Ditto on 16. I love that it's possible you could come just sort of it getting on the top tier and still have the ball come all the way off the front of the green. Of course, that's easy to say until it actually happens to me.
You love that?
I find it absurd.
I've always liked the absurd I guess.
You are right about the speed. If they get much faster than Sunday, then it would quickly go from "likable absurd" to "that- f&%$@ng-green-just-unfairly-ruined-a-decent-round absurd."
Tom,
The pin on 16 on Saturday, the day before, was on the second tier, but way left, only four paces from the edge. It's a high spot of the second tier, but the green starts falling away as you go past the pin towards the left edge. It was possible to trickle it down from the top tier and two putt, and it was possible to two putt from the middle tier also, but in each case, a good first putt was required.
It would have been foolish to aim at the pin, since a pulled shot would have ended up over the road.
I think this is a new recovered pin location. I don't remember ever seeing it there.
The pin was in that spot when I played it pre-restoration. It is mighty devilish and looks even more so post restoration.
Based on what Rob says and my recall of it on Sunday, I would love to see that middle right position sometime. I think that with the left middle you might at least be able to stop the ball from most parts of the green, even the top tier, but based on a little test after we putted out I don't think it is possible to stop the ball in the middle right from the top tier (maybe you could try to run it through the right fringe or try to trickle it down the rough collar). I think you would have to avoid the top tier at all costs with the middle right pin.
I would concur that the front part of the green does look pinnable, but yes woe unto him who misses long and tries to put back down to it.
My test on Sunday had a ball rolling from almost on the top tier rolled just a few inches into the rough at the front edge, but it could not roll off into the bunker as I feared seeing it from the fairway.
From the right side of the fairway you can see much more of the back tier and the green just looks absolutely enormous, even more than in John's picture.
I should be back at Pasa within the next couple months, hopefully with a less crowded course to experiment a bit as I am now even more intrigued. I'll certainly report back what I find if nobody else ends up doing so.
So far I have played this hole pretty well, so I am probably due for an attitude adjustment which this hole is certainly capable of delivering with even a slight error.
Reef