How difficult are the courses you play?

[cmartingolf]

I've walked Oakmont, so I can't say how hard it is to play, but I've got a good idea. But I cannot fathom it being as hard as Kiawah Island, which I have played. I've played Bethpage Black before as well, still not as hard as Kiawah. I also had a good friend who has played both Oakmont and Kiawah as well as Carnoustie and he lists them as Kiawah, Carnoustie and Oakmont in terms of toughness (he's never played Bethpage though).



3JACK

I've never played Kiawah or Oakmont. I've seen them on TV and Kiawah looks brutal and harder IMO than Oakmont for shot value. I'm sure the greens at Oakmont are what puts people in a spin. This is purely what I see on TV, so don't get all over me.

I think Augusta is underated for difficulty. I don't think amateurs could shoot within 10 of thier handicap on the first outing. The greens are shocking and putting or chipping to them would bury most ams. What the pros can do around there is mind boggling.

Back to the question of "how hard is the course you play?"

I gotta say that Tetherow (the track I manage) is hard for the average bear. We just held the Oregon Mid-Am and State's Amateur Association (OGA) set the tees up at 7000 yards and it could play up to 7500. The winner shot 151 and the pins were mild. The winner of this event normally shoots 2 - 6 under par at the other layouts around the State, including Bandon Dunes.

We had the Pacific Northwest PGA Championship last year and the winner (former Euro Tour player) shot 1 or 2 under for three rounds and we didn't even play the tips.

The course is all fescue, wall to wall. The fairways and greens are firm and the fescue lies are really tight. No fluffy lies at this place. While I absolutely love the course, it does beat up a lot of the resort guests that aren't accustomed to firm and fast golf. It really is like playing in Scotland.

Bottom line: If you want to have a hard course, have firm, fast greens. The shot value isn't that important. The GREENS ARE EVERYTHING...

FIRM (HARD) and FAST = BIG SCORES

 

[mb6606]

7158 yds rated 75.7 from the tips. Seaside with prevailing wind and soft fairways . Tiger played here a couple of years ago. He snuck off at 6:30 am (before the wind and onloookers were up). He shot 69.

 

[jimmyt]

What a Surprise!!!!

I have to say that I am very surprised to hear about all of these high greens fees and private clubs in this poor economy.

I can probably afford to pay for some of this but on a regular basis, I dunno!

I live in Las Vegas and golf is very expensive here and the club membership is just as expensive. There are only 3 months out the year that we routinely travel and play some courses that are more challenging. May thru August I can pay on average 35-50 a round. Other than that its some form of muni track due to cost and I play with people that can afford to but seems like so much money, to play the better courses.

Where are all the public course people, lets go speak up.

Average slope 125/72 rating!!!!

 

[Richie3Jack]

I think Augusta is underated for difficulty. I don't think amateurs could shoot within 10 of thier handicap on the first outing. The greens are shocking and putting or chipping to them would bury most ams. What the pros can do around there is mind boggling.

I agree with your point, but Augusta when it's not in the Masters is not nearly the same thing. I've had several people tell me this, including a former neighbor whose son works at Augusta National. The tees are moved way up, they avoid the tournament pin placements and the greens slow down. It's still supposed to be the pinnacle of golf course beauty and supreme conditions, but it's not nearly as hard.

Having been to the Masters I do agree that if the amateur was playing the actual Masters course they would have a brutal go at it. However, I think it's extremely fair for the invitees, tough...but fair. Some people see #10 as being 490 yard par 4, but it's almost straight downhill and the last time I was there Tiger was hitting 3-wood off that tee and nobody had difficult reaching the green in regulation. It's one of the few things in life that is unbelievably hyped and actually lives up to all the hype surrounding it.





3JACK

 

[jeffgladchun]

Oakmont vs. Oakland Hills

I'm a member of Oakland Hills and as far as shot value goes, OHCC is right up there with the best of them. However, the course doesn't get a lot of national love (besides being ranked ~8th in the nation).

Has anyone here played both Oakmont and Oakland Hills? How did they stack up together? I've played Oakmont many times in Tiger Woods 2010 which is startlingly accurate as far as course accuracy goes and from this I can say that even though Oakmont's greens probably run 1-2 feet faster on the stimp than Oakmont's the Oakland greens feature much more undulation and tiering.

You could see how tough the Oakland Hills played when it was fast and firm for the first day and a half of the 2008 PGA championship, but even day to day from the member's tees its pretty brutal.

Brian, I emailed you about setting up a date for your Ann Arbor tour stop and extended to you an invitation to come play Oakland Hills and am still awaiting a response