This week's US Women's Open at Blackwolf Run has seen significant backups (two groups waiting, in addition to the group teeing off) on the tees of at least two of the par 3s -- the 6th from the Meadow Valleys course:
and the 13th from the River course:
Back-ups on par 3s, of course, aren't uncommon. But I saw something at this week's championship that I'm not sure I've seen before at a major -- players already on the green on a par 3 marking their balls, so the players waiting on the tee could hit on, before the first group of players had putted out.
Are these long waits the result of:
-- Bad, overly penal designs?
-- Glacially slow play of the competitors?
-- The pressure that comes with playing a major, and/or major championship set-up with tough pins and such?
(If a combination of two or three of these, please assign percentages!
)
I have my own thoughts on the two holes, but wondering what others think.