La Costa, NCAA's, Hanse

[AChao]

I don't get hosting the national championship for college on the same course every year in a location that clearly favors certain schools by a lot. 

If I were in charge, I'd rotate it through the country in at least four distinct locations (i.e. two coasts and midwest) every 4 years.  I would also want the courses to be designed by different architects with different grasses.
To me, being at La Costa every year makes it the Carlsbad Invitational rather than the national championship. 

(I do wonder if there are massive problems finding host sites or if there is a lot of money involved in some way.) 

[Kyle Casella]

I don't get hosting the national championship for college on the same course every year in a location that clearly favors certain schools by a lot. 

If I were in charge, I'd rotate it through the country in at least four distinct locations (i.e. two coasts and midwest) every 4 years.  I would also want the courses to be designed by different architects with different grasses.
To me, being at La Costa every year makes it the Carlsbad Invitational rather than the national championship. 

(I do wonder if there are massive problems finding host sites or if there is a lot of money involved in some way.)

It is challenging for them to find sites because it is a 7-8 day commitment for the golf course and there is not a lot of money involved. That being said they have had some good sites since switching to the match play format including Riviera, Honors Club, Prairie Dunes, and Inverness.


For those worried about a West Coast advantage, I am not sure if you've seen the schedules for college golfers. There isn't exactly a ton of free time to visit courses randomly just to have a look. Even those in the LA area might struggle to get down there to play. There hasn't historically been a correlation between local geography and local winner, so I am not sure why there would be going forward (Texas won at Riviera, Stanford won in Arkansas, Cal won at the Homestead, etc, etc, etc).

[Max Prokopy]

It is challenging for them to find sites because it is a 7-8 day commitment for the golf course and there is not a lot of money involved. That being said they have had some good sites since switching to the match play format including Riviera, Honors Club, Prairie Dunes, and Inverness.


For those worried about a West Coast advantage, I am not sure if you've seen the schedules for college golfers. There isn't exactly a ton of free time to visit courses randomly just to have a look. Even those in the LA area might struggle to get down there to play. There hasn't historically been a correlation between local geography and local winner, so I am not sure why there would be going forward (Texas won at Riviera, Stanford won in Arkansas, Cal won at the Homestead, etc, etc, etc).

It is challenging but a lot of member clubs are interested.  As for the teams that win at various places, you can always find those examples but that doesn't negate the influence of the site choice. 


I've been pretty heavily involved with a prominent program and yes the teams do in fact consider where NCAA finals are in terms of where they commit and where they might extend a tournament trip for a site visit.  It does matter.

[Matt_Cohn]

Just found these online. Maybe somebody who's really good with maps and plans can figure out what Gil's doing besides moving the 8th tee 90° to the left. (Incidentally, I made it into an NCGA rules slideshow based on my play on that hole in the Cal Am a few years ago, when I hit it OB from a penalty area next to the green.)


https://records.carlsbadca.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=6394283&dbid=0&repo=CityofCarlsbad

[Steve_ Shaffer]

The Women's NCAA Championship began play and today is the final day.Three rounds of stroke play have taken place already, and the top half of the 30-team field along with nine individuals not on an advancing team have moved on to the final round of stroke play to take place on Monday.The top eight teams from that point on will advance to match play on Tuesday with the championship match set to take place Wednesday. Last year's champions Wake Forest and runner-up USC are both competing for the title this year and 2022 national champions Stanford are also in the running.


 
TV on NBCGolfHD here in AZ
NCAA women's golf championships 2024 schedule

Date	Time (ET)	TV channel/live stream
Mon., May 20	6 p.m.-10 p.m.	Golf Channel, Fubo
Tues., May 21	6 p.m.-10 p.m.	Golf Channel, Fubo
Weds., May 22	6 p.m.-10 p.m.	Golf Channel, Fubo

NCAA women's golf championships TV channel, live stream

• Dates: May 20-22
• TV channel: Golf Channel
• Live stream: Fubo

The final three days of the 2024 NCAA women's golf championships will be televised on the Golf Channel.
Viewers can also find the NCAA women's golf championships on Fubo, which offers a free trial, so you can try before you buy.


