TPC Fairfield

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I went to look at this new product of the PGA Tour factory saturday with Paul Richards. The budget was high, 26 million, even by tour standards. The facilities and service are top notch. The land is a poor as English Turn. I think the course is a small move up from English Turn which TPC Fairfield is replacing as the NOLA tour stop course. I had followed this course for the entirely of the project by representing a neighboring landowner and because of a friendship with the Tours and primary landowners attorney. I had noted during the project all the alleged energy and tug or wars Dye, Gibson and Elkington had during the design and construction phase. I was floored by the design busts and real appearance of lack of time spent really finishing the course. There are two pars 3's and 2 par 4's that are the same hole. There are pot bunkers guarding almost all the holes on the front with very limited ground options. All but one green just falls off in the back with nothing behind the greens. There is an in theory drivable short par. The problem is there is nothing but small pot bunkers in front of the green at 280 to 330 from the tee. There is no fairway or even the smallest lane to the green. The hole is a sharp dogleg left with a big cypress tree in the fairway with a large waist area down the left side to hit over. It is 250 to get past the tree. The hole really says just bust a drive straight down the fairway 280 to 320 and have a straight shot at the green from 60 to 90 yards. And just ignor the strategic options. This green also has nothing behind it. It is really just another good course which does not deserve the notoriety it will get from the tour and television. I really find it hard to believe the Tour has not gotten figured out that one can have huge consultant fees and build a great course too.

[David Kelly]

John,

As a frequent visitor to NOLA it is VERY disappointing to hear you say that the TPC Fairfield is "small move up from English Turn."  

I had some high hopes for the course with Dye involved.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

David, I was too for I had heard so many encouraging things along the way. Let me know when you are in and we can play in the city sometime.

[Paul Richards]

Tiger

My comment was that Pete Dye owes Jack Nicklaus a fee since he basically 'copied' Jack's design ideas of English Turn when he built the TPC.

Except for the fact that so many of the TPC's sand traps are pot bunkers, and that there are no homes at the TPC, someone blind-folded could be dropped on either course and it would be hard to tell which one he were on!

Additionally, the only course that I have seen that has more trees in play in the middle of the fairway is Rich Harvest Farms.  Once, maybe twice, it works.  After that ....  

Overall, John's comments are spot on.

The PGA Tour needs to start building courses that are more like the classics - interesting and not just cookie-cutter. This was the second newish TPC course I've seen in the last few weeks and the best that I can say is that of the TPC network courses, the TPC Sawgrass is excellent.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

Paul, I agree with you generally and on the tress on the fairway. the one on the first hole is sorta no harm no foul. therefore why is it there. the one on 11 is very hgood and really help make the par 5 interesting. The other one on the so called drivable par 4 is nothing but a pretty cypress tree in the fairway.