KPMG Women's PGA 2016

[Matthew Essig]

The south and north nines of Sahalee welcome the world's best female golfers this week.

According to the players, the course is running firm and fast after a hot weekend. Throw in the spitting Seattle showers expected the first three days, cooler temperatures, and the already tight corridors, the players will have their hands full.

My father and I will be on the grounds tomorrow. Will we see anyone there?

If you can't make it, you can watch the ladies tee it up on Golf Channel and NBC in "primetime."

[Matthew Essig]

Highlights of Day 1:

Brooke Henderson takes a 2 stroke lead after a 4-under par 67. This includes a hole-in-one and A NEW CAR.

The course is solid as a rock and players struggle. As I type this, there are single digit players under par.

Inbee Park is guaranteed a spot in the HOF.

[Tim_Cronin]

I thought this course was ridiculously tight during the PGA, and then during the World Series of Golf, whatever it was called when it left Firestone for a year. Now it's even more claustrophobic. The anti-Oakmont.


Vive variety, though.


Next year, Olympia Fields!

[Ronald Montesano]

Is there footage of Brooke's hole in one anywhere? I'd think that, in this age, they would have cameras on every hole. All they have is Brooke walking up to the green and picking ball out of hole here:


http://www.kpmgwomenspgachampionship.com/news-and-media/videos/brooke-henderson-reacts-to-hole-in-one


If there is other footage, I'd love to see it.

[Matthew Essig]

I'm surprised there is video of her walking up. We didn't see any cameras around the course until a little before precoverage time. Part of that was likely the Seattle sprinkle that fell for the few hours in the later morning.

[Matthew Essig]

I thought this course was ridiculously tight during the PGA, and then during the World Series of Golf, whatever it was called when it left Firestone for a year. Now it's even more claustrophobic. The anti-Oakmont.


Vive variety, though.


Next year, Olympia Fields!

I don't think it's any more tight now than it was 15 years ago. The course was built in the 60's and routed through the already towering trees. They were not planted. The tightness was part of the design. On the broadcast, I believe it was Judi maybe it was Annika who said it has been awhile since they have been to a course that dictates a shaped ball flight. Now, I'm not saying it is good design, and I'm sure it gives many architects a migraine looking at the course; however, the design isn't for high handicaps and you can't deny that the course has brought the best and trending players on the Tour to the top of the leaderboard.


Can anyone who played it 15 years ago confirm that the trees haven't made the course even more claustrophobic now?

[Matthew Essig]

I guess missing the fairway and being blocked by the trees isn't jail. Ko hit just half of her fairways and posted a 70.

[Brad Treadwell]

It is better than 15 years ago, which isn't saying much.  But they have removed some trees and at least limbed the trees up where you can find it and hit it, vs having limbs all the way to the ground.  Having said that, I just don't understand anyone that thinks a tree in an already narrow fairway is a good thing.  You can be in a 30 yard fairway and have no shot.  Far different than having a less preferred angle.  I don't enjoy playing Sahalee much at all.  No questing a very challenging test and whoever wins will have deserved it.  Hats off to the agronomy team for being able to grow grass out there. 

[Matthew Essig]

Having said that, I just don't understand anyone that thinks a tree in an already narrow fairway is a good thing.  You can be in a 30 yard fairway and have no shot. 

The trees on the middle right of the fairways on 4 and 11 need to go. Not sure how anyone thinks those two trees are good ideas at all.

[Sean Leary]

Agreed that it is better than 15 years ago.  Limbing up has actually helped quite a bit. It's narrow but the height of the trees make it appear much more tight than it really is. I like the golf course and I am an avowed tree hater.  You could take out 1000s of threes and it would still seem tight. Like Eugene CC, the trees are the course's identity. Can't change it, so embrace it.

[Tom_Doak]

the trees are the course's identity. Can't change it, so embrace it.

So you are a tree hugger ?

[Brad Treadwell]

Both courses (Sahalee and Eugene) could lose 500-1000 trees without their identities changing.  "Can't change it" is just giving in to the uneducated Pacific Northwest golfer (which is surprisingly powerful and ignorant).  Waverley did it.  I guess maybe it could change their identities because Waverley's greatly improved. 

[Jason Thurman]

Sahalee is very high on my Desired List. I don't think it would be high on my Favorites List, but a course that looks that different deserves a chance to vie for a spot.

My post isn't constructive, but it's important for me to get this guilty pleasure off my chest.

[Ronald Montesano]

I cannot condone the thick rough under the tall trees. If you put a bunker in the sky, give golfers a chance to get some run beneath the trees AND eliminate the double hazard of club-twisting rough (from which you cannot play a consistent and low, punch shot) and high hazard (the only option out of aforementioned rough is to try to chop a shot up high.)


We will see lots of two- and three-stroke swings over the course of the final 18 holes, I suspect, as nerves combine with poor course set-up. Is this a northwest thing or just a Sahalee thing?


As far as golfers go, I can't imagine being Brittany Henderson. She has this enormously-talented younger sister, whose swing and life pace seem dialed in to high speed. Caddying for Brooke must be a challenge. I don't see Brooke placing top-five on Sunday, as I just don't think that she has figured out how to play safe. I've been waiting for Gerina Piller to break through this year; what an athlete! I think it will happen somewhere else, however. Lincicome knows how to win this thing, and Ariya might be ready to claim the major that eluded her at ANA earlier this year. If I had $$$ to bet and needed to win, I would spread it among seven golfers and hope for a small payout.

