Kevin Na on Erin Hills and Fescue

[Jon Cavalier]

https://instagram.com/p/BVNSL7OBWMu/

Your thoughts?

[Kevin_Reilly]

Dog bites man - a player dropping a ball in the rough during a practice round to demonstrate the severity of US Open conditions!  Happens every year.

[Matthew Essig]

1. The Midwest is not in a drought...
2. Aren't the fairways 40-80 yards wide?
3. There is a shorter cut of rough buffer.
4. I highly doubt the USGA made the fescue thicker than it would be naturally. Considering it is a public course, I am curious to hear from people who have played the course.

[John Connolly]

It's not the length of the fescue - it's the proximity to the fairway that is most objectionable.

[Peter Pallotta]

I don't know Instagram (or twitter or facebook, only email and gca.com!). But if the comments on Kevin's post are indicative of the kind of comments that Instagram engenders, I don't know why anyone would post there.
Maybe someone on Sunday will hit a shot out of the fescue like the one Nicklaus did at Turnberry in '77 to at least give himself a chance, and then sink the putt! That would be good.
Peter

[Matt MacIver]

I've played once two years ago.  It is a wider course than normal, and if the first cut is modest that will be a plus, since most greens are elevated and will be hard to hold with no spin.  But if it's windy, which it could/should/will be at least a few days, that fescue could come into play for some - if so, watch out.  But, as always, someone will win.  I just hope they don't play it from the 7600 tips or whatever all four days. 

[Shane Wright]

If only he actually played that quickly, I might watch non-major golf again.

[Mike_Young]

I'm betting it is not as thick th further one strays from the fairway...

[Jeff_Brauer]

Actually, Geoff S posted the problem is irrigation overspray makes the first five feet of native/fescue overly thick.  A common problem when you don't want to spring for part circle heads around your perimeters.

[Joe Hancock]

Actually, Geoff S posted the problem is irrigation overspray makes the first five feet of native/fescue overly thick.  A common problem when you don't want to spring for part circle heads around your perimeters.

And the problem is exacerbated by a typical unwillingness to leave any square foot of maintained turf unirrigated. If the designers/ supers would move the native at least 8-10 feet out from the last row of part-circle heads, it would help a lot.


I haven't been there, but I remember pictures showing the naturalized areas, and it appeared to be a bunch of overgrown forage grasses rather than the preferred wispy fine fescue. Does anyone know if they did anything to change the sward in the natuarilzed areas since the course opened? 

[Mike Hendren]

Actually, Geoff S posted the problem is irrigation overspray makes the first five feet of native/fescue overly thick.  A common problem when you don't want to spring for part circle heads around your perimeters.

That's consistent with my experience there in August of last year.  Tugged it slightly left off the 3rd tee into what was an all-time top ten bad lie just a few feet from the fairway.  At least I found that one.   Had another that we never stepped on.  Total an irrigation issue.

[Jeff_Brauer]

Actually, Geoff S posted the problem is irrigation overspray makes the first five feet of native/fescue overly thick.  A common problem when you don't want to spring for part circle heads around your perimeters.

And the problem is exacerbated by a typical unwillingness to leave any square foot of maintained turf unirrigated. If the designers/ supers would move the native at least 8-10 feet out from the last row of part-circle heads, it would help a lot.


I haven't been there, but I remember pictures showing the naturalized areas, and it appeared to be a bunch of overgrown forage grasses rather than the preferred wispy fine fescue. Does anyone know if they did anything to change the sward in the natuarilzed areas since the course opened?

Joe, not to mention irrigation guys refusing to break triangular pattern.  When I have planned to leave fescue fairway bunker banks, I have encouraged the irrigation designer to allow a bit more space to keep those banks drier, but they are reluctant, at best.  Granted, the 1:1 banks help dry the fescue out a bit, but they really survive and play better when a bit drier.


