what do you think is going to be a noticeable difference this August compared to six years ago for the U.S. Open?

TIGER WOODS: Well, I don't know if they've changed the greens or I don't know if they've changed 9 and 18. I don't know if we're going to play 16 greens at one speed and two greens at another speed. That I don't know. To be honest with you, I don't know if they're going to have the rough as high as they did for the U.S. Open. All I know is they'll probably -- we probably won't be needing to bring any sweaters.