Pebble Beach and the US Open

[Jim Hoak]

It looks like a lot of room to the left of those trees on 18 from that picture, but note how there is no rough on the left side of the fairway--everything is shaved into the ocean and into the left bunkers on the second shot.  The shaving of the course into the ocean on many holes is the biggest change I see on the course.

[Sean Leary]

The hardest part of being behind those trees (which I have been a couple of times) is that there is nowhere to go. You either have to aim right at the OOB markers and hit it right to left or hit it at the ocean and vice versa.

[Bill_Yates]

I ran down to the course today and took the six photos below.  These may help in answering some of the questions being asked, or being thought of, prior to the Open. 

Hope to see many of you this week.

The pot bunker (Shivas) on #15.


The fairway bunkers on #3.


The cross bunker at #2 – being played as a Par 4 this week


Els practicing on #2


The 3rd green.



Els teeing off on #4.

 

[Bill_Yates]

I apologize for the varying sizes of photos above.

Also, I watched Ernie tee of #6.  He striped a light fade down the middle that came to rest less than ten yards from the cliff.  Looks like Pebble Beach is starting to play firm and fast.

[Zack Molnar]

One of my close friends is playing in the open this week. I cant wait to hear what he has to say about all the changes to the course. We played pebble as my HS graduation present 4 years ago. If anyone sees Alex Martin out there. Cheer him on. Hopefully he can make the cut. Ill let you all know how he feels about the course and how its playing as the week goes on.

[Bill_Yates]

Follow-on note:  The light green look of the fairways is the result of the single-direction-with-the-player mowing pattern.  To me it really looks firm and fast.

[Adam Clayman]

Adam:

About those trees on 18...

If you absolutely don't want to bogey 18, and are OK with par (say, you have a one-stroke lead in the final round, or sitting close to the cut line), isn't a rationale play to hit your tee shot right of the trees, chop out of the rough to the fairway, and be left with something like a 7-iron or less to the green for your third shot? The 18th is one of those rare holes that seems to have improved strategically with the advent of technology, as it has brought going for the green in two more into play, it seems.

I could be all wrong, and have never been to Pebble much less played it, but interested in yours and other thoughts.

Phil, Only now is there rough to the right of the trees. There used to be fairaway. So, the trees basically acted like a vertical center hazard, with the option of playing right or left of them. I have never had a problem with And yes Sean is mostly correct that if one's ball winds up behind them, the player has a difficulty shot, but not impossible or no shot. I have seen a ball come to rest against the base of one, and even then the player still had a shot. Because of the width the center line hazard concept works perfectly well. The trees proportions are not  out of place and provide some interest, if only to create a minds eye issue for the unsure golfer.

Juxtapose those to that hideous bunker work on 15. The center line is not too too bad, with some width, but this is the first time I've seen the two on the left. They are HORRIBLE. Built up against the terrain, they are reminiscent of some of the Marzoff( sp?) work at Riviera.

Bill, I'm thinking that the mowing of the grass allowing balls to roll on to their fruition, into hazards, is just about the best thing that could've been done to this course.

[Jim Hoak]

Fog came in yesterday afternoon and it's still here this morning.  Cooled things down.  Forecast is good, but morning fog is probable.  No rain all week, of course.
The cutting of the grass toward the green is supposed to produce more flyers according to the USGA.  It is supposed to go along with the new grooves rules.  We'll see.

[Phil McDade]

Adam:

About those trees on 18...

If you absolutely don't want to bogey 18, and are OK with par (say, you have a one-stroke lead in the final round, or sitting close to the cut line), isn't a rationale play to hit your tee shot right of the trees, chop out of the rough to the fairway, and be left with something like a 7-iron or less to the green for your third shot? The 18th is one of those rare holes that seems to have improved strategically with the advent of technology, as it has brought going for the green in two more into play, it seems.

I could be all wrong, and have never been to Pebble much less played it, but interested in yours and other thoughts.

