TPC Sawgrass- Setup & The Loss of Options?

[JSlonis]

This evening on the golf channel there were some interesting comments made by Steve Flesch in regard to the setup of the course for this weeks Players Championship.

Flesch stated that he would like to see the rough cut down some.  His reasoning was not to make the course easier but to accentuate some of the courses architectural features that get lost because of too much rough.  He said he would prefer to see wayward teeshots reach some areas outside of the primary rough off the fairways. He mentioned that options are lost for recovery shots, basically it's a sand wedge out to the fairway and an iron to the green.  There is no thought of trying a riskier recovery shot, because for the most part, that option is taken away. Equally important, he stated that there are some very good areas around the greens to catch wayward approaches that get lost in this current setup.  With the rough as high as it is the ball doesn't reach these potential interesting short game areas and the players are reduced to blasting away with their sand wedge.

Obviously, the tour wants to test the best players.  Hitting the ball in the fairway and on the greens should be rewarded, but it seems like on a course such as Sawgrass that too many of the "other" options are taken away by such penal rough.

I have not heard if the course is playing soft or firm,  but regardless, does the TPC Sawgrass need a US Open setup to defend itself?  From one tour player's perspective, it does not.

[Mike Benham]

I have not heard if the course is playing soft or firm,  but regardless, does the TPC Sawgrass need a US Open setup to defend itself?  From one tour player's perspective, it does not.

On Wednesday night, the Superintendent stated that the greens were firm and would be close to 12 on the old stimpmeter.

The fairways were firm and numerous players commented that the rough is longer and thicker this year, and yes, the wedge out to the short stuff was the only play.

I guess the wind was blowing pretty good on Tuesday but they were expecting it to calm down for the rest of the week.

Mike

[JSlonis]

I'm sure I'm not alone, but I find the wedge hack out to the fairway to be very boring to watch.

If the tour wants to test the total game of a player, why do they force a setup that severely limits their thinking and shot making ability to recover?

Is the "protection of par" so important that the loss of multiple options are worth it?

[ForkaB]

Those of us who are geezers (I first played the course in 1982, and lived at Sawgrass from 87-90) can still remember that TPC-Sawgrass was originally designed with virtually no rough.  Dye created expansive "waste bunkers" as an alternative, but they were slowly abandoned as it became increasingly evident that pros could hit the ball off hardpan as well or better than they could from grass!  This was a mistake, IMO, and probably also based on the fact that as easy as the waste buynkers were for the pros they were hell to the hackers that pay the freight at the course.

I'm sad to hear that they are growing the rough, particularly around the greens.  The green complexes at TPC are superb--the greens themselves seem to be getting better and better each year--and do NOT need USGA Open rough in the surrounds to make them challenging. Au contraire!  The surrounds should be baked and bikini waxed, and then we might see some really interesting stuff from the "These guys are good" brigade.  Instead, we'll just have far too much "hack it and hope" "golf."  ZZZZZZZZZZ................

[Jfaspen]

I think part of the reason that the tour both modified the golf course and sets it up as a US-Open style course is to support the ridiculous notion that this tournament is a 5th major.  To myself, their will always be 4 and only 4 professional majors in golf.  If we open the door to the Players, then what is to stop the Memorial or the AT&T from trying to become the 6th major.  

Perhaps the Tour things that if someone goes out and wins with a score only a couple under par, this idea will be more legitimate.  

I for one will always recognize 4.

Jeff

[michael j fay]

I have played a considerable amount of golf at TPC Sawgrass and have often thought that playing the course is much akin to the compulsories at a figure skating competition.

This is not a bad thing, but it always appeared to me that you had little choice in choosing options. You hit it here, then there, then putt and go on. It requires enormous skill in navigating the course successfully, yet is pretty draconian for even the smallest lapse.

There is one inconguity about the course that bothers me. In some instance the shot that is more badly missed gets a better result than one exected much better. If a player hits the ball in the rough most often the only option is to pitch out. If the player reaches the tree line there is often the ability to recover. Hit it 20 yards off line and you have a lie on the pine straw and an alley to the green. If you are off line by five yards, you die like a dog in the dirt.

Don't get me wrong, this is a wonderful venue. It is strategically as good a course as any flat course in the Sunshine State. I feel that growing the rough to dracoian heights is a mistake.

[Pete Buczkowski]

I do agree with much of what Michael says here, I slightly disagree with the premise of this thread.  While I hate to see long and thick rough (especially around the greens), I don't think it totally eliminates options on this particular course for the professional.

TPC has so many doglegs and hazards, that a layup is fairly tricky.  Plus, some holes may have options enhanced if a player hits it in the rough.  In particular, I'm thinking about #4 and #11.  For #4, the player will have a short iron in no matter where he hits the tee shot.  If he hits in the rough, he can surely reach the green.  I see 3 options:  hack out 50 yards short of the creek (most do not take this option BTW), play at the green with their 120 yd club and risk the water and bounding over, or playing over the creek but right of the green (there is some fairway there) leaving an easy pitch.

There are similar options out of the rough on #11.

Let's face it, the pros are so good that they usually take the aerial route directly to the flag and don't consider other options at all.  I doubt you'll see everybody hack out of the rough with a wedge without any thought.

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