[Tim Martin]

http://livereport.pga.com/2011/08/11/mickelson-determined-to-battle/

Pretty candid stuff

[John Kavanaugh]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern." 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

[Tim Martin]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern." 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

The powers that be in the PGA of America and the honchos at the AAC are reeling in horror and barfing on their blue blazers as we type.

[Andy Stamm]

Pretty candid when he says "play on this course is down 25%. The guy who did this one... it's great for the tournament, it's just not great for the members." And he name drops Coore, Crenshaw, Hanse, and Kidd. Impressive.

[John Kavanaugh]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern." 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

The powers that be in the PGA of America and the honchos at the AAC are reeling in horror and barfing on their blue blazers as we type.

The purpose of this tournament is to sell more and different hybrid grass to courses all over the country.  The fix is in and a glowing success at that.  I did not watch a stroke, as I was playing golf, but from what I hear the new greens are fantastic.  Kick back jack the money is rolling in.

[Tim Martin]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern."  

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

The powers that be in the PGA of America and the honchos at the AAC are reeling in horror and barfing on their blue blazers as we type.

The purpose of this tournament is to sell more and different hybrid grass to courses all over the country.  The fix is in and a glowing success at that.  I did not watch a stroke, as I was playing golf, but from what I hear the new greens are fantastic.  Kick back jack the money is rolling in.

The AAC membership chairman is on standby at Atlanta International Airport with a one way ducat to parts unknown whether Diamond Zoysia is fetching a premium or not.

[Tiger_Bernhardt]

I love to hear a player bust Rees on poor work. Brandal did a good job with it as well. Frank was well not some swift.

[Kenny Baer]

PERFECT Comments; I had tivo'd "Live From" and immeadiately ran to my computer to start a thread on this very topic.

Phil could not have hit the nail more on the head; I am so sick of hearing how good this golf course is because of the condition.  The truth is that the Riverside course gets 70% of daily play and AAC is basically giving away memberships.

I have played AAC approximately 10x and Phil said it perfectly when he said it is long and hard, not fun, not interesting, just long and hard.  It defines everything that is wrong with modern golf course arch in particular Rees Jones.  

All 3 par 3's require long irons over water, the par 5's for member play are ok and the par 4's are one long slog after another, it is basically unplayable from 6500 yds for a 7-10 handicap.  

#8 Is a 420 yd par 4 with a 25 yd fway w/ Water left and bunkers right, #16 is a par 4 with a 25 yd wide fway with bunkers right and an overhanging tree affecting shots from the preferred left side, #11 approach is a 200 yd shot with water R and deep bunkers left, #2 has deep bunkers in both the front and rear of the green, #6 has water left and bunkers deep...although it does have a 5 yd wide strip you could run it up.

For pros who can hit an iron off of #18 tee (DL3 did today) (a 500 yd par 4) it is fine; for anyone else it is a disaster.  I am waiting for the day where a tournament course is built in the desert with water bordering every hole and the fways being 25 yds wide; sure it would lead to exciting tournament play but who actually wants to play golf that way.

[Dan Herrmann]

Phil also noted that member play at the course is DOWN 20%.  Putting this into context, his point was that the course was so unenjoyable that members were avoiding it.

[Steve_ Shaffer]

Once the PGA is over, will AAC redo the course agai, without Rees, so that members will want to play there?

Blue 6860y  73.1/141
White 6284y 71.3/134
Green 5715y 68.8/127

I'd stay away from Blue as a mid-handicapper and probably play a mix of White/Green

I note that there is a non resident membership.

[David Kelly]

"It’s a perfect example of how modern architecture is killing the game."

In the parlance of the message board: +1.

[Joel_Stewart]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Wait until he gets to Olympic Club next year for the US Open. He'll cry when he sees what they have done.

[Sam Morrow]

Phil thinks Torrey is a great course though. If Phil had shot 63 like Stricker he would call it a great course.

[Mike Nuzzo]

 Kick back jack the money is rolling in.

Who's Jack?
He doesn't sell Champion Bermuda.
It is family owned.
Mike & Morris have been working hard for a long time.
Cheers

[William_G]

http://livereport.pga.com/2011/08/11/mickelson-determined-to-battle/

Pretty candid stuff

As Nicklaus always said..."you can check that guy off the list for the week" as he is there to win not eval the architecture.

[William_G]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern." 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

Brad Klein only gave it a 7 overall.

[Tom_Doak]

Who fed Phil the info that play is down 25% on the course?

