Big 12 Championship @ Prairie Dunes

[Buck Wolter]

Some high scores to start --looked at the weather and the wind is blowing at 30-35 mph. 5 teams in top 20 and 7 in Top 50.

http://results.golfstat.com/public/leaderboards/gsnav.cfm?pg=team&tid=11525

[John Kavanaugh]

They recently burned the gunch so these scores are with zero lost balls. Two weeks ago I played in a two best ball out of three tournament at 50% handicaps. Only 18 holes and managed to get beat by 30 strokes. So it's not so much hard as it is a reflection of talent, or lack there of.

[Brian Finn]

30+ mph winds make it awfully tough to get approach shots to the proper portion of the greens, which is as critical at PD as anywhere I have played.  I imagine there are far more missed greens and 3 putts than in a normal college event (on any course).

[Buck Wolter]

They recently burned the gunch so these scores are with zero lost balls. Two weeks ago I played in a two best ball out of three tournament at 50% handicaps. Only 18 holes and managed to get beat by 30 strokes. So it's not so much hard as it is a reflection of talent, or lack there of.

 72 is the low score so far and OSU is the leader in the house at +22. Texas Tech shot -7 earlier this season to finish second at Bandon Dunes over 3 days, today they are +22 --Kid that won at Bandon was -10 and today was +14. Not like they don't see wind or a tough course in Lubbock.

Did PD want to show these College kids the course still had some teeth and things got out of control with the gale force winds?

[John Kavanaugh]

Bandon Dunes is a resort catering to left coast elitists. Everything is just a bit easier to keep the tourists happy. It's a corn to kumquat comparison.

[Buck Wolter]

Bandon Dunes is a resort catering to left coast elitists. Everything is just a bit easier to keep the tourists happy. It's a corn to kumquat comparison.

They postponed round 2 because of the winds  --36 now tomorrow. I'll blame the Big 12 for the setup.

[Buck Wolter]

They recently burned the gunch so these scores are with zero lost balls. Two weeks ago I played in a two best ball out of three tournament at 50% handicaps. Only 18 holes and managed to get beat by 30 strokes. So it's not so much hard as it is a reflection of talent, or lack there of.

Saw a pic on twitter of the first hole and things must have grown back quick --big patch of foot tall native literally 2 feet off the green. KU Assoc AD posted it and commented he found someone's ball for them on the hole.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

They recently burned the gunch so these scores are with zero lost balls. Two weeks ago I played in a two best ball out of three tournament at 50% handicaps. Only 18 holes and managed to get beat by 30 strokes. So it's not so much hard as it is a reflection of talent, or lack there of.

Saw a pic on twitter of the first hole and things must have grown back quick --big patch of foot tall native literally 2 feet off the green. KU Assoc AD posted it and commented he found someone's ball for them on the hole.

I played there this weekend and didn't lose a ball over four rounds.  The wind is gusting >50 mph - not much you can do about that...


https://twitter.com/pdccpro/status/856597386780717056

[John Kavanaugh]

Bandon Dunes is a resort catering to left coast elitists. Everything is just a bit easier to keep the tourists happy. It's a corn to kumquat comparison.

They postponed round 2 because of the winds  --36 now tomorrow. I'll blame the Big 12 for the setup.

The course can only be so long. Remember some guy shot 61 in the Senior US Open. It's not a set up issue. It's the wind and the general weakening of College talent due to the current rush for kids to turn pro. I personally thought the scores were perfectly reasonable.


I watched the guy who won the recent NCAA Championship held at PD miss the cut at Victoria National this weekend. It's a mans game when the wind blows.

[Dave August]

Interesting to see the college scores.


I played there Master's weekend, wind was steady at 15-20 mph, lost one ball (went in the gunch twice, once lost, once not).


I can see where the set up can make the course play tough. HOwever, there is plenty of grass for the kids to hit off the tee, so the scores have to be due to something more than just wind.

[Terry Lavin]

One of my absolute favorite golf courses. And yes, it's much more challenging with big wind and surely a little more forgiving without high gunsch.

[Matthew Essig]

They recently burned the gunch so these scores are with zero lost balls. Two weeks ago I played in a two best ball out of three tournament at 50% handicaps. Only 18 holes and managed to get beat by 30 strokes. So it's not so much hard as it is a reflection of talent, or lack there of.

 72 is the low score so far and OSU is the leader in the house at +22. Texas Tech shot -7 earlier this season to finish second at Bandon Dunes over 3 days, today they are +22 --Kid that won at Bandon was -10 and today was +14. Not like they don't see wind or a tough course in Lubbock.

Did PD want to show these College kids the course still had some teeth and things got out of control with the gale force winds?

Though when the tournament at Bandon Dunes was competed, it was towards the end of the soaking winter/spring they were having. I can almost guarantee that the course had no fire. I believe there was little wind those days, as well.

[JC Urbina]

Buck,


Prairie Dunes is in my top 5 golf courses of all time.  Has been since I first visited it back in 1986 while working for the Dye family.  Fast forward 30 years later and countless golf courses seen and played since my first visit and PD is still in my top 5. 


The work that Dave Axland has been doing there  is really, really good.  I am jealous of Dave, he gets to hang out at really cool places.  Old Town, Prairie Dunes, Shinnecock, etc.

[Peter Pallotta]

A question:
All things considered, Prairie Dunes then is most like X now.
What modern course is the X?
Thanks

[Tom Ferrell]

Buck,


Prairie Dunes is in my top 5 golf courses of all time.  Has been since I first visited it back in 1986 while working for the Dye family.  Fast forward 30 years later and countless golf courses seen and played since my first visit and PD is still in my top 5. 


The work that Dave Axland has been doing there  is really, really good.  I am jealous of Dave, he gets to hang out at really cool places.  Old Town, Prairie Dunes, Shinnecock, etc.

JCU - you've been known to hang out at a cool place or two, yourself!  Dave is, of course, the man!


I gotta go to Prairie Dunes.  Soon.

[Buck Wolter]

Buck,


Prairie Dunes is in my top 5 golf courses of all time.  Has been since I first visited it back in 1986 while working for the Dye family.  Fast forward 30 years later and countless golf courses seen and played since my first visit and PD is still in my top 5. 


The work that Dave Axland has been doing there  is really, really good.  I am jealous of Dave, he gets to hang out at really cool places.  Old Town, Prairie Dunes, Shinnecock, etc.

JC-
I think its great that PD is hosting the Big 12 Championship, it's at the top of my list as far as courses I'd like to see for many reasons. I let myself get goaded into an argument that I didn't intend to have when I started the thread.

Quick look at the scores today and despite what John thinks these guys can obviously golf their balls. Right now Iowa State is on pace for a 48 stroke swing Round 2 versus round , seems like the Big 12 made a mistake yesterday in playing. -3 is the low score on the course with 10-15 mph winds.

Buck

[Ryan Hillenbrand]

I became enamored with the course after watching the NCAA Championships a few years ago. After playing the course I fell in love with it even more. At a 6.5 hour drive its the closest "great" course I can think of.

[Buck Wolter]

Texas and Okie State tied for the Team title at +30,  a Texas and OU player tied for medalist at +5, low round was a 67 and the high was a 92.

edit:
Oops - there was one more round, they played 18 today. Texas won by one (+48)  and Chase Hanna from OU won the individual with a +7. Lots of big numbers again today --looks like most of the round was played in the 40's.