Tour prepped courses: How many shots would you DROP playing them?

[otto6457]

Jim

My limited experience supports your idea. The Nationwide Tour comes to Midland Tx. every year and they play on Midland Country Club. One of my good friends is a member and I play MCC several times a year. I go down every year to watch the tournament and play the course the following Monday morning. MCC leaves the pin placements from the final round and the only difference is no ropes or galleries. I've done this for the past 3 years.

I have averaged a stroke better over my normal scoring on MCC playing the following Monday. The fairways roll on average 10-15 yds longer and the greens, while a tick faster, are smoother and much more consistent. The biggest difference is how even the rough is. They cut it to a smooth 2 inches. While it is penal, it is far more playable than the usual wild stuff that just grows uncontrolled. Also, not to be overlooked is how pure the bunkers are. Fresh sand makes a big difference here in West Texas. We get a LOT of blow sand that reeks havoc on shots.

I honestly think I might score worse on the Friday tournament set-up due to some brutal pins, but the Sunday pins are reasonable.

Not very scientific, and it's also possible that I am more focused just because it's a special round of golf for me. There is no doubt that MCC is in the best shape it can ever be for the Nationwide event, and the course plays fast and rolls a lot. It is a hoot to shoot at the same pins you saw the pros shooting at the day before.

 

[Leek]

So, it's getting near the end of August and my teaching career so that means i get to practice and to be really honest, PLAY MORE! WHOO-HOO!

I was able to get out early from work on Friday and go play a muni that i hadn't played on since two seasons ago. The muni's around us were leased from the counties by Billy Casper MGT and they have been remodeling and keeping them up pretty nice (for the one that i play regularly).

So i played this one and it was in ok shape except for the following:

1) Fairways weren't mowed lately so there was very little roll.
2) The greens looked really nice but somehow (i'm no super so i don't know) they were the bumpiest things on earth. If you had it outside 5 feet and it went in, it was PURE LUCK.
3) The rough was quite tall, not very thick but quite tall.

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So i'm going to go on a limb here and say that if you took my muni and tour prepped it i would have shot probably 5-6 shots lower because it is so short (6000 yards). If it was a longer course, maybe 6600-6800 yards, i'd say 2-4 shots better.

1) My drives would be in the 15-20 yard range longer and i'd be hitting less club into the greens.
2) Rough would be more consistent and definately shorter
3) Greens would be smooth and faster and you'd BE ABLE TO MAKE A PUTT.

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I even remember a post on here a while back where i mentioned something similar to this and Tom Bartlett said he shot (i think) his lowest score at some course the week after a tour left because of the conditions.

These guys are good yes, but to be honest...i always seem to score better on better prepped courses and i think i know why now. This also makes me feel better about some of my low to mid 60 rounds at a local muni where the greens are slightly better. Because i know i'm getting it close to score those numbers!

I'd like to add that since some initial responses are going a little off my topic, here is specifically what i mean:

If you play a course regularly (doesn't matter which), and shoot X score, i'm saying how many shots would you drop off your score if a a tour (any tour, hooters/nationwide/pga) came through and "tour prepped" your course.

I'm not sure Jim. I think the fast and smooth greens would help my game, especially since I am accustomed to TOUR speed greens, albeit not usually as smooth, because of that speed control would not be an issue. The hardness might cost a shot or two when approaches went over. For me, the biggest difference might be fairway speed. While I would gain some yards off the tee, fast fairways also have the effect of making the fairways smaller. When the ball rolls out, you need to be straighter to STAY in the fairway. I've gone to the Memorial many times and it's amazing how fast the fairways are. It seems the average drive rolls about 50+ yards if there is no rain. Thaty makes for a pretty small target.

I'd guess all of this would average out and I'd score about the same, if it was a course I know well.

 

[cmartingolf]

I played Canadian Tour (pretty good course prep), Nationwide Tour (good prep) and have hosted PGA Tour events at my previous club (phenomenal prep).

Here's my thoughts for the post:

Bunkers - far easier than typical play...tour players are really spoiled with the amount of bunker prep. That doesn't help you if you don't hit it in bunker or are a sucky bunker player.

Fairways - much tighter. Helps and hurts a good player. Easier to control iron shots and harder to control where the tee shots run out. Soft courses are pretty easy to drive the ball. Long hitter don't much care about the firnmess as long is long and soft keeps the ball out of the rough.

Rough - WAY MORE PENAL. Most Ams have no idea how tough the rough is on a normal tour event, let alone something as psycho as a Major...

Greens - So much harder that the typical flipper cannot stop a golf ball. Compressed shots from tight lies will stop fine, but any flipper hitting over a 8 iron won't hold a Tour green. Yes, the 6' putt is easier to make, but you have that putt all day long because lagging is that much harder.

"These guys are good," is an understatement. Those guys are friggin' phenomenal!