[Sam Morrow]

Who fed Phil the info that play is down 25% on the course?

I think he was talking out of his ass, I doubt Phil goes each week to check on play levels.

[Ronald Montesano]

Best place to go for all transcripts is ASAP Sports-Link to Thursday's comments here:

http://www.asapsports.com/show_event.php?category=4&date=2011-8-11&title=PGA+CHAMPIONSHIP

[John Kavanaugh]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern." 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

Brad Klein only gave it a 7 overall.

Only a 7?  That is solidly a top 100 Modern course.  70th to be exact.  I think we can all agree that Brad wasn't being serious with his review or comments.  He was just being courteous to a course that would hosting many of his colleagues during the tournament.  It is also somewhat of a tribute to a long standing superintendent.  Of all people I should be the most pleased by the review.  Maybe ten years from now when every course with a few bucks has reseeded their greens with bermuda they won't replace their antiquated fans.

[Mike_Young]

I get uncomfortable when I have to agree with dork (wannabe metrosexual )professional golfers on anything; but PM is dead on with his comments.  The golf course is in great shape, the supt does a really good job but it's just doesn't grab me. BUT I also hear that many of the members play it for the greens and they love them.  AND just like many other courses the AAC has lost significant members with the downturn, especially since it is a moneyclip club and not a billfold club.  So many developers etc belonged there.  For me it is just too big and more like a factory so I rarely play it but many people do.    I do agree with JK re the grass.  The tour is pushing the miniverde on it's courses and then the PGA is played on Champions.  Lots of hype for the various ultradwarfs but you can have the Zoysia.  

[Ronald Montesano]

Mike Young either has fingers too fat for his Blackberry or is enlightened...calling all editors for a transcription, please!!   

[Mike_Young]

Mike Young either has fingers too fat for his Blackberry or is enlightened...calling all editors for a transcription, please!!   

Sorry, but it was fat fingers on an iphone....   I think kowreckedtid most of it...

[Howard Riefs]

Phil also noted that member play at the course is DOWN 20%.  Putting this into context, his point was that the course was so unenjoyable that members were avoiding it.

The AAC disputes Phil's stats (http://www.ajc.com/sports/golf/mickelson-takes-swing-at-1100175.html):

Mickelson was wrong on that count. Members played 3,600 rounds in June compared to 2,400 the previous year, according to Tom Adderhold, tournament general chairman, who added that members play from tee boxes based on their handicaps.

The NYT (http://onpar.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/mickelson-no-fan-of-some-rees-jones-course-designs/?ref=golf) has an interesting hypothesis that Phil's anti-Rees critique stems from his renovations at Torrey:

As a teenager, Phil Mickelson nurtured his golf game on the public Torrey Pines South course in San Diego, and he considered the design inviolate, down to the slope of the greens. But when the noted course toughener Rees Jones completed a configuration in 2001, Mickelson was no fan of the finished product. He seems to have never forgiven Jones, later disapproving of a makeover at another cherished greensward, Cog Hill’s Drubsdread in suburban Chicago.

calling all editors for a transcription, please!!  

We're not the only ones who noticed the carefully edited transcript:

http://www.geoffshackelford.com/homepage/2011/8/11/what-happened-to-parts-of-phils-design-diatribe.html

[William_G]

Phil says "It was a fun, great golf course, and what this is, is a long golf course," Mickelson said. "It’s not fun.  It’s not great.  It’s not exciting.  There’s no intimacy. It’s just long and it’s hard, and that’s what it is."

Brad Klein says  "It’s rare for a modern golf course to evolve so much, but in its fifth decade, AAC’s Highlands Course finally has arrived in terms of design and conditioning, enough so to merit inclusion in the Golfweek’s Best Top 100 Modern." 

http://www.golfweek.com/news/2011/aug/07/raters-notebook-atlanta-athletic-club/?RatersNotebook

I'm with McChoklestein on this one.

Brad Klein only gave it a 7 overall.

Only a 7?  That is solidly a top 100 Modern course.  70th to be exact.  I think we can all agree that Brad wasn't being serious with his review or comments.  He was just being courteous to a course that would hosting many of his colleagues during the tournament.  It is also somewhat of a tribute to a long standing superintendent.  Of all people I should be the most pleased by the review.  Maybe ten years from now when every course with a few bucks has reseeded their greens with bermuda they won't replace their antiquated fans.

Yep a 7 is his low for a top 100.

Furthemore, the members at AAC can play any tee of their choice, not the one Mickchokelson is playing...

Thanks

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