Els outburst at the BMW

[Dane Hawker]

http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/angry-els-hits-out-over-wentworth-greens/1003871.html

"Course designer Ernie Els let rip at the European Tour and Wentworths greenkeeping staff on Saturday after brushing aside strong winds to move to the fringes of contention at the PGA Championship. The 42-year-old South Africans ire was raised after he hit an excellent approach shot at the par-five 18th and the ball bounded through the green into a deep bunker. 'I hit a four-iron and it pitched pin high,'"


Is this sour grapes? Poor hole design? Was it really the greenkeepers fault?

Out of interest, here at the score averages for the week on the 18th. The Saturday rnd was playing hard but on the other days it was easy. Surely the firmness of the greens isn't going to change that much? Maybe it was the wind?

Rnd 1 4.62
Rnd 2 4.95
Rnd 3 5.17
Rnd 4 4.67

Els played par on the hole every day.

[Greg Chambers]

Well, of course it's the fault of the greenkeeper.  The fact that the hole won't accommodate a well struck four iron has everything to do with the maintenance of the course, and nothing to do with (his own) shitty re-design of the golf hole.

[Carl Johnson]

The only difficulty was Sir Ernie's inability to hit a shot called for by the conditions.

[Keith OHalloran]

Isn't it possible that the course was designed well, but kept in conditions not fit for the design? I seem to remember someone said that Sebonack was designed for slower green speeds than it utilizes.  I am sure that no one would consider it shitty design if someone complained that Sebonack was not being kept in accordance with the design.

[Shane Gurnett]

He should have hit a 5 iron.

[Melvyn Morrow]

It seems that some of us have travelled so far from the game of golf that we have stopped expecting the unexpected.

Wentworth is not my choice for a game, but then I am a golfer of the old school where your game depends upon you and your own observations. How low does the game have to go before we see real men playing golf, facing the test and challenges that makes this game a game of golf.

Perhaps just too much of the good life, not off course but on courses that one’s game is suffering from too much assistance and pampering.

Lots of players but where have all the golfers gone?

[Carl Johnson]

. . . Lots of players but where have all the golfers gone?

Sir Ernie and his ilk are not golfers -- they're entertainers.  Not that there's anything wrong with that.  There are still golfers out there somewhere.

[Sam Morrow]

Teacher said that every time a tour player complains about a course an angel gets it's wings.

[David_Elvins]

The course used to be bouncy and interesting.  Now it needs to be soft to be playable.  Another reason it must be a contender for the worst redesign in history.  

This is seriously amusing (or depressing) stuff from Els:
'How much money did we spend on the 18th? We built a dam there. Why in the hell was the green not holding? 'Must I be a greenkeeper here?,' the former world number one fumed. 'I spoke to (the tours chief referee) John Paramor at the 15th and he said, Yeah we watered last night. 'I said, Youve got to triple that. Youve got a damn 30-mph easterly breeze blowing. Put water on the greens - you dont need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.' Els, on the receiving end of a storm of criticism two years ago when many of the players said the re-designed course was too tough, feared another backlash on Saturday. 'The guys arent going to be happy,' said the triple major champion. 'They are very difficult conditions out there and the tour and the greens staff have got to play ball. 'Ive been asking them for a while now to play ball and I cant keep taking this. At some point they have got to start listening - its like talking to this wall behind me. FED UP 'Im fed up. I cant control the wind and it seems like I cant control the greens staff either,' said Els. 'The players are not used to these types of conditions.' The sun shone all day at the tree-lined West Course but only a handful of players managed to break par as the fresh winds sent scores soaring. 'If a player knows hes played badly, shoots a bad score, hell take it as a man,' said Els who has a property on the estate and has masterminded a complete makeover of the layout in recent years. 'Youve just got to play within yourself, you cant go playing wild shots or you are just going to get killed. 'Its like a major championship test. In two weeks time at the U.S. Open if you are just marginally off youll get killed. 'We tried to bring that element in here but you dont have to kill guys. The 15th green is not holding, the 16th green is not holding, the 17th green is not holding, 18 is not holding.'

[Scott Warren]

There's a very good reason why very few heathland greens have their entire front blocked by water.

It's not rocket science.

[jeffwarne]

The course used to be bouncy and interesting.  Now it needs to be soft to be playable.  Another reason it must be a contender for the worst redesign in history.  

This is seriously amusing (or depressing) stuff from Els:
'How much money did we spend on the 18th? We built a dam there. Why in the hell was the green not holding? 'Must I be a greenkeeper here?,' the former world number one fumed. 'I spoke to (the tours chief referee) John Paramor at the 15th and he said, Yeah we watered last night. 'I said, Youve got to triple that. Youve got a damn 30-mph easterly breeze blowing. Put water on the greens - you dont need to be a rocket scientist to figure that out.' Els, on the receiving end of a storm of criticism two years ago when many of the players said the re-designed course was too tough, feared another backlash on Saturday. 'The guys arent going to be happy,' said the triple major champion. 'They are very difficult conditions out there and the tour and the greens staff have got to play ball. 'Ive been asking them for a while now to play ball and I cant keep taking this. At some point they have got to start listening - its like talking to this wall behind me. FED UP 'Im fed up. I cant control the wind and it seems like I cant control the greens staff either,' said Els. 'The players are not used to these types of conditions.' The sun shone all day at the tree-lined West Course but only a handful of players managed to break par as the fresh winds sent scores soaring. 'If a player knows hes played badly, shoots a bad score, hell take it as a man,' said Els who has a property on the estate and has masterminded a complete makeover of the layout in recent years. 'Youve just got to play within yourself, you cant go playing wild shots or you are just going to get killed. 'Its like a major championship test. In two weeks time at the U.S. Open if you are just marginally off youll get killed. 'We tried to bring that element in here but you dont have to kill guys. The 15th green is not holding, the 16th green is not holding, the 17th green is not holding, 18 is not holding.'

Ironic that someone would complain that his super was delivering the course in "major championship" condition

[Brian Phillips]

This is what happens when you let one of the members redesign the course.   

[Adrian_Stiff]

Ernie Els has shown us that he only understands parts of golf course architecture and is probably a 21 handicapper at the job. You dont water greens in order to hold a 4 iron. People will still give him design jobs despite his high handicap.

[Kris Shreiner]

Scott,

Well put! The butcher's hands are bloody, yet he's bitching about the cuts. They've ( with Ernie on the tiller of late) about ruined what used to be a pretty good golf course there at Wentworth. Oh well, guess there is always hope for the next iteration.

Cheers,
Kris