The Swings at 17 - the mental freeze

[puttmaster]

Even though The Players tourney has been blessed with benign weather conditions the first two days, the island green on 17 continues to cast its spell.

It is amazing to watch the best players in the world as their swings suddenly become:
Short - quick - choppy - tentative - unbalanced - non-rythmic - etc., as they try to execute a short-iron shot. It's as if their brains disconnect from their bodies for a moment and all that well-tuned "muscle memory" leaves them. Heck, I thought Cabrera was going to throw up yesterday.

The mental gyrations that we see Tour pros going through on 17 tee are similar to ones we see (and experience) on our home courses every day. Just goes to show the affect confidence, or lack thereof, has on our ability to properly execute a golf shot.

Full disclosure: Yes, I dumped my first-ever shot on 17 into the water, too. But it was a cold, windy day in December.

 

[spktho]

What did it play today, about 150yds? I wonder what the % of green hit on a similar sized green without water surrounding compared to that hole--both same yardage of course.

 

[ms1170]

I think it's the worst hole on the PGA Tour. Put water on one side of a hole (short, long, left, right) more than that is overly penal.

 

[grahler]

I love that hole. These guys are pros and they should be able to hit that shot.
Its fun to see them challenged. If you put water on only one side easy for them to bail and keep a big number out of play.
That hole forces them to hit a shot.

 

[ms1170]

If golf was meant to be played like this, they would have a penalty shot for missing the green in the rules of golf.

 

[dschultz6072]

The hole is stupid. No bail out and way too easy to post up a 5 during tournament conditions.

 

[ekennedy]

If golf was meant to be played like this, they would have a penalty shot for missing the green in the rules of golf.

*Darius likes this

 

[birly-shirly]

I think golf needs holes that are harder than they look, and also holes that look harder than they are.

 

[niblick1]

It's not just 17, that course is one of the most unappealing on Tour. Hate it. Have trouble watching the tournament. Looks contrived and artificial. Horrific design. Ugh. It's a McMansion of course with every design feature imaginable taken from every design style with Lots of Money Spent. A house with 9 bathrooms at some point looks like an amusement park more than a home. I can't believe they forgot the Windmill.

 

[Kevin Shields]

I hear ya but you may change your tune if you played it. I think it's pretty awesome but respect your opinion.

 

[curtisj76]

This is all crazy talk, the hole is great.

 

[Jared Willerson]

It's one hole a year...would not want to see it every week.

 

[grahler]

These players are the best in the world. I look towards them for inspiration. If they wilt with fear when faced with a challenge it makes me think they don't deserve the money.
Honestly for what they make the coaching they have mental gurus etc I want go see them perform!
For the amount of money involved they should be forced to make a shot. Great hole IMO.

 

[niblick1]

I hear ya but you may change your tune if you played it. I think it's pretty awesome but respect your opinion.

No doubt playing it might change my mind - and I would definitely play if I got the chance.

I actually like 17 even if I wouldn't want to see that every week, its that the rest of the course is just not attractive to me.

 

[Hayes9801]

I'm usually not a Pete Dye fan except for Harbor Town (credit to Nicklaus) and Sawgrass. I've played Sawgrass 3 times and liked it more each time....plenty of fun shots to hit, interesting terrain, birdie holes, bogey holes,"other" holes. Every hole has a distinct character.

All that being said, I still don't like 17. In calm conditions it's not that difficult (I've made 2 pars and a birdie in 3 tries). At the end of a semi-major tournament with millions of dollars and years of exemptions at stake, however, scores on the hole are too dependent on an unpredictable variable...the wind. You get a surprise gust of wind at the wrong time (Paul Goydos a few years ago), and you're done.

As for having it part of the playoff holes, cutting cards would be a better way to determine a winner.

 

[ms1170]

Fans like #17, the same way they like crashes in NASCAR and fighting in hockey. I think they show every ball that's hit in the water. No matter what the players position. That's kind of strange.