[jeffwarne]

and not play the "SETUP" which could be almost anywhere and homogenizes the course---(see Hoylake or any other narrowed fairway , bunker swallowing, rough infested major course where the players merely march around with irons, hybrids, and occasional fairway metals.....)

you HAVE to watch Royal Porthcawl this weekend in the Senior Open.
The course is set up exactly(except for length) as the members play it with adequate fairways,light wispy rough which gradually tapers out a bit thicker more random height as nature allows.
The course is very firm and looks fantasticly linksy, and most important the SCALE is right for 2 reasons.
1. The Seniors don't hit the ball quite as far as the regular tour
2. The fairways are wider-30-45 yards with a fair amount of very light dry rough around them-easily a 50-60 yard  safe corridor on most holes that I saw today.

So we get to see the best players over 50 actually have their driving tested (meaning they'll actually use one because the risk matches the reward)because the field of play and ball match due to wider corridors and distance of the course proportionate to them---and  not have a potential champion work around his weakness as we often see at the regular tour level (Phil, Tiger) due to a game that is no longer played on a proportionaate size playing field to the length the ball travels, particularly on a hard running links.
That said, a bomber like Couples could choose to to hit less than driver on many holes, but he would be the exception not the rule I saw at Hoylake (though the softness changed that on the weekend at Hoylake and brought in more drivers)

The wind was blowing a bit out there this morning say 8-12 but in the afternoon at Clyne (quite exposed) it was dead calm with oppressive humidity.


Royal Porthcawl is the widest course I've seen on in all the events I had the priveledge to play in over here in the last month, and I'd say I would have hit more drivers there than anywhere I've played over here.
Somewhat ironic for a mediocre driver such as myself who's been thriving on the fact that NO ONE has been hitting drivers and FORCING all pf us into the field of play with easier to hit alternatives-------More options would of course probably lead me to score WORSE as I might leave the course more often and lose control of the ball more by being in safe, yet not ideal driving positions.

Interestingly-Peter Dawson played in the Pro-Am with Watson and Couples

Have at it.
Off to dinner

[David_Tepper]

Jeff -

Thanks for the preview. Looking forward to watching it on TV.

DT

[Thomas Dai]

Interesting observations and I'm looking forward to seeing more of RPGC. One aspect that makes me a little uncomfortable though.......a pro-am at what folk are starting to refer to these days as a 'major'. I hope a trend into non-age group majors doesn't develop.

Atb

[Thomas Dai]

RPGC fairways looking lovely and brown and burnt and bouncy based on what the TV coverage is showing. Seemingly pretty 'green' greens though.
Atb

[jeffwarne]

Thank God for Bernhard Langer and Jimenez, otherwise this would go down as the WORST golf coverage EVER.
DESPITE the gem of a course they're playing (i.e. one not bastardized by setup,"modernization", and crazy lengthening-yet)
The announcers are awful and two hours of coverage(5-7 their time) has reduced a disproportionate amount of time to watching Mark Wiebe struggle.
He's the defending Champ so I give him his due but I'd guess he'd prefer not to have every shot shown, and worse yet commented by the DISMAL commentary team.
This gem from Andy North "the scenery driving from Hoyake to Porthcawl was spectacular-very similar to the midwest US-lots of trees and farms"
Too bad he had to look at all that pesky linksland before and after the drive

Now Curtis is saying Rory "might become a great player"
This just in-now he says "he might win The Masters"

[Thomas Dai]

UK Sky TV, complete will some nice cameo pieces to camera by Wayne 'Radar' Riley, showed about 5 hrs worth of coverage, some am, some pm and Bernhard Langer made it look soooo easy in a round of -6. It seemed that he was using an old thin blade 1-iron quite a bit. Some big scores on holes too - Couples an 8, Lyle two 7's and someone, can't recall who, had a 10 apparently.

Play seemed to be from some quite far back tees, not entirely sure, but may have been all back tees. Quite a lot of bump-n-run shots around the greens, yummy stuff, and a pretty unusual very thin-come near complete top from MJ Jimanez.

Unusual wind direction too, from the land not from the sea.

Looking forward to tomorrow. Was aiming to go along and watch in person tomorrow, but alas not now going to happen so will have to make-do with Sky TV.

Very nice to see this event held at RPGC.
Atb

[Ryan Coles]

RPGC fairways looking lovely and brown and burnt and bouncy based on what the TV coverage is showing. Seemingly pretty 'green' greens though.
Atb

Thomas

I walked the course today. It is playing very firm and the greens are spot on in relation to their slopes. Even the 60 degree wedges from a tight lie had to be bounced in. They may look green on TV, but on the ground they look and play firm and glass-like.

[Thomas Dai]

RPGC fairways looking lovely and brown and burnt and bouncy based on what the TV coverage is showing. Seemingly pretty 'green' greens though.
Atb

I walked the course today. It is playing very firm and the greens are spot on in relation to their slopes. Even the 60 degree wedges from a tight lie had to be bounced in. They may look green on TV, but on the ground they look and play firm and glass-like.

Thanks Ryan, great to hear insights about bouncing in lob wedges and glass-like greens, sounds just like things ought to be on a links in the summer. Did you by any chance see Langers bunker shot from the pot bunker front right of the 'normal' par-3 14th? Looked very impressive on TV as that's one very deep bunker and not an easy green to stay on at the best of times.
Atb

[Garland Bayley]

...
Interestingly-Peter Dawson played in the Pro-Am with Watson and Couples
...