 

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Adela Cernousek from France of Texas A&M wins NCAA individual golf title for first collegiate win. CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Adela Cernousek of Texas A&M got her first collegiate win on the biggest stage, cruising to a three-shot victory at La Costa on Monday to win the NCAA individual title.
Cernousek entered the final round with a six-shot lead over Lottie Woad of Florida State, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion. Cernousek was never seriously threatened as she closed with an even-par 72 to finish at 12-under 276 and help the Aggies finish third in the team standings, three shots behind Stanford and LSU.Woad shot 69 and was the runner-up. Paula Martin Sampedro of Stanford (70) finished third at 6 under, leading the Cardinal to a 2-over par finish that matched the Tigers.The other schools to advance to the match-play portion of the team competition were Southern California, Clemson, UCLA, Oregon and Auburn. The team champion will be crowned on Wednesday.

[astavrides]

Adela Cernousek from France of Texas A&M wins NCAA individual golf title for first collegiate win. CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) — Adela Cernousek of Texas A&M got her first collegiate win on the biggest stage, cruising to a three-shot victory at La Costa on Monday to win the NCAA individual title.
Cernousek entered the final round with a six-shot lead over Lottie Woad of Florida State, the Augusta National Women’s Amateur champion. Cernousek was never seriously threatened as she closed with an even-par 72 to finish at 12-under 276 and help the Aggies finish third in the team standings, three shots behind Stanford and LSU.Woad shot 69 and was the runner-up. Paula Martin Sampedro of Stanford (70) finished third at 6 under, leading the Cardinal to a 2-over par finish that matched the Tigers.The other schools to advance to the match-play portion of the team competition were Southern California, Clemson, UCLA, Oregon and Auburn. The team champion will be crowned on Wednesday.

I was hoping for some insightful commentary about how the redesign looked on tv rather than an unmarked spoiler when I opened this thread.

[Matt_Cohn]

I was hoping for some insightful commentary about how the redesign looked on tv rather than an unmarked spoiler when I opened this thread.

Steve might think the A in GCA stands for "article"... 


Anyway, I'll try a few extremely early observations:

• It definitely looks a bit new (though still impressively grown in given the timeline), so I think it's worth giving it a year before judging it visually.
• It looks like Hanse, and probably a pretty good version of what a SoCal course should look like.
• There's still some restriction to the site and routing, especially 4-6 and the lakes on 18 (still the only hole I've played with 4 totally separate penalty areas, I think).
• A number of women are hitting less than driver on several par 5's where there's trouble and they weren't going to reach the green in two anyway.
• I'm not quite sure yet what the great holes are. Maybe 7 and 8 look promising. Possibly 9 if some of the men try to carry it to the second fairway and face a real decision. 13 and 14 have always been good ones.
• 11 and 15 look possibly a bit redundant—short, maybe drivable par 4's in the same direction with water behind the green.

I'm not immediately blown away, but I'm also a long way from forming a final opinion.

[Pete_Pittock]

I don't get hosting the national championship for college on the same course every year in a location that clearly favors certain schools by a lot. 

If I were in charge, I'd rotate it through the country in at least four distinct locations (i.e. two coasts and midwest) every 4 years.  I would also want the courses to be designed by different architects with different grasses.
To me, being at La Costa every year makes it the Carlsbad Invitational rather than the national championship. 

(I do wonder if there are massive problems finding host sites or if there is a lot of money involved in some way.)

