Does making a course longer really protect it from the bombers ?

[xxio]

Trees, trees, trees

[thegolfspace_com]

The USGA does reward accuracy....ONE time a year.  I think we're talking about more than just the US Open....

I did not like how they did the players this year, they turning into the US Open.
They have to find a happy medium were the reward is there for the risk.

I just talked to a buddy who was at the players.  He said the fairways were 15 yards wide...

[XtremeCruiser]

I would not use the new rakes that Jack likes.
The recovery shot is the best shot in golf to watch, I hope the PGA does not start thinking like the USGA does where a chip out is required if you miss the fairway.

[calipro]

I would not use the new rakes that Jack likes.
The recovery shot is the best shot in golf to watch, I hope the PGA does not start thinking like the USGA does where a chip out is required if you miss the fairway.

I like the bunker idea coupled with moderate rough. Then you can still hit a recovery from the rough but will not have the bail out of the bunker. But those bunkers with heavy rough is a bit over the edge.

[DaveTheDuffer]

Although, someone who keeps it in play still shoots a great score.  Davis got in a bunker and doubled the 18th.  There was no reason to get a double.  He could have played for the conditions on the course, and at worst made Bogey.

[KenHoLio]

Jack has contradicted himself, saying the recovery shot is the greatest shot in golf to watch, now with the bunkers like they are it brings luck into play and makes you do a USGA chip out.

Although, someone who keeps it in play still shoots a great score.  Davis got in a bunker and doubled the 18th.  There was no reason to get a double.  He could have played for the conditions on the course, and at worst made Bogey.

[DaveTheDuffer]

Is it luck or just a different shot?  Phil said last night that the difference is that you can't spin it as much, so, if you are going to get in a bunker, better be the one below the hole and you need to play a shot that is going to run. 

A recovery shot isn't just blast at the flag and spin it back five feet.  How about blast it out to the fringe and let it run to the hole?

Jack has contradicted himself, saying the recovery shot is the greatest shot in golf to watch, now with the bunkers like they are it brings luck into play and makes you do a USGA chip out.

Although, someone who keeps it in play still shoots a great score.  Davis got in a bunker and doubled the 18th.  There was no reason to get a double.  He could have played for the conditions on the course, and at worst made Bogey.

[KenHoLio]

Phil is full of
I consider a recovery shot one that has risk vs reward, these bunkers are hack and chop it out.
I give credit to Jack for trying something old, but when missing a fairway in the rough or Bunker makes you just chop it back out is no fun to watch.

Is it luck or just a different shot?  Phil said last night that the difference is that you can't spin it as much, so, if you are going to get in a bunker, better be the one below the hole and you need to play a shot that is going to run. 

A recovery shot isn't just blast at the flag and spin it back five feet.  How about blast it out to the fringe and let it run to the hole?

Jack has contradicted himself, saying the recovery shot is the greatest shot in golf to watch, now with the bunkers like they are it brings luck into play and makes you do a USGA chip out.

Although, someone who keeps it in play still shoots a great score.  Davis got in a bunker and doubled the 18th.  There was no reason to get a double.  He could have played for the conditions on the course, and at worst made Bogey.

[luckysevens777]

Phil is full of
I consider a recovery shot one that has risk vs reward, these bunkers are hack and chop it out.
I give credit to Jack for trying something old, but when missing a fairway in the rough or Bunker makes you just chop it back out is no fun to watch.

Is it luck or just a different shot?  Phil said last night that the difference is that you can't spin it as much, so, if you are going to get in a bunker, better be the one below the hole and you need to play a shot that is going to run. 

A recovery shot isn't just blast at the flag and spin it back five feet.  How about blast it out to the fringe and let it run to the hole?

Jack has contradicted himself, saying the recovery shot is the greatest shot in golf to watch, now with the bunkers like they are it brings luck into play and makes you do a USGA chip out.

Although, someone who keeps it in play still shoots a great score.  Davis got in a bunker and doubled the 18th.  There was no reason to get a double.  He could have played for the conditions on the course, and at worst made Bogey.

Its makes the course fun to play on

-Lucky7

[couplesfan]

If they keep this up, the guys will learn how to play it and get better.

[vsutp]

In order to protect courses from Bombers they have to do a number of things.  1)They need to put more trees on the course.  2)They need to make bunkers be raked with only wide furrowed rakes.  3)They need to grow the rough up high.  4)They need to make the fairways tighter.  5)They need to make the holes have more obstacles like fairway bunkers out there.  Any of these things help take the bombers out of play.  Myself being a bomber this is my opinion.  Making courses longer is not the answer.  It helps the bombers out to some degree.  Any of these suggestions IMO are the answer.  This will help bring the shorter hitters back into play.

[XtremeCruiser]

So true, just making it longer gives the bombers even more of a advantage and takes everyone else out of contention.

In order to protect courses from Bombers they have to do a number of things.  1)They need to put more trees on the course.  2)They need to make bunkers be raked with only wide furrowed rakes.  3)They need to grow the rough up high.  4)They need to make the fairways tighter.  5)They need to make the holes have more obstacles like fairway bunkers out there.  Any of these things help take the bombers out of play.  Myself being a bomber this is my opinion.  Making courses longer is not the answer.  It helps the bombers out to some degree.  Any of these suggestions IMO are the answer.  This will help bring the shorter hitters back into play.

[bl8d]

There will never be a way to even out the field. That is just fact. Distance that is under control will always be an advantage. I think the only way to come close is not by creating hazards or lengthening the courses. I think the only way to do it is to shorten the courses and make it very easy for shorter hitters to compete. If courses on tour were all 7000 yds or less you would see a greater variety of players on the leaderboard. Look at places like Colonial and Harbor Town. These courses usually have winning totals much closer to par than some of the bomber's courses and more people can compete on them.

