Camouflaged greens!

[fundy]

all those who are saying they cant be rolling that bad, did you actually watch any of the golf? Especially for the later starters they were utterly attrocious, very slow, 2 paced, lots of bumps. So the best players in the world to a degree managed to cope, thats what they do, doesnt stop the greens being utterly hideous and imo not fit for a major. Be interesting to see just how large a part they play on sunday night (well monday morning!)

 

[Curls]

I went to bed about 1 and they were getting fair bobbly at that stage. Like a bobbly jumper youve washed too many times. Except you have to putt on it. That's not testing its just rubbish, hit a good putt and it bobbles sideways, a bad one might go in but chances of that are slimmer. Either way its not finding out who the best is, no surprise the leaders were early starters. "should" reverse today with the running order, but as has been said, whats Sunday going to look like?!

 

[LIG]

all those who are saying they cant be rolling that bad, did you actually watch any of the golf? Especially for the later starters they were utterly attrocious, very slow, 2 paced, lots of bumps. So the best players in the world to a degree managed to cope, thats what they do, doesnt stop the greens being utterly hideous and imo not fit for a major. Be interesting to see just how large a part they play on sunday night (well monday morning!)

My thoughts exactly!

Saw a couple of slow rolling putts which seemed to follow a zig-zag path between the thicker tufts of grass.
One of Tiger's few birdie putts being a prime example - seemed to deviate left as it died at the end!

That's what we deal with every week!

 

[JustOne]

Yep, and there's only four of us for a touch over 100 acres of cut grass, our neighbouring course is 190 acres a fair bit of which is set aside and there's 8 of them and they've got 2 of everything !...:angry:

Tell your secretary to run the course better so you can afford more staff/equipment if necessary. Simple.

 

[Hobbit]

I hope those guys get their green fees back...

I'd be having words if I went to a course and had to play on those!

 

[DCB]

We seemed to have forgotten what golf was like before irrigation became the be all and end all. Granted, our greens are different from those over at the US Open venue, but, we played yellow courses and just got on with it. Irrigation is an expensive and possibly not altogether necessary addition to our modern course ideas. I don't remember Johnny Miller complaining in 1976 when he played a dry and yellow Royal Birkdale

 

[Deleted member 1147]

Mickleson described the course as a whole as how he imagines links golf was in the old days. Just made for the modern player.
It's longer than a normal links, to take into account the bigger hitting, and the grass on the greens is the same as that on the fairways.

 

[Sponge1980]

I went to bed about 1 and they were getting fair bobbly at that stage. Like a bobbly jumper youve washed too many times. Except you have to putt on it. That's not testing its just rubbish, hit a good putt and it bobbles sideways, a bad one might go in but chances of that are slimmer. Either way its not finding out who the best is, no surprise the leaders were early starters. "should" reverse today with the running order, but as has been said, whats Sunday going to look like?!

They are making the greens on my course look good!

 

[HickoryShaft]

I am torn,

On one hand its a bit of a shock to see.

The course layout and the way it plays so difficult is pretty much what I expect of the PGA when setting this one up.

The one thing you would expect even if its set up tough is a consistent green speed and quality and that does look to be the issue thats not as it should be for a prestigious tournament like this and any major.

On the other hand when they pan the camera out and you get the full vista its awesome.

Its a different test of the players - not the normal boom and wedge so I am impressed with that side of things.

Same test for everyone so I guess its down to who tames it and plots the way round.

 

[rosecott]

OK, it's a bit of a shock to the system but it's great to see the world's best golfers dealing with something other than lush fairways and manicured greens. It's very illuminating to google "fescue grass" and read the thinking behind the making of this course. You have to remember that the course is on the coast and only a 3-wood away from Canada. Have a read of how the course designer decided what was right for that part of the world.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/06/14/3838441_fescue-grass-part-of-what-makes.html?rh=1

 

[Pippo_T]

I think partly this is an attempt by the USGA to reset what people consider 'normal' for a course in the future.

It won't necessarily effect us with our inclement climate but more and more courses in the U.S. will have challenges from reduced budgets due to participation levels and water shortages. Augusta green is what many recreational golfers aspire to play on and consider the right look of golf, but in most parts of the U.S. it's not feasible.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I don't like the greens at Chambers Bay for a major but it's the same for everyone and there still seems to be a lot of decent putts being made

 

[MarkE]

The USGA will never admit it, but they made a blunder taking the US Open to chambers bay. It's a new course and has'nt had the time to bed in and mature as a championship course. The greens are just awful. I'll bet it will be many a long year before it's used for a US Open again.

 

[TheJezster]

OK, it's a bit of a shock to the system but it's great to see the world's best golfers dealing with something other than lush fairways and manicured greens. It's very illuminating to google "fescue grass" and read the thinking behind the making of this course. You have to remember that the course is on the coast and only a 3-wood away from Canada. Have a read of how the course designer decided what was right for that part of the world.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/06/14/3838441_fescue-grass-part-of-what-makes.html?rh=1

Interesting article. Thanks

 

[palindromicbob]

This bit is interesting. Maybe if they had the extra 4 & of bent grass the greens would have been a bit better.

In his conclusion, because bent grass provides better density than fescue, is better for lower mowing heights and does better in wetter environments, Miltner recommended that 10 percent of the overall mixture consist of that.

Course managers countered they wanted more fescue seeds in the mixture. The end result was 94 percent fine fescue, and 6 percent colonial bentgrass.

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2015/...ss-part-of-what-makes.html?rh=1#storylink=cpy


Maybe they preferred the thought of lower maintain costs related to fescue.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

The USGA will never admit it, but they made a blunder taking the US Open to chambers bay. It's a new course and has'nt had the time to bed in and mature as a championship course. The greens are just awful. I'll bet it will be many a long year before it's used for a US Open again.

I disagree. There are many instances of new courses being used for big events. Kiawah Island was only completed a few weeks before it staged the Ryder Cup. Chambers Bay is a stunning course and a great challenge for the top players, just think they have got it wrong with the composition of the greens.

 

[williamalex1]

Someone ? said it was like putting on Broccoli :rofl:

 

[Simbo]

Someone ? said it was like putting on Broccoli :rofl:

Stenson
And billy horschel appeared to thump one with his putter, the. Went on to say he would have made an improvement if he had hit it.
Poulter posted a photo on his Instagram of the greens and it was horrific.
Course looked awesome layout but the greens were shocking, if that's the condition they get them in for a minor imagine what they must be like in February or something!

 

[MarkE]

I disagree. There are many instances of new courses being used for big events. Kiawah Island was only completed a few weeks before it staged the Ryder Cup. Chambers Bay is a stunning course and a great challenge for the top players, just think they have got it wrong with the composition of the greens.

Good point. Maybe Kiawah island invested more heavily in getting the course right. But the CB geens were not fit for a regular pga event, let alone the US Open.

 

[Deleted Member 1156]

I'm really rather baffled by the greens at CB. The course is 8 years old now and the green fee is $300 which by American standards is quite reasonable for a high profile course. I can't imagine money being too much of an issue so I don't understand why the greens weren't completely revamped when they knew the US Open was coming. Many courses in the States overseed every year, it's not a big deal over there.