US Women's Open 2010 - Oakmont - thread

[George Pazin]

Just figured we could use one thread to discuss the course and the tourney.

From today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one of the nation's mediocre papers:

2010 U.S. Women's Open: Oakmont begins to take shape

Of note in the article:

Oakmont's greens were rolling at 14 on the Stimpmeter for the first practice round, a speed that Mike Davis, the United States Golf Association's senior director of rules and competition, said is slightly slower than the Stimpmeter reading (15) for the 2007 U.S. Open.

14? 15?

Can't wait till Thursday and Friday... I thought about sneaking onto the course each night with my heat gun from work to bake the greens...nah, not even necessary.

Worthwhile download: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/pdf/201007/20100704oakmont_coursemapweb.pdf

[jeffwarne]

Just figured we could use one thread to discuss the course and the tourney.

From today's Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, one of the nation's mediocre papers:

2010 U.S. Women's Open: Oakmont begins to take shape

Of note in the article:

Oakmont's greens were rolling at 14 on the Stimpmeter for the first practice round, a speed that Mike Davis, the United States Golf Association's senior director of rules and competition, said is slightly slower than the Stimpmeter reading (15) for the 2007 U.S. Open.

14? 15?

Can't wait till Thursday and Friday... I thought about sneaking onto the course each night with my heat gun from work to bake the greens...nah, not even necessary.

Worthwhile download: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/pdf/201007/20100704oakmont_coursemapweb.pdf

Doesn't a green speed of 15??? negate almost all interesting areas of a green and its' slopes, thus forcing a committee to pick the flattest spots available to cut the cup?
Green speeds such as that (and publishing them) are what has raised golfer's already ludicrous expectations of how their golf course should play.

Run them at 10 and cut the pins into reasonable slopes and the golf is more fun,less expensive, and the shots and skills required are more interesting and variable (at 15 even uphill putts are fast)

[Terry Lavin]

I think the green speed will approximate the number of strokes over par that the winner will have.

[JMEvensky]

If anyone knows,what is the green speed for normal member play?

[Anthony_Nysse]

Just a taste....

[K. Krahenbuhl]

If anyone knows,what is the green speed for normal member play?

Probably about the same.

insert the ... "we have to slow them down for the Open" line here.

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Just a taste....

...hit it and hold your breath.

I love that first green!

[Lenny Polakoff]

I believe Oakmont is kept at around 10-12 for member play.

Jeff is 100% correct.  15 on those greens is completely overtop and unnessassary.  You elimate some interesting locations on what may be the most interesting set of greens in existance today.  The golf course is plenty tough as is.

When I was a professional in the Tri-State section, we played out section championship at Oakmont 1 year.   If memory serves me correct, the green speeds were running at 12.  I can't imagine playing them any faster.  

[JMEvensky]

I believe Oakmont is kept at around 10-12 for member play.

Jeff is 100% correct.  15 on those greens is completely overtop and unnessassary.  You elimate some interesting locations on what may be the most interesting set of greens in existance today.  The golf course is plenty tough as is.

When I was a professional in the Tri-State section, we played out section championship at Oakmont 1 year.   If memory serves me correct, the green speeds were running at 12.  I can't imagine playing them any faster.  

Thanks.

[Matthew Sander]

Just a taste....

Has there been additional tree removal at Oakmont since the '07 men's Open? Didn't the 1st hole have trees behind it then?  Just curious...

[George Pazin]

Apparently yes and yes! There were definitely trees there before.

[Bill_Yates]

How long do you think it will take the players to figure out that if they want to be putting on #1 to the hole location in that great picture above, their ball will have to be on the ground and running toward the hole starting about thirty yards short of the green (approximately at the bottom of the picture).  But, if they do choose to fly it to hit the green, at least they'll have an uphill chip or pitch as their third shot.  That goes for #10 and #12 as well.

[George Pazin]

Bill, I remember one time I was able to attend one of the local amateur events at Oakmont, back in 04 or 05, and the first thing I got to see when someone putting from just off the front of the 1st green. He hit the putt more lightly than I've ever hit any putt and it just trickled and crawled down to the hole, ending up about 3 feet past the hole. He then calmly stroked in the putt for a routine ho-hum par...

