Kyle,
My comments were mainly around conditioning, but here's a few architecture points.
The bunkering was my main problem. Architecturally, in 1997, the bunkers were shallow, not defined, and looked like little bumps just placed throughout the course. That isn't my preferred bunker style because they're too easy and hitting out of them wasn't much of a challenge. Also, by the time I played in 97, the trees were becoming so overgrown that you had to lace the ball straight and long on every hole. But at 7200 yards in 97 with a great big bertha and a tour balata, you were forced to hit driver and strategy went out the door. I just didn't care for it. It just looked like a below-average, long, cramped, unkept, run-of-the-mill joint that you play for $20 and drink lots of beer with your buddies type course.
Now, the new bunkers place a considerable challenge to every golfer. Teeing off, hitting your approaches, layups, etc, are all dictated by doing whatever is possible to keep your ball out of them. Like I stated in my previous post, they are very penal. They are so deep that it's almost a full shot penalty. You cannot hit your ball in the fw bunkers and expect to play well. It's just not going to happen. Furthermore, if you short side yourself in one of the greenside bunkers, you can't get the ball up and down. I like this because it puts a premium on shot-making and course management skills.
Trees have been removed as well and there are plenty left, but it doesn't feel near as cramped as 97. The course is more open and you now have multiple options off tees. The conditioning is excellent now all the time and this place now plays like a championship golf course.
When you're 17 and you show up for the biggest tournament of your life with terrible conditions present and an overgrown course, your gonna be pissed and you're not going to like the place. Now, all is forgotten with the old and the new OSU Scarlet has been changed for the better.
