Erik, I really like this post, particularly the fact that you broke out the actual numbers. I think a lot of people gloss over when they hear 74%, 58%, etc, so it's better to read the actual numbers.
Thanks. I mostly shared the stats to dispute the claim that being in the rough doesn't mean anything. It means quite a bit - 60 to 70 yards or so. And also, the "straight hitter" isn't hitting a TON more fairways than the "inaccurate" hitter. They're on the PGA Tour - they're all reasonably accurate, and the difference between "straight" and "wild" is often 1 or 2 fairways per round.
You're obviously a numbers guy, which I respect since I'm a recovering math geek, so I'll ask: how would you set up the course to challenge the pros best? Do you think narrow fairways and deep rough is the way to go? What do your stats say?
Well, it'd depend on the course itself, of course.
Narrow fairways with deep rough just, like Phil Mickelson said, actually give an advantage to the long hitters, because even the "accurate" guys are gonna be in the rough often enough, and they're going to be 30 or whatever yards back on EVERY tee shot.
So I don't know if I can answer the question. I'd likely cut the fairways right to the edges of bunkers, so that players had to worry about the run-out. I'd probably go wider fairways. I'd have rough that's long enough to affect things but tempts players to try recovery shots - so, ultimately not that long. I'd furrow bunkers. I wish Jack had been able to do what he tried years back at The Memorial. The rough would be thickest around the greens.
I'd likely set up a lot of half-par type holes, too, where I could. Holes where players were tempted to hit driver, or where the dogleg came into play.
But yeah, it'd really depend mostly on the course itself.
Two things, though, as to why this opinion carries almost no weight: a) I'm not an architect, and b) I've not set up a tournament for PGA Tour level play. Just a few D3 college events.
