Best of Golf: The 5th at Pinehurst No. 2

[Patrick_Mucci]

Ran,

I think Andy North's point on architectural intent and integrity is well taken.

I think care has to be exercised in changing a hole's par by moving tees forward or backward.

My concern is that this may become an indiscriminate trend.

[Tyler Kearns]

Mike Bowen:
    Bill Coore relates that the powers that be in the ownership group decided to bring in C and C for the work and gave them simple instructions that the company wanted the course restored to Ross's vision after he had completed his many tweeks and revisions to the course. C and C poured over photos from the Tufts archives, but there were few aerial  pictures from the late 30's, early 40's. Sometime near the commencement of the work a gentleman produced aerial pictures taken during the expansion of Fort Bragg in the early 40's. The survey planes would repeatedly turn over Pinehurst and the camera would still be rolling. That was the Rosetta Stone as those photos showed the course a few years prior to Ross's death.
   I'm sure some soul has more detail than that, but that's the gist of the facts as Coore told them to a group of architecture enthusiasts I was with.

Charlie,

That gentleman who produced the 1943 aerial photographs of Pinehurst No. 2 was GCA's own Craig Disher.

TK

[Ran Morrissett]

I thought the 5th played its absolute best on Sunday - watching some golfers have a go from the 255 - 270 range was ideal as the results were varied. Both the short right and left greenside bunkers saw action from that distance. When the golfers got it too far down the hill off the tee (and were hitting in from ~220y), the shot dispersion pattern into the green narrowed too much.

[Charlie Gallagher]

Tyler,
   Thanks for the assist on the person who produced the photos.
   I'm trying to get my head around what Kaymer did given the course the Open was played on.
   I give him total credit for his performance, I don't think it detracts from the greatness of PH#2.
   To those who find the design ugly I ask this, would you say the same about Pine Valley?
   This Open demonstrated that the USGA's standard set up is not necessary to identify a worthy champion or present an exacting test.