[K. Krahenbuhl]

Apparently yes and yes! There were definitely trees there before.

I don't believe there were any trees behind the green when I was out there last summer.  There were trees to the right of it, but I think they were wider out than this picture shows.

[Harvey Dickens]

George,

Do you have any idea how attendence is running for the practice rounds? Had tenative plans to attend, until work got in the way.

[Steve Kline]

Hard to tell - but doesn't look like there is very much rough.

[Bill_Yates]

If the above photo was taken recently, it looks like they are mowing the fairways at Oakmont like they did at Pebble Beach.  They mowed all the fairways only in the direction of play.  They did it to have the ball roll out more, and on Oakmont's canted and rolling fairways like #12, #10 and #1, that could be interesting for the competitors to cope with.

I'll say the winning score will be over par.

[George Freeman]

Just a taste....

More please!

The new wall and tree removal look great.  I really like you you're looking right up the 2nd in the distance.  Pure bliss.

[C. Squier]

I believe Oakmont is kept at around 10-12 for member play.

Jeff is 100% correct.  15 on those greens is completely overtop and unnessassary.  You elimate some interesting locations on what may be the most interesting set of greens in existance today.  The golf course is plenty tough as is.

When I was a professional in the Tri-State section, we played out section championship at Oakmont 1 year.   If memory serves me correct, the green speeds were running at 12.  I can't imagine playing them any faster.  

They are by far the fastest greens I've ever played, 10-12 is quite conservative IMO.  You have to be careful dropping a few balls on the practice green so they don't roll 20 feet away from you when you plunk them down. 

[Garland Bayley]

If the above photo was taken recently, it looks like they are mowing the fairways at Oakmont like they did at Pebble Beach.  They mowed all the fairways only in the direction of play.  They did it to have the ball roll out more, and on Oakmont's canted and rolling fairways like #12, #10 and #1, that could be interesting for the competitors to cope with.

I'll say the winning score will be over par.

I know Ms Kerr can work the ball some from a Lessons with the Pros on the Golf Channel. Perhaps that will work in her favor in this event with the said fairway mowing. (not to mention that she can roll the rock well too, certainly better than Matt Ward. )

[Chris Flamion]

I am extremely jealous of anyone who can make it out there.  Hope everyone has a great time and takes loads of pics.

Chris

[Anthony_Nysse]

If the above photo was taken recently, it looks like they are mowing the fairways at Oakmont like they did at Pebble Beach.  They mowed all the fairways only in the direction of play.  They did it to have the ball roll out more, and on Oakmont's canted and rolling fairways like #12, #10 and #1, that could be interesting for the competitors to cope with.

I'll say the winning score will be over par.

The fairways are being mowed the opposite of Pebble Beach's in the morning, and also this direction. (See below) Same as the US Open in 2007. These pictures were taken Monday.
  This was my first visit to Oakmont, a course I wanted to see more than any other in America. The course is conditioned flawlessly, the shot angles are spectacular and until you actually walk on property, it's hard to imagine the amount of elevation. John Zimmers and his staff are second to none and all strive to provide the best playing conditions for Oakmont.

[Jim Nugent]

Who, if anyone, does Oakmont favor this week?  i.e. any predictions on who does well and who does not? 

[Bill_Yates]

Anthony, thanks for posting the great photo.  I thought the USGA was done striping fairways in an attempt to create firm and fast conditions.  Perhaps Pebble was a one off experiment.

[Anthony_Nysse]

Anthony, thanks for posting the great photo.  I thought the USGA was done striping fairways in an attempt to create firm and fast conditions.  Perhaps Pebble was a one off experiment.

Bill,
  The fairways are only striped because they are mowing 9-3, or side to side. The only way you can see the stripes is if you're on the left side of the fairway and look across to the right, or vis versa. It offers no advantage to the player and doesnt make you dizzy standing on the tee. This is a pic of #7 fairway from #6 green.