Your view on this is probably the best, RP.
Punishing the bombers with hazards and rough at the 350 mark is shortsighted because they are, as a group, strong enough to blast out of whatever crap they find there.The short guys will have to contend with that primarily as a mental hazard on their second shot, but they will still have to consider it,so in effect you are punishing them twice as often as the long hitters.
As you state the real equalizer is a shorter course where the rest of the field is on equal footing with the bombers.I want to be dazzled by ability not by brute(ability)

[picollo1]

I come from a different school of thought. There is nothing you can do to stop "the bombers".Every generation will produce bigger stronger guys. When TW first came on the scene..he was hitting by everyone. Now just 10 years later you got a new young crop of kids beating it out there 30 yards past him! Just the physics of a golf shot will create inaccuracy if you add distance to it. If you miss a 50 yrd shot by 3 feet that same miss trajectory when you stretch it to 330 yrds is like 30 yards or more! Making it damn near impossible to hold a fairway! Another problem is this....You hit a shot into a fairway that is 25 yrds wide and your ball runs through the dogleg. Or you are hitting into a blind fairway that is 25 yards wide! When you make a course like wingfoot luck becomes an important part of a tournament. Courses like this one do not play to anyone's strength. They just become a scramble of lucky lies,and lucky tee times when the course is playing easier. Don't believe me??? Just look at the players that missed the cut. There is a little of everyone in there....short and long hitters! Look guys.....players will get bigger stronger and more accurate. If every course was like wingfoot....in a couple years guys would be putting 60's on the board there. They would just adapt to the changes.....just like the have adapted throughout the years. Pretty soon we will be asking guys to hit 400 yrd tee shots onto a fairway the width of a cart path!! I want to see the pros on a course that normal humans play and have something to measure myself by.

[bl8d]

I come from a different school of thought. There is nothing you can do to stop "the bombers".Every generation will produce bigger stronger guys. When TW first came on the scene..he was hitting by everyone. Now just 10 years later you got a new young crop of kids beating it out there 30 yards past him! Just the physics of a golf shot will create inaccuracy if you add distance to it. If you miss a 50 yrd shot by 3 feet that same miss trajectory when you stretch it to 330 yrds is like 30 yards or more! Making it damn near impossible to hold a fairway! Another problem is this....You hit a shot into a fairway that is 25 yrds wide and your ball runs through the dogleg. Or you are hitting into a blind fairway that is 25 yards wide! When you make a course like wingfoot luck becomes an important part of a tournament. Courses like this one do not play to anyone's strength. They just become a scramble of lucky lies,and lucky tee times when the course is playing easier. Don't believe me??? Just look at the players that missed the cut. There is a little of everyone in there....short and long hitters! Look guys.....players will get bigger stronger and more accurate. If every course was like wingfoot....in a couple years guys would be putting 60's on the board there. They would just adapt to the changes.....just like the have adapted throughout the years. Pretty soon we will be asking guys to hit 400 yrd tee shots onto a fairway the width of a cart path!! I want to see the pros on a course that normal humans play and have something to measure myself by.

Piccolo,your last line probably says what a lot of us would like to see ,namely that pros play on similar conditioned courses that the majority of golfers endure. But that would be a cake walk for them, believe me.The real pressure for a pro is often not the course but the guy(s) he is playing with.He knows that he/they will creep into his head.His main concern is to stay clear and focused.
You hear a lot of how they think of just playing the course,but that seldom happens.
The majority of us get a little flustered when we get teamed with a long hitter, whereas they are bothered by guys who won't go away or wilt.
The Open is designed to break you.It's not meant to be nice,it's supposed to be your nightmare as a pro.That what makes surviving the cut special and winning the ultimate in Golf.

[XtremeCruiser]

I like what the USGA did at this years 2006 open with the 3 tier rough.
Now in a regular PGA event they can widen the areas some but still leave the 1st-3rd cut of staggered rough.
Risk vs Reward is a good thing

[picollo1]

I understand the idea but....like I said.It is funny to see guys hack around in 1ft rough for a few shots but not for four rounds. watching guys with un-makable puts,lightly touch the putter to the ball and smoke it past the hole from 8 feet is not what I call fun!! I like the masters! There if you shape your tee shots and are a putter and iron player .....you can put up a good score! If you hit a green in the wrong spot....look out! Out at Wingfoot with the rough and greens the way they are....there is just too much luck and chance there for me.
[/quote]
Piccolo,your last line probably says what a lot of us would like to see ,namely that pros play on similar conditioned courses that the majority of golfers endure. But that would be a cake walk for them, believe me.The real pressure for a pro is often not the course but the guy(s) he is playing with.He knows that he/they will creep into his head.His main concern is to stay clear and focused.
You hear a lot of how they think of just playing the course,but that seldom happens.
The majority of us get a little flustered when we get teamed with a long hitter, whereas they are bothered by guys who won't go away or wilt.
The Open is designed to break you.It's not meant to be nice,it's supposed to be your nightmare as a pro.That what makes surviving the cut special and winning the ultimate in Golf.
[/quote]

[XtremeCruiser]

Before the open the USGA was showing how the 3 tier system works, well that was the first day now its all the same.
Miss the fairway by a inch and your ball is almost gone, is those few inch's of the 1st tier and your ball is gone and is chunk it out.
They messed up by not cutting and making it a normal hack and chop open as usual.
Boring Golf to watch