[Sean Leary]

Both courses (Sahalee and Eugene) could lose 500-1000 trees without their identities changing.  "Can't change it" is just giving in to the uneducated Pacific Northwest golfer (which is surprisingly powerful and ignorant).  Waverley did it.  I guess maybe it could change their identities because Waverley's greatly improved.

Do you think either would be significantly better?


I would certainly remove a few trees at Sahalee that are in the line of play if it were up to me.  Everyone would still think its too tight on TV.

[Sean Leary]

the trees are the course's identity. Can't change it, so embrace it.

So you are a tree hugger ?

Yup, you nailed it.

[Sean Leary]

My opinion is this, disagree if you like. No two clubs in the NW identify more with their trees than Sahalee and Eugene. The amount of tree removal it would take make this crowd happy is never going to happen.  Waverly had too many trees, so does almost every course up here. I am a huge proponent of removing trees whenever and wherever possible.   But Waverly's (nor Inglewood, nor Fircrest, nor Seattle Golf Club or any other of the tree lined courses here) identity wasn't its trees in the same was as those two. Neither were LACC, Cal Club or Oakmont, famous courses that have clearly been improved. That is the difference in my mind. You have two of the most prominent clubs in the NW that the first thing that everyone talks about is the trees. Members and non members alike. It would be like Oakmont slowing its greens down. Too known for it, too important to the membership, for it to change, even if it might be better.


So people can come on here and complain that there are two many trees or its too tight based upon what you see on TV or from playing it.  Or you can take two courses for what they are (and want to be) and appreciate them for that, even if it doesn't fit the ideal that we have created. I choose to do the second.

[Ronald Montesano]

Sean,


Thanks for that explanation. The only flaw in that logic, unfortunately, is that golf is not played on trees, but it is on greens.


I do understand that trees transcend golf in the northwest. Things happen among the trees, like golf and life, but the trees are eternal (as long as no one cuts them down.) Absence of trees might be as shocking in the PNW as presence of trees along the coast of Scotland.

[Garland Bayley]

... I don't see Brooke placing top-five on Sunday, ...

Good call Ronmon!
 

[Matthew Essig]

... I don't see Brooke placing top-five on Sunday, ...

Good call Ronmon!
 

 

[Josh Tarble]

Other than the women playing abysmally slow, that was some of the best golf I've seen in a long while.  Very compelling drama.

As for Sahalee...I'm with Jason.  I really would like to play it.  I don't know that I'd think it was very good but I definitely would think it was pretty cool.  And honestly, it looks like if you took down the trees that course would have nothing.  Might as well leave them and have something unique than take them down and have an average course anyway.

[Dan Gallaway]

Sahalee is open for play on October 10 through the WSGA. 

[Tommy Williamsen]

I played Sahalee about ten years ago. Part of the claustrophobic feeling is the size of the trees. They are easily the biggest trees on a golf course I ever have played. They have become part of the lore of the course. I'm not sure what I would do with them except keep them the way they are.

[William_G]

I played Sahalee about ten years ago. Part of the claustrophobic feeling is the size of the trees. They are easily the biggest trees on a golf course I ever have played. They have become part of the lore of the course. I'm not sure what I would do with them except keep them the way they are.

the main part of the claustrophobia at Sahalee is that the 3 nines there are narrowly/tightly routed through planned residential development   

one of the purposes of the trees is privacy

those who haven't played it, should check it out...Seattle is a great place to visit...plus you can play other courses such as CB

[Brad Treadwell]

There are about a dozen trees there that are flat out stupid in my opinion and the removal of those would much improve the playability of the course for the people that actually play the course on a regular basis (rather than for tour players every 3-4 years) without really impacting their identify.  If they want to keep the other 7,988 go for it.  Sean made some very good points in his earlier post about Sahalee's identity being this forest of 8,000 trees and I'm confident the club will never do anything to change that because of all the sucking up that took place this week on the broadcast, etc..  But again, would the identity really change that much if 5-10% of the right trees were removed?  In the end if Sahalee is the "one off" that has thousands and thousands of trees and a dozen of them that block shots that have found 30 yard wide fairways, so be it.  It was an exciting finish which I don't think would have been less exciting with a few less trees. 

The bigger issue for me personally  is the example it sets for other clubs and their respective members in the area.  We are trying to improve the agronomy, playability, and classic feel of our nearly 100 year old course, as are several other courses in the area (not to mention courses all over the country).  I can already hear the next few discussions at my club about tree removal and every uneducated, tree hugging member will site Sahalee in defense of tree removal (their course is in great shape, you should have trees to shape shots around, they frame the holes, they separate the holes, etc.).  This is by no means Sahalee's problem but it will create more arguments than already exist and make the job that much harder. 

One a side not, it's not exactly the same as ANGC in terms of setting unrealistic expectations for club members but it is similar. 

One last thing, their Superintendent Tom Huesgen deserves a raise and some sort of award.  His ability to grow grass in the dark might be second to none!