I went out for the weekend. Lovely to see it back on Tour after 13 years.
We softened 9 greens and built a brand new one for the 2nd last summer. All settled in well and the new hole location areas have added to the variety.
I was initially reluctant to dumb down the greens, but I think I have mellowed over the years and saw less fun in the roll-offs we once had when I went out to review the course a year ago. That, combined with the green edges having crept in a long way had started to create real problems with a lack of hole locations. We've sorted it all out and there are plenty again. For the Tour, they asked for a minimum of six pin positions for the week. We easily satisfied that requirement.
Not so happy that our distinctive lace-edge bunkering has been rounded out to typical Middle Eastern style, but nothing I could do about that as it happened some years ago.
It's a fine tournament course, looks amazing on television and held its own against the pros. They had to work hard, but it rewards those who use the internal green slopes to their advantage and punishes those who don't.
Two more years on the current deal and it should only be in better condition by then. It was a serious race against time to get it prepped this year.