It is now one of the final Pac 12 championships with Oregon, Stanford, USC and UCLA advancing to the semis.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

If anyone read Reply7 for this discussion from the link,then have fun:

Hanse and his team will implement significant design changes with the NCAA’s match-play format in mind — chief among them will be challenging players with more risk-reward decisions throughout their rounds. Further inspiration for the work will be drawn from classic Southern California courses, as aesthetics are tweaked to give the Champions Course a more proper sense of scale and place.
Specific changes planned include the creation of a drivable par-4 on No. 11, a repositioned green on the par-3 16th hole that is reminiscent of Augusta National’s 12th hole, and a reachable par-5 on No. 18 with its putting surface brought closer to the existing creek. The course will play as a par-72 and have the flexibility to play from 4,300 yards to 7,500 yards, in order to accommodate players of all skill levels.
Other considerations in this project are environmental in nature. For example, transitioning irrigation lines that will continue to use reclaimed water, removing man-made ponds, and reintroducing natural barrancas composed of drought tolerant and native species.


https://www.firstcallgolf.com/design-notes/feature/2023-02-06/gil-hanse-digs-dirt-at-omni-la-costa
I missed watching the semi-finals so I "taped" it so here is the final ....Stanford #1 v UCLA #6
The economics of this tournament is excellent because of the hotel on site. Omni will get a nice check. 

[Kalen Braley]

I watched a few hours and my impression was the course sure seemed to be an improvement in terms of both aesthetics and playing strategy.

On a side note, I don't know if D1 female college players are considered "great or elite" players, but angles certainly mattered for them, as they struggled to get the ball to stop on the greens, even with wedges and short irons.  If they had to fly a bunker, it was almost impossible, and even for back pins they were landing on the very front of the green.

[Matt_Cohn]

I watched a few hours and my impression was the course sure seemed to be an improvement in terms of both aesthetics and playing strategy.

On a side note, I don't know if D1 female college players are considered "great or elite" players, but angles certainly mattered for them, as they struggled to get the ball to stop on the greens, even with wedges and short irons.  If they had to fly a bunker, it was almost impossible, and even for back pins they were landing on the very front of the green.

The firm greens are certainly giving them a hard time. I think it’s showing up even more because 7, 8, 16, and 17 are all downwind, and with matches finishing on both nines, we see a lot of those holes on TV.

[AChao]

Yes!  I expected it to skew CA, but three of the four in the semis is a bit of a surprise ... we'll see if something similar holds true for the men.

I don't get hosting the national championship for college on the same course every year in a location that clearly favors certain schools by a lot. 

If I were in charge, I'd rotate it through the country in at least four distinct locations (i.e. two coasts and midwest) every 4 years.  I would also want the courses to be designed by different architects with different grasses.
To me, being at La Costa every year makes it the Carlsbad Invitational rather than the national championship. 

(I do wonder if there are massive problems finding host sites or if there is a lot of money involved in some way.)

It is now one of the final Pac 12 championships with Oregon, Stanford, USC and UCLA advancing to the semis.

[Joe Zucker]

I was hoping for some insightful commentary about how the redesign looked on tv rather than an unmarked spoiler when I opened this thread.

Steve might think the A in GCA stands for "article"... 


Anyway, I'll try a few extremely early observations:

• It definitely looks a bit new (though still impressively grown in given the timeline), so I think it's worth giving it a year before judging it visually.
• It looks like Hanse, and probably a pretty good version of what a SoCal course should look like.
• There's still some restriction to the site and routing, especially 4-6 and the lakes on 18 (still the only hole I've played with 4 totally separate penalty areas, I think).
• A number of women are hitting less than driver on several par 5's where there's trouble and they weren't going to reach the green in two anyway.
• I'm not quite sure yet what the great holes are. Maybe 7 and 8 look promising. Possibly 9 if some of the men try to carry it to the second fairway and face a real decision. 13 and 14 have always been good ones.
• 11 and 15 look possibly a bit redundant—short, maybe drivable par 4's in the same direction with water behind the green.

I'm not immediately blown away, but I'm also a long way from forming a final opinion.

I generally agree. While I don't have as detailed thoughts, after watching the semis and finals I was uninspired.  I'm not sure so much of that is Hanse's fault given he inherited a lot.  It just seems like a slightly above average (Doak 4?) course that sits in a place with great weather.  Once the newness of the greens goes away, I have trouble seeing much interesting. 


I'll wait for the men to play for a final opinion, but it doesn't look like somewhere I need to see.