Perhaps this is where Tom was promoting RP to the R&A as an Open Championship course claiming it was a much better choice than Royal Liverpool which was easier. The press is reporting Tom is in love with the place, and doing said promotion.

[Bob_Huntley]

Tiger had a tough time there during a  Walker Cup.

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/sport/other-sport/golf/tiger-woods-tamed-royal-porthcawl-7351151

Bob

[Tony_Muldoon]

Watched a bit of this yesterday and I was amazed by some of Langer's swings.  How can a guy finish so often off balance without falling over!  Some shots looked like a weekend hacker.  Except he's two ahead of the pack!

once again, it's not how, it's........


I haven't seen him that much over the years but it seems odd for his swing to become less balanced with age?

http://www.europeantour.com/seniortour/season=2014/tournamentid=2014862/news/newsid=230684.html

Course looked lovely and once again I was a little surprised by how different the TV views are from those when playing the course.

[John_Cullum]

Watched a bit of this yesterday and I was amazed by some of Langer's swings.  How can a guy finish so often off balance without falling over!  Some shots looked like a weekend hacker.  

It comes with age and experience. Mostly the age

[David_Tepper]

Bernie's balance or lack thereof does not seem to be a problem, as he is 11 under after 2 rounds and has a 7 shot lead..

[jeffwarne]

So does Bernhard Langer's inspired play spell the death knell for Royal Porthcawl as an Open site?
Holding up quite well to the rest of the field.

I certainly hope not, and I hope it doesn't result in narrowing of fairways and depth of rough if they ever are fortunate enough to land the Open.
More length doesn't bother me if governing bodies refuse to do the obvious and address the ball/clubs, just don't bastardize the rest of the course that us mortals play.

Anecdotally, talking to other professionals over there at various playing levels in various qualifiers it's amazing how many support a rollback or reining in of the ball/clubs.
Why on earth are we so afraid of the manufactures?

[jeffwarne]

Well we certainly saw an elite player on a great venue.
What a performance
67 in 25 mph winds from the lead to win by 13.
If the Euros don't pick him up for the Ryder Cup, can the Americans claim him?

Funny hearing the announcers talk about hosting an Open here ,finding 400 more yards and growing the rough taller and closer to the fairways.
The answer is simple, but instead they advocate ruining the course for the members, guests, and mortals.

but God forbid, don't innovate a putting technique that requires NO course modifications.

[jeffwarne]

.

[Ryan Coles]

Jeff

15mph at most.

Do you think the course as presented this week is fit for an Open?

I do. But as with this week, no wind will equal a birdie fest.

[jeffwarne]

Jeff

15mph at most.

Do you think the course as presented this week is fit for an Open?

I do. But as with this week, no wind will equal a birdie fest.

Are we comparing it to Hoylake?
Not even close-one was "fit" for an Open. (I attended both events live)
It wasn't Hoylake
TV was showing wind as 25-26 down the stretch

If the wind doesn't blow, it SHOULD be a birdie fest.
Last I checked, great players can win by making birdies

[Ryan Coles]

Jeff

15mph at most.

Do you think the course as presented this week is fit for an Open?

I do. But as with this week, no wind will equal a birdie fest.

Are we comparing it to Hoylake?
Not even close-one was "fit" for an Open.
It wasn't Hoylake
TV was showing wind as 25-26 down the stretch

If the wind doesn't blow, it should be a birdie fest.
Last I checked, great players can win by making birdies

Jeff

Completely agree.

Apart from the common over stating of the strength of the wind.

[Thomas Dai]

Incredible performance by Bernhard Langer to win by 13 shots!

I remember him winning the 1987 Irish Open by 10 shots and it's been said a few times by latter year tour players that his final round 62 to win the Spanish Open at El Saler in 1984 is maybe the best ever round played on the European Tour but to now come along and win at RPGC by 13 shots, wow!

So two x GCA'ers reckon RPGC was more fit to hold The Open than Hoylake. Interesting.

atb

[jeffwarne]

Incredible performance by Bernhard Langer to win by 13 shots!

I remember him winning the 1987 Irish Open by 10 shots and it's been said a few times by latter year tour players that his final round 62 to win the Spanish Open at El Saler in 1984 is maybe the best ever round played on the European Tour but to now come along and win at RPGC by 13 shots, wow!

So two x GCA'ers reckon RPGC was more fit to hold The Open than Hoylake. Interesting.

atb

to be fair, I simply preferred the SETUP at RPC (or lack thereof) to the SETUP at Hoylake
Hoylake seems a fine course and I have played it in non Open setup conditions

[Jason Topp]

I was enthused to watch this event at a course I had played.  As others have commented, the US television coverage made it difficult to enjoy - even on a DVR.  I spent most of my time fast forwarding through commercials and fluff.   The seemed to cover it like a run of the mill senior event.

[jeffwarne]

I was enthused to watch this event at a course I had played.  As others have commented, the US television coverage made it difficult to enjoy - even on a DVR.  I spent most of my time fast forwarding through commercials and fluff.   The seemed to cover it like a run of the mill senior event.

Awful-same commercials every 3 minutes.
The announcers kept saying how great the course and presentation was then kept commenting on the many changes that would take place if they hosted an Open.

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