Ted,
What is your opinion of TPC Sawgrass?
I like it, I remember a lot of it after several years and I enjoyed playing it three times.
Does it amaze you as an architectural feat?
Not particularly. I was amazed in that is was the first time I saw catch basins to that degree in the fairways. I have heard Pete talk about the drainage system, but didn't think it was as much a marvel as he did. I have heard they dug the moat, pulled up the muck, etc. That was a pretty good feat, but again, it had been done before and since.
Does it impress you?
Yes, I think it does. I learned a lot, much of it described in this post. It was one of those courses that was truly different when I played it, and for that alone, it is good.
Do you think it is good for the game of golf?
No one course is either good or bad for golf. On par, I would say its good for golf and gca because it got a lot of people talking.
What do you like about it?
I loved the angled fw's on most holes, the island green, the short 12th hole and the par 5 11th the most. I also learned there that the less elevation change you have (say on a bunker bank or between tees) that you can enhance it with different grasses and steeper slopes, and its just as distinct as a larger elevation change.
What do you dislike about it?
That the waste areas didn't work, since stuff grows too well in Florida to keep sandy areas sandy, and that the green went through several rebuilds to satisfy the Tour Pros in regards to "fairness."
That said, I also noted that while the approaches looked like they might allow the running game, the contours in those areas really didn't in many cases.
I also disliked Rocco Mediate cutting in front of us on the first tee because he was a "tour pro" and we weren't!
Thanks for taking the time to answer.
You're welcome!