How Dry Is Carnoustie?

[Niall C]

There are many more qualified people on here to talk about agronomy and course set up but from my perspective this Open has been a wee bit like a Scottish variant to the bomb and gouge you guys talked about in the US. It seems that every time these guys go in the rough they can quite readily get club to the back of the ball. That, allied to fairly receptive greens, by links standards, kind of negates the need to play a strategic game from what I can see.

Or perhaps hitting hard and l9ong is in itself a strategy 

Niall

[Jon Wiggett]

Niall,


it was unfortunate that it rained on Friday and the lack of wind which softened the greens up. They could have let the greens brown off more before the start and used irrigation if needed. As it is I do not think the winning score will be that low which suggests the US Open debacle was worse than first thought.

[Ryan Coles]

There are many more qualified people on here to talk about agronomy and course set up but from my perspective this Open has been a wee bit like a Scottish variant to the bomb and gouge you guys talked about in the US. It seems that every time these guys go in the rough they can quite readily get club to the back of the ball. That, allied to fairly receptive greens, by links standards, kind of negates the need to play a strategic game from what I can see.

Or perhaps hitting hard and l9ong is in itself a strategy 

Niall

Not sure which tournament you’re watching.


Variety of clubs used from the tee and much discussion on what the best option is. They’ve been there all week and still aren’t sure. If they have to think that carefully and there doing different things, it would suggest that it’s a strategic test.


Re: rough, again, I think you’ve got the wrong event. It’s not automatically a wedge hack out every time and all the better for it. We’ve seen a variety of outcomes and shots.

[George Pazin]

One minor point:


For those commenting on the drastic differences between fairways and greens, TV cameras can really distort that. I remember people on here complaining in 2007 that Oakmont looked like Augusta , but I was there in person and it was as gorgeous in an array of pale green and all shades of brown as anyone could want.


Carry on, loving this thread....

[Niall C]

George

I was there in person and the difference between green and fairway was just as pronounced as TV suggested.

Jon

They were hand watering the greens in the evenings after play so I'd suggest they got the playing conditions they were after.

Niall

[Kalen Braley]

I don't ever recall 18 being a 3 wood/wedge pushover hole like it was over the weekend.  If anything the mounding seemed to be containment in nature re-directing most balls back to the fairway to run 30-40 more yards.


Seems like the course only had two defenses....tough par 3s, and nasty fairway bunkers...

[Sean_A]

I don't ever recall 18 being a 3 wood/wedge pushover hole like it was over the weekend.  If anything the mounding seemed to be containment in nature re-directing most balls back to the fairway to run 30-40 more yards.

Seems like the course only had two defenses....tough par 3s, and nasty fairway bunkers...

Well, you are obviously not taking account for something.  On fast fairways with benign weather, the winning score was -8.  That sounds extremely tough to me and I will say I found Carnoustie to be a very difficult course...and I haven't been back!  I am not sure there is a better bunkered course on the planet because tons of the buggers gather from miles away.  I know Rihc poo poos the oob, but he is dead wrong.  It matters and it matters a load.  I will also say length matters quite a bit because lots of guys were laying up due to bunker threat and finding themselves with very long approaches. Finally and never to be forgotten even if the it didn't make much of an appearance this week...the wind.  Nope, Carnasty is far from a two trick pony...you just didn't pay attention.

Ciao

[Kalen Braley]

Sean,


Fair enough.  I should have said two primary defenses for the big boys, its certainly understood the average joe would get slaughtered with everything else going on.  Holes like 17 and 18 look brutally difficult to this high capper, but the snaking burn didn't give them much issue...

[Brian_Ewen]

[Thomas Dai]

Fine photo posted by Brian.
Note the wild flowers in the rough.
atb

[Jon Wiggett]

Niall,


you water by hand so you do not over water most of the greens in order to do just the drier spots though I do think the greens might have been a little firmer.


Brian,


it would not surprise me if that was wetting agent to help with absorption.


Kalen,


I am amazed there are people like yourself who seem hell bent on finding fault. I would say the last two majors played out on similar courses are the perfect examples of how to run and not run a big event. I would take the R&A's Carnoustie any day over the farce that was Shinicock(up). It is a shame because the USGA had ALL the parameters to produce an absolute showcase of a competition yet I struggle to find anything they actually got right.


Jon

[Kalen Braley]

Jon,


The irony on this one is off the charts.  You accuse me of being hell bent on finding fault, yet you seemingly can't find one thing/anything they got right at the US Open?


Other than a few unfortunate pin positions on Saturday, I didn't find anything else they screwed up....


Hilarious!!

[Jon Wiggett]

Jon,


The irony on this one is off the charts.  You accuse me of being hell bent on finding fault, yet you seemingly can't find one thing/anything they got right at the US Open?


Other than a few unfortunate pin positions on Saturday, I didn't find anything else they screwed up....


Hilarious!!

I guess that is where your lack of insight hampers you. Your complaints are uneducated nit picking where as mine are well informed and apt criticisms 

[MCirba]

Pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty dry.