[Jay Flemma]

Something to watch for...Rees told me his dad laid the bunkers in threes...the first for Jerry barber, the second for Ben Hogan, the third for Sam Snead.

The rough doesn't look too bad on the front.  The green contours are pretty good, but not Oakmont...at least not on the front.  I'll walk the back tomorrow.

Meanwhile, here's the preview piece.  Enjoy:

http://www.pga.com/pgachampionship/2008/news/pga_flemma_080108.html

[Mike Boehm]

Jay -

Enjoyed the article - had never read that Jimmy Demaret quote before. 

If you enjoyed the front nine, you'll love the back nine.  I would rate it as my 2nd favorite nine holes I've played behind the front nine at Crystal Downs.  Nine great holes (or, maybe 8 great holes and #12).

Mike

[Bruce Leland]

A very solid read Jay. Nice work.

[Wyatt Halliday]

Another solid piece Jay.

Is there any other buzz about the course architecture among those with a press pass?

I think a Boo win would create some excitement in the interview room. That guy is hilarious with a microphone in his face, can you imagine it with the Wannamaker sitting next to him?

The guy flat cracks me up!

[Jay Flemma]

Hey guys...there is a buzz and its favorable, even with trent and rees Openizing the course.  The greens are great and the routing is incredible!

I'll have more on that in a golf observer piece later today.  My cybergolf piuece on "The slumbering monster" will be up at cybergolf in a few hours.

OH is growing on me...not as much as Oakmont, but more than southern hills

[JLahrman]

"Finally, Steve Jones, another perennial also-ran during his career, somehow found the same magic as Walker and North. He finished as the leader in the clubhouse, but not on the scoreboard. Both Tom Lehman and Davis Love III were ahead by one when Jones finished. But both Love and Tom Lehman made bogeys to fall out of the lead and let him back into the title."

This is not how I remember it.  Wasn't Jones in the last group with Lehman?  Love was at least a group ahead as I recall.

[Jay Flemma]

You're absolutely right, nice!  You stumped me, but even more you stumped the detroit beat writer who told me the story too!  he's the one who told me Jones was in the clubhouse.  Oh well, I'll fix it when I get a minute...and thanks for the catch.

[Phil Benedict]

Maybe Tiger will decide to play on crutches after watching Vijay yip his way into the clubhouse and Lefty throw up in his shoes at Firestone. 

[Jay Flemma]

I'll bet you that you could fry an egg on his forehead, he's so mad.

[Sean_A]

You're absolutely right, nice!  You stumped me, but even more you stumped the detroit beat writer who told me the story too!  he's the one who told me Jones was in the clubhouse.  Oh well, I'll fix it when I get a minute...and thanks for the catch.

Jay

Lehman dropped his drive in the lefthand bunker while Jones hit the fairway.  Love was in the house 1 back after 3 jacking the last from about 20ish feet above the hole.  Lehman more or less splashed out to the bottom of the hill for his approach while Jones hit a solid shot to birdie range.  I bet if there is tape of the hole all can see me stood directly behind the 18th tee watching the boys tee off.  The course was playing fairly easy that last day.  I thought Frank Nobilo was gonna pull off the upset.  He couldn't take the pressure and blew to a 74 or 75 - one of the highest scores amongst the leaders on a very sunny and humid day.

A young Tiger Woods, still an amateur made the cut but blew on Saturday.  I think four ams made the cut that year including two chaps that Woods would (Scott) and did (Kuehne) beat for the amateur title. 

Ciao

[Jay Flemma]

Yep, Larry Dorman of the NYT just confirmed that too.  Thanks sean.

I'll make up for it:  here's today's piece form cybergolf:

http://www.cybergolf.com/golf_news/tuesday_at_the_2008_pga_championship_the_monster_slumbers

[Jeff Peterson]

I bet if there is tape of the hole all can see me stood directly behind the 18th tee watching the boys tee off.  The course was playing fairly easy that last day. 

Sean,

If there is tape of the hole, you would see me on the left side about 20 feet from the bunker Lehman hit into.  We thought he'd have a go at the green, and were somewhat surprised with the layup.