Phil, Only now is there rough to the right of the trees. There used to be fairaway. So, the trees basically acted like a vertical center hazard, with the option of playing right or left of them. I have never had a problem with And yes Sean is mostly correct that if one's ball winds up behind them, the player has a difficulty shot, but not impossible or no shot. I have seen a ball come to rest against the base of one, and even then the player still had a shot. Because of the width the center line hazard concept works perfectly well. The trees proportions are not  out of place and provide some interest, if only to create a minds eye issue for the unsure golfer.

Juxtapose those to that hideous bunker work on 15. The center line is not too too bad, with some width, but this is the first time I've seen the two on the left. They are HORRIBLE. Built up against the terrain, they are reminiscent of some of the Marzoff( sp?) work at Riviera.

Bill, I'm thinking that the mowing of the grass allowing balls to roll on to their fruition, into hazards, is just about the best thing that could've been done to this course.

Adam:

Agree on the centerline hazard nature of the trees on the 18th -- I've been watching Pebble on TV for years, and always thought those trees served a purpose on the drive. I guess my larger point was that, in reacting to your thoughts that growing the rough now takes playing right of the trees entirely out of the picture, whether that is the case for the scenario I described. My question would be: Is playing to the right of the trees on 18 a conceiveable play, under limited circumstances (the guy wanting/needing only par, taking all thoughts of birdie out of the equation)? Or is it your thought that the rough grow-in right of the trees will force all play left of the trees (absent the unintentional slice right of them)?

[Jud_T]

Looks like the course has some teeth this year...Apparently in the U.S. Open Challenge, to be aired before the tourny broadcast Sunday, Drew Brees, a 3 handicap, shot 102...

[Adam Clayman]

Phil. It's probably a waste of time to grow that rough line in, because, unelss it's into a gale, almost all these boys will be playing well past and left. I should qualify that with; if the trees are the same distance (250) they were 10 yrs ago.  We'll see if anyone comes close.  

[Carl Nichols]

Phil. It's probably a waste of time to grow that rough line in, because, unelss it's into a gale, almost all these boys will be playing well past and left. I should qualify that with if the trees are the same distance (250) they were 10 yrs ago.  We'll see if anyone comes close. 

Are the trees really only 250 from the tee?  Maybe it's a function of the wind direction, but in the AT&T, it seems like many players end up fairly even with the trees. 

[Pete_Pittock]

iwindsurf.com shows consistent forecast of NW winds at 10+, but dying down on Sunday. Typical score early and hold on scenario.
http://www.iwindsurf.com/windandwhere.iws?regionID=128&regionProductID=2&day=0&timeoffset=1&selected_model_id=

[Adam Clayman]

Here's some other pics I was sent. Enjoy.

[Jim Hoak]

Report from Pebble.  Weather is terrific and should hold.  Warm (for here--60's) and sun.  Should be some morning fog, burning off later.  Not too much wind forecast, but the afternoons always have some.
I was out yesterday and the course is playing very firm and fast.  Greens are still at about 12.5.  I still think the course story of the Open will be the fast fairways and the shaved banks that bring the ocean into play.

[Matthew Petersen]

Email from the USGA this morning says Pebble will again host the US Amateur in 2018 and the US open in 2019, which is Pebble's 100th anniversary

[Dave Givnish]

Jim

What's the change in the fairway on 8 going to do to play?  Will the players be using about the same club for their tee and approach shots?

Dave

[Tony Petersen]

Hey Yates... have a great time this week/end. Wish I could have made it up for a practice round, but it looks like TiVo and real-time muny golf for TP this weekend

[Jim Hoak]

Dave--The change in the fairway on 8 will not change the second shot that much.  It just makes the tee shot more dangerous as it brings the ocean more into play.
On the greens--they look spotty on television, but they are the best they have been in years.  They are smooth, true, good speed and fair.  The new source of water has made them much better.  Poa look spotty on television, but the spots do not affect the roll.  Tiger may complain but most of the players have been very high on them.   Tiger did have a late tee time and any greens get bumpy with the amount of play they have earlier.  But he is just crying about something that he wants to blame for his own poor play.