Is Pebble Irrelevant Too? Article

[Eric Pevoto]

I agree the wavy contour lines look bad.  I agree the added flanking bunkers and loss of width are unnecessary.  I'm not sure that the look of bunkers has to "fit" with others on the course.

[Mike_Cirba]

Did Huge "Puffy" Wilson make it out to the left coast again??

That gangsta rapper is always causing trouble for my peeps.

Mike

I believe he has indeed.  A little GCA birdie told me he was redoing 3 greens and ALL the bunkers at Riviera.  

Geoffrey,

That's really, really GREAT news!

You know why?  Because we can always say we played the Riviera that George Thomas designed.  

Welcome home, indeed!  

[Tom_Doak]

I do not know who is doing this work, but I'd bet a chunk of money that it is team Fazio.  They have been working at Spyglass Hill for the Pebble Beach Corp. (to good reviews), on the planning of the new Forest course (if it ever happens), and of course Cypress Point, so they're certainly in the neighborhood.

I would be very surprised if Jack Nicklaus was adding bunkers to Pebble Beach ... and if he was, they would say so in the article.  A lot of Fazio's work is "off the record," they didn't say he was doing the work at Spyglass Hill for some time.

[Mike_Cirba]

Tom,

I don't think I even want to hear what Fazio's team is doing at Cypress Point.  

I was one of the few who didn't care much for the inhouse bunker work because I thought it looked overly frilly against the bright green grass surrounds.  Mackenzie's bunkers had the advantage of blending into dunes, most of which have long since overgrown.

However, going through in my mind, I can't imagine a single inch of the property they could improve so I'm viewing this whole thing as another sign of the impending apocalypse.  

As far as the bunkering at Pebble, I can think of very few teams who would make the bunkering on 15 that ostentatious and obnxiously overblown.  Therefore, I won't be taking your bet.  

[Brian_Gracely]

Tom,

What work is Faxio doing at Cypress Point?  I thought all of the bunker work was being done through in-house consulting (ie. Jim Langley).  Are other changes being made?

[A_Clay_Man]

Does anyone else notice what a nice angle this is into the green ?



Let's put a bunker there! That way, all the short knockers, or those who have to chip out from near the road, can't lay up to a desirable angle.

I'm really pissed, about this.

I hope Ran wrtites a few more articles condemning the disfigurement of this Art.

[Mike_Cirba]

Adam,

See my term "Anti-Strategy".  

Heck, if Tom Paul came up with the brilliant "maintenance meld", the least I can do is lay claim to my brief moment of insight about the Fazio team.

So, now what's the play from the tee?  Drive it down the safe right side so that you're left with a shot over the bunker with the green running away?  

More circumstantial evidence...if this work isn't from the Fazio team I'll eat my shorts.  

[A_Clay_Man]

Mike- Ran and I duscussed your term while in the Caribean earlier this year. We both saw it and experienced it, and I agree with you 100%.

There's other reasons for these changes being ill-concieved. it's "anti-flow".(maybe I can have a term too?) The semi-breather aspect to the hole looks to be severely diminished, but if that what floats the USGA's boat (or at least Pebble' perception that they actually need to revamp inorder to secure the open in 2020.)

OMG think of the marketing potential 20/20 in 2020.

It's all Hindsight to me.

[Mike_Cirba]

Adam,

I'm honored and I trust you both tipped some potent drink with an umbrella toasting my land-locked, stateside moment of epiphany.  

One would think I'm a Fazio basher, yet I've played a number of his original designs that I'm quite high on and rarely miss an opportunity to play one of his courses.  In fact, I'm playing a brand new one next week that dollops of moolah have been poured into and I must admit that I'm intrigued.

If only he'd stay away from touching courses he neither understands nor appreciates.

[A_Clay_Man]

Mike- Not sure if "staying away" is a viable alternative given the competitive state of the business, today. I'd be much more likely to point the finger where it belongs, at management.

I suppose there is a bright side... When new management someday takes over, and they are interested in intelligent thoughtful design, they'll have to hire somebody else to do the work.

[Kevin_Reilly]

THe latest Golfworld (Tiger on the cover) reports that Pebble went "in house" (my words) for the work on #15.  Arnold Palmer is the architect.

According to the article, the changes include the addition of bunkers on the left side of the fairway, and later this summer they will add (via transplant) a large cypress tree to guard the right side of the fairway.

"It will be a much more strategic hole" a Pebble Beach official is quoted as saying.

[Mike_Cirba]

Kevin,

Thanks for the clarification.  My comments about Fazio's organization were obviously unfounded in this case and my shot from the hip hit my foot.

However, Shivas should be happy about the hole being made more "strategic".  

[Mike_Cirba]

Also, nice to see Arnie still upholding the traditions of the game and not chasing the easy buck...  

[Tom_Doak]

Wow!  I'm glad no one took me up on my bet, I would have hated to lose that chunk of money, and my wife would not have been pleased either.

[Doug Siebert]

What is the deal with the huge collar of thick rough around that "pot" bunker?  (I hesitate to call it that, because that's a bit bigger than my personal definition of the term)  This is one of the most annoying things about American courses, even for those unfortunately rare cases where a bunker is actually placed in the fairway, it is surrounded by such a thick collar of rough that any ball must fly into it or reach it on the first hop with today's aerial driver game.  OK, maybe they can't mow it right up against the very edge, but they could sure as hell come a lot closer than that!

I'm sure that with these "improvements", the management company will decide the course is now worth a $25 increase to $450