But the more interesting Lehman story that day was on 12, where we spent most of the day.  Lehman hit an awesome second shot into the long par 5 (most laid up that day), but was very unfortunate to have the ball scoot through the green into the back right bunker.  He had to play out away from the hole and made par, as I recall.  Certainly deserved a birdie there, and would have won the U.S. Open but for that little bit of bad luck.

[JLahrman]

Didn't realize you were the author of the article Jay...I forget if Lehman pitched out of the bunker first or Jones hit his approach first, but it was obvious Lehman couldn't get to the green and the tournament was more or less Jones' to win with a par (barring a great up and down from 100 yards away by Lehman).  Jones hit a fantastic shot.

Love's three-putt was miserable, he was above the hole but if he was 20 feet away it was barely.  The second putt had to be 18-24 inches.

[Matt_Ward]

Someone has to explain to me the overall fairness of the finale at OH/S.

The '96 event displayed a fine tee shot by Lehman which bounced towards the bunker because the fairway moves right but tilts left. They can call it a par-4 but I have to wonder if Ross would have blessed the desireto reduce par by a stroke when such a land situation exists in the drive zone.

[Chuck Brown]

Geoff Shackelford has been very critical of Rees Jones.  Having watched his work at OHCC from start to finish; I have to say this.  Virtually all of the aspects of his work that are questionable, or negative, are the clear, direct result of having to respond to current distance gains by tour players.

Much of Jones' other work at Oakland Hills, independent of 'Openizing' it (sort of an odd phrase, since he started with an Open course), has been inspired in my view and even conservative.  

Jones vastly improved the 7th hole, and could have done much more.  

Jones removed a lot of trees, to his credit and for the betterment of the course.  

I rate Jones' changes to 16 as an improvement.  He got rid of a fake waterfall (hooray!)  and made what I think is inspired use of the only serious water hazard on the course.

Of course, what Jones did to 15 is an abomination; I would have never done it.  But he would say that he had to do something, since the tee could not be moved.  A change that was forced by distance gains.

The rest of his work consisted of narrowing fairways, reconstructing bunkers, and creating new tees wherever there was room to do so.

I would never "blame" Rees Jones for what Oakland Hills has become.  I would happily and quickly blame the USGA, for losing control of its equipment regulations.

[Jay Flemma]

Thise are all excellent observations chuck...spot on.

[Sean_A]

Someone has to explain to me the overall fairness of the finale at OH/S.

The '96 event displayed a fine tee shot by Lehman which bounced towards the bunker because the fairway moves right but tilts left. They can call it a par-4 but I have to wonder if Ross would have blessed the desireto reduce par by a stroke when such a land situation exists in the drive zone.

Matt

After a bit of thought Lehman went with driver.  He drilled a draw slap down the middle and he knew it was in trouble from the get go.  Squinting into the sun we all saw the result - a hard bounce to the left.  The ball had no where else to go but left.  Blaming a reduction of par from 5 to 4 has nothing to do with it.  Lehman was de facto in a matchplay battle at that point.   Lehman has only himself to blame.  He took the risk of distance and it didn't pay off. 

Ciao

[Jerry Kluger]

I tell you what the event needs is a non-PGA Tour guy to be in contention.  I'm not saying that he needs to win but at least be in contention - sort of like Rocco at the US Open.  There is no Tiger and the rest of the guys like Vijay and Phil threw up all over themselves last week so there has to be something to make it interesting.  Steve Stricker battling Jim Furyk on the back nine just ain't gonna cut it.

[Chuck Brown]

Regarding the 18th hole...

I recall Lehman's '96 tee shot, and it was poorly-shaped for what was required.  Tom is just an inveterable right-to-left player.

Still, I seem to recall Tom Doak observing that the landing area does not fit the hole very well.  It is a converted Par 5, to be sure.  Someone, perhaps Tom, made the comparison/contrast to 13 at Augusta.  But instead of getting the slope to help, at OHCC 18, the reverse-banking hurts. 

It really should not matter what par is.  At Augusta, we could call 13 a Par 4 or a Par 5 and it wouldn't matter.  What is important is the need for strategy and deciding, the risk/reward, and the amount of drama produced.  I think ANGC is a superior hole on all of these accounts.  18 at OHCC could be the same; the green is every bit as good, but the green-surround is not.

