Perception and the Difference between 535 and 497 metres

[Mark_F]

The first hole on Tom Doak's Gunnamatta course at St Andrews Beach has been marked as a 535 metre par five in all of the literature I have seen thus far.  

A brilliant hole (first part of the best three-hole starting sequence in Australian golf), it has nevertheless had me quaking in my Footjoys more than three months before the course officially opens, so much so that I rang Marion Jones earlier this week and inquired as to whether her stash may be for sale at half price, only to have the ungrateful sourpuss slam the phone on me.

For the average golfer, it was a reasonably mean proposition, requiring a fair spank with the driver straight off the bat in order to avoid another one from the fairway for your second, in order to avoid, horror of horrors, anything more than a 7-iron into a small green tucked blind behind a bunker-strewn ridge for your third.

Playing it on Sunday, however, I found, much to my relief, it had shrunk to 497 metres, negating the need for chemical enhancement on my part.  If Marion hadn't changed her phone number, I would have told her to shove her stash where the sun don't shine, a direction possibly wasted, since I' m sure, for safekeeping, she already has.

The hole, of course, is no shorter, and a far more peaceful proposition for me, although I wager not for the low handicappers, for whom all of a sudden it may be tantalisingly within reach, and lead to many a foolish 6, or worse.

How much do we rely on yardage markers and the like these days to guide us in our game, instead of realising that, in fact, the optic nerve is connected somewhere to our brain, if I remember my basic biology, a difficult task since I quickly exited stage left as soon as the dead frogs and pig's eyes appeared.

What other instances of perception affect our view of golf courses?  That they should contain certain ingredients and features, making it impossible to difficult to fully savour a round if they are missing or limited?  

Matt Ward appears to have a prediliction for yardage, as of course is his wont, but does the incredible shrinking par five lower it in his estimation now?

If you perceive a course and/or hole to be one thing and it is in fact another, how difficult is it to change this perception?

Note:  Tom Paul, no wiseass asides to Patrick Mucci about the above statement, please.





 

[Tom_Doak]

Mark:

There are two factors affecting the changed length of the hole.

The first is that we moved the green during construction.  The original site was in the bowl off the back left of the green -- closer to the second tee, but completely blind for all third shots.  We decided to move it up to the right where you could see it from the tee, and see it for a third shot from the right.

The second factor is that the hole is probably measured more straightaway now than it was before, when we drew the second shot well out to the right before the pitch to the green.

I had been concerned that it was too difficult of a starting hole, but I enjoyed the hole both times I played it last week.

[Ben Cowan-Dewar]

First of all any post that can so clearly meld Marion Jones and Tom Doak, must be celebrated.

I agree with Mark that the opening three holes are particularly strong. Though with the first hole teeing off from above, I cannot help but think the welcome downhill opener offsets some of the fear of the extra yards/meters.

Here are a few pictures from a couple of weeks ago.


The first hole


The second


The sixth


The 10th


The 15th

[Mark_F]

Tom Doak:

I didn't realise the actual length of the hole had changed.  I thought that it had maybe just been more accurately measured, and hence, my perception of the hole's difficulty would change.

I would think it's more difficult for lower handicappers now, who may be tempted into trying to pull something off they wouldn't have before.  

Ben Dewar:

Nice shots.

I agree the downhill tee shot is quite welcoming. It's also deceiving, because the bunker on the right is more reachable than what you may otherwise think.

PS.  The photo marked the 15 is actually of the par 3 16th, bastard thing that it is.    



 

[Player_Aus]

Mark what is your report on the St Andrews Beach course condition?  I've seen the greens recently and they are terrific.  The couch was the anchor. I was hoping to play that Sunday but had a committment.  These photos clearly show that we aren't far off.

Rob

[Mark_F]

Rob,

Yes, the greens and greens surounds are sensational, as they have been for a while.

Some of the fairways are almost there - only the odd patch or two missing, whilst others have a little more to go.  Given the horrible winter, spring, and, thus far, summer, it's amazing, really, that there's any grass around!

Some indigenous vegetation and grasses are slowly going in, too.  It will sure come up a treat by the time it's matured.  

Nothing short of sex with Anna Kournikova ( as long as there's no mirrors around) passes as a commitment worth missing the course for.  Photo's, please, immediately.