Ryder Cup 2025 - All matters

[timd77]

I’ve listened to a few Ryder cup review podcasts in the last week, and it’s interesting how the love of the course has changed compared to the ones prior.

All of the preview podcasts and YouTube vlogs raved about it, how tough it is, how much the players will struggle, the romanticised history of people sleeping in cars to get the chance to play to the best public course in the world.

Now if you listen to the podcasts it’s all ‘the greens are boring and easy…the course isn’t tough at all…’ etc etc.

Human nature I guess.

 

[Swango1980]

I’ve listened to a few Ryder cup review podcasts in the last week, and it’s interesting how the love of the course has changed compared to the ones prior.

All of the preview podcasts and YouTube vlogs raved about it, how tough it is, how much the players will struggle, the romanticised history of people sleeping in cars to get the chance to play to the best public course in the world.

Now if you listen to the podcasts it’s all ‘the greens are boring and easy…the course isn’t tough at all…’ etc etc.

Human nature I guess.

It also probably just shows that a combination of weather and course set up can result in massive variations in course difficulty, particularly for the world's best players.

And, I think a lot of fans actually enjoy seeing the worlds best players being truly tested, rather than continually peppering pins and making lots of putts that have little to no break a lot of the time. For me, I love seeing the odd pro hitting truly great shots, on a course where there is a lot of struggle. In this Ryder Cup, even if a European stiffed their approach to 5 or 6 feet, I was still half expecting the American after them to stiff it as well. And often that happened. It felt like if a pro missed a green, it was a truly horrendous shot to do so. Whereas at other courses, it is a common occurance, especially when their landing zone for an easy putt is often so small, and in a risky zone if you miss your spot.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Even if the BDC comments are accurately reported, what makes the author of the piece think that there will be any fireworks whatsoever. Some folks are able to just ignore petty, mocking or vindictive jibes for what they are…self-serving and pathetic.

Are you that oblivious to media and social media and the impact it has on?

 

[Orikoru]

I’ve listened to a few Ryder cup review podcasts in the last week, and it’s interesting how the love of the course has changed compared to the ones prior.

All of the preview podcasts and YouTube vlogs raved about it, how tough it is, how much the players will struggle, the romanticised history of people sleeping in cars to get the chance to play to the best public course in the world.

Now if you listen to the podcasts it’s all ‘the greens are boring and easy…the course isn’t tough at all…’ etc etc.

Human nature I guess.

The previews were based on majors that have been held there - most recently the 2019 PGA. Normally it's set-up to be hard as nails. But I don't think anyone expected the US to set it up as easy as pie. The greens were soft due to rain in the preceding week, but they also cut the rough down so much that it was actually easier to hold the greens from there than the fairway, where they were getting too much backspin. It was a doddle for these players. That's why the whole weekend was a birdie-fest.

 

[timd77]

It also probably just shows that a combination of weather and course set up can result in massive variations in course difficulty, particularly for the world's best players.

And, I think a lot of fans actually enjoy seeing the worlds best players being truly tested, rather than continually peppering pins and making lots of putts that have little to no break a lot of the time. For me, I love seeing the odd pro hitting truly great shots, on a course where there is a lot of struggle. In this Ryder Cup, even if a European stiffed their approach to 5 or 6 feet, I was still half expecting the American after them to stiff it as well. And often that happened. It felt like if a pro missed a green, it was a truly horrendous shot to do so. Whereas at other courses, it is a common occurance, especially when their landing zone for an easy putt is often so small, and in a risky zone if you miss your spot.

The previews were based on majors that have been held there - most recently the 2019 PGA. Normally it's set-up to be hard as nails. But I don't think anyone expected the US to set it up as easy as pie. The greens were soft due to rain in the preceding week, but they also cut the rough down so much that it was actually easier to hold the greens from there than the fairway, where they were getting too much backspin. It was a doddle for these players. That's why the whole weekend was a birdie-fest.

I’m not sure whether I feel the Ryder cup should be a birdie fest, see who can keep the run going the longest, if you par the hole you’ve probably lost it type thing. Or whether I’d prefer it to be set up really tough with a par good enough to win a lot of holes and so the players have got to be at the very top of their game to win.

I definitely prefer a harder set up for majors, but is that the same for Ryder Cup. Not sure.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Ryder Cup courses are generally those that are risk and reward stadium courses , take on the risk and you get the chance for birdies

It’s why European over the years have looked at those stadium type courses or newly built ones to try and encourage good attacking golf but get it wrong and it’s a mess

Bethpage is not that type of course , there was very little punishment for wayward shots and the players just looked to bomb it

Adare Manor should be a cracker but the US need to have a think about the style of course they want to use - Sawgrass for example would be perfect as would the course they used to use for the WGC Matchplay in Texas I think it was

 

[Mel Smooth]

Even if the BDC comments are accurately reported, what makes the author of the piece think that there will be any fireworks whatsoever. Some folks are able to just ignore petty, mocking or vindictive jibes for what they are…self-serving and pathetic.

They aren’t accurately reported.

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Ryder Cup courses are generally those that are risk and reward stadium courses , take on the risk and you get the chance for birdies

It’s why European over the years have looked at those stadium type courses or newly built ones to try and encourage good attacking golf but get it wrong and it’s a mess

Bethpage is not that type of course , there was very little punishment for wayward shots and the players just looked to bomb it

Adare Manor should be a cracker but the US need to have a think about the style of course they want to use - Sawgrass for example would be perfect as would the course they used to use for the WGC Matchplay in Texas I think it was

It was Texas. It was Austin Country club, sounds like a great choice of venue, was brilliantly set up for all formats of match play.

 

[Orikoru]

I’m not sure whether I feel the Ryder cup should be a birdie fest, see who can keep the run going the longest, if you par the hole you’ve probably lost it type thing. Or whether I’d prefer it to be set up really tough with a par good enough to win a lot of holes and so the players have got to be at the very top of their game to win.

I definitely prefer a harder set up for majors, but is that the same for Ryder Cup. Not sure.

Somewhere between the two I think. This Ryder Cup was extremely easy for them, but that was partly down to the weather they had that softened the greens up. The hardest part for them seemed to be stopping the backspin coming back off the front of the green when they hit from the fairway! The rough could have been a bit longer, it did seem like it didn't matter where the drives went, they were all still able to hit greens from anywhere.

I also like the hard set-up in majors, but they can go too far with this as well. I don't like when there's just absolute cabbage surrounding the greens as it negates the skill of those who have great short games - everyone just hacking it out and hoping for the best. There needs to be a balance where the good short game players can still exhibit that.

 

[timd77]

Ryder Cup courses are generally those that are risk and reward stadium courses , take on the risk and you get the chance for birdies

It’s