If I were the King of OHCC, right after I wrote my letter to the USGA begging, pleading, demanding and cajoling them to do something about golf balls, I'd build a new 7th green, restore 15, and take an entirely new look at 18.

[Matt_Ward]

Chuck, et al:

You missed my point as easily as Lehman missed the 18th fairway in '96.

I have no issue with a reverse land movement in relationship to the dog-leg going the other way.

I do have an issue when the hole is then FORCED to be a par-4 inspite of the obvious disconnect that the actual land itself provides.

Played as a par-5 is one thing -- going the route with a par-4 designation only serves to make such a concluding hole rather unnatural and one prone to the kind of things witnessed in '96.

[Sean_A]

Chuck, et al:

You missed my point as easily as Lehman missed the 18th fairway in '96.

I have no issue with a reverse land movement in relationship to the dog-leg going the other way.

I do have an issue when the hole is then FORCED to be a par-4 inspite of the obvious disconnect that the actual land itself provides.

Played as a par-5 is one thing -- going the route with a par-4 designation only serves to make such a concluding hole rather unnatural and one prone to the kind of things witnessed in '96.

Matt

What are you on about?

The same decision off the tee was required regardless of the par designation.  Plenty of guys were reaching #18 with mid to long irons.  Jeepers, I think Jones used a 6 iron for the final approach.  The problem wasn't a par 4 or 5 designation, the problem was with Lehman's tee shot.  Honestly, some of the stuff people write on this site is incredible.

Ciao

[Jay Flemma]

Regarding the 18th hole...

I recall Lehman's '96 tee shot, and it was poorly-shaped for what was required.  Tom is just an inveterable right-to-left player.

Still, I seem to recall Tom Doak observing that the landing area does not fit the hole very well.  It is a converted Par 5, to be sure.  Someone, perhaps Tom, made the comparison/contrast to 13 at Augusta.  But instead of getting the slope to help, at OHCC 18, the reverse-banking hurts. 

It really should not matter what par is.  At Augusta, we could call 13 a Par 4 or a Par 5 and it wouldn't matter.  What is important is the need for strategy and deciding, the risk/reward, and the amount of drama produced.  I think ANGC is a superior hole on all of these accounts.  18 at OHCC could be the same; the green is every bit as good, but the green-surround is not.

If I were the King of OHCC, right after I wrote my letter to the USGA begging, pleading, demanding and cajoling them to do something about golf balls, I'd build a new 7th green, restore 15, and take an entirely new look at 18.

I really like 18...as a par-5, but I agree chuck that it makes no difference in a stroke play tournament, just in general where if you play it as a par-5, you're thinking to lan din a different spot with a different club than driver.  Same thing on the second shot.

The more I walk this course, the more I like it.  These hills are severe.  17 is just a brute...238, but waaaaaaaaay uphill.

11 may be my favorite hole on the course, but I like 6 too.  8 is just a bear.

[Ryan DeMay]

Some preview photos from my work as volunteer on the grounds staff here at Oakland Hills.

Looking back down the first toward the clubhouse.


Hole 2 from the landing area.


Hole 3 from the tee.


A closer look at the green complex at Hole 3.


Hole 4 from just past the landing area.


Hole 5 from just before the landing area.


Hole 6 from the beginning of the fairway.


A better look at the green complex at Hole 6.


Hole 7 green complex


More to come with tonight's upload.

[Jay Flemma]

those are super4 photos.  What a great course, excepting the bunkering, the routing is just super the way it goes right into the teeth of the most severe parts of the property.

here's some interesting views from Rees.  Right after this assignment, I walked head first into him, right outside the door of the media center.

That was lucky.  Right place, right time, but hey, you gotta be ready when the bounces go your way:)

BY the way, the first meet up is tomorrow in front of the media center at 12:30.  Jeff Mingay will be there and I'm hoping to see a couple others as well whose names escape me.

http://www.golfobserver.com/features/Flemma/FlemmaOaklandHills_080508.php

[Sean_A]

Ryan

Thanks for posting.  The photos go some way to showing what a lovely property the course rests on.  They also shows how the course has been opened up a bit with tree removal.  Superb stuff.

Ciao

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