Don't know what they did to the outer veggies.  Seemed as if on many holes, they just tried to mow it out and interseed a bit for fairways.  Hard to imagine they did much to the outer roughs.

[Kyle Harris]

Actually, Geoff S posted the problem is irrigation overspray makes the first five feet of native/fescue overly thick.  A common problem when you don't want to spring for part circle heads around your perimeters. feel the need to irrigate all the way out to the edge of the fairway.

Jeff Brauer,

I fixed that quote for you.

[Joe Hancock]

I'm not-so-secretly hoping they have the natuarilized areas striped like they did at the St. Jude Classic, just because it makes so much sense.....

[E P Purmort]

Link to Shackelford's commentary on the same issue: https://twitter.com/GeoffShac/status/874066759413837824

[Thomas Dai]

To take a different perspective -


Without focusing on golf fans, I'm sure there are millions and millions and millions of factory workers, emergency and health services staff, farm workers, construction workers, office workers, cleaners, drivers, disabled and unemployed folks etc etc throughout the world who would love to be pampered and play in the US Open irrespective of the length of the rough.
If you don't like it, do something else. Someone else will no doubt be happy to take your place and you most likely won't be missed.
atb

[PCCraig]

I think it looks ridiculous. Erin Hills has tried so hard for so long to create a faux sand hills look that you think they would at least changed the sprinkler heads to either 1) off or 2) to not hit the "native" rough.

[jeffwarne]

It's not the length of the fescue - it's the proximity to the fairway that is most objectionable.

so clearly it would be less objectionable if the fairways were narrowed-thus increasing the distance between fairway cut and fescue
wonder how good he is from the OB at Harbour Town or the railroad tied water at TPC


Covered the topic on my show today-played the sound from the video and listeners were allowed to vote
1.whiney bitch
2.candidate to not win the US Open
or
3. he's right


I vote "4" all of the above

[Steve Lang]

I don't know Instagram (or twitter or facebook, only email and gca.com!). But if the comments on Kevin's post are indicative of the kind of comments that Instagram engenders, I don't know why anyone would post there.
Maybe someone on Sunday will hit a shot out of the fescue like the one Nicklaus did at Turnberry in '77 to at least give himself a chance, and then sink the putt! That would be good.
Peter

+1


yep, its a hard cruel world out there in social media, not for the thin skinned...


I have to imagine both the players & fescue survive.

[Bill Seitz]

It's not the length of the fescue - it's the proximity to the fairway that is most objectionable.

The fescue is close to the edge of the fairway, but quite a ways from the middle of the fairway.  There's a lot of width out there.  This isn't Oakmont.  The fairways have to be, on average, 10-20 yards wider.  If you can't consistently hit fairways that are 35-45 yards wide, you probably don't deserve to win a U.S. Open.

[Kalen Braley]

[Matthew Essig]

It's not the length of the fescue - it's the proximity to the fairway that is most objectionable.

The fescue is close to the edge of the fairway, but quite a ways from the middle of the fairway.  There's a lot of width out there.  This isn't Oakmont.  The fairways have to be, on average, 10-20 yards wider.  If you can't consistently hit fairways that are 35-45 yards wide, you probably don't deserve to win a U.S. Open.

40-75 yards wide.......


I came to the same conclusion.

[Sean_A]

The issue isn't about the Open.  The chances of the Open being an entertaining event to watch are historically slim to none so I figure its best to let them get on with it.  The issue is what about when the circus leaves town?

Ciao

[Matt_Cohn]

wonder how good he is from the OB at Harbour Town or the railroad tied water at TPC

The difference is, it doesn't take 5 minutes every time to figure out what happened.


Watching a lost-ball search on TV is not compelling.

[Michael Whitaker]

Na does make one interesting comment... I, too, would like to see an event (US Open?) where a committee of past winners set up the course. It would be interesting to see what they would do and how they would justify their setup. They miight be harder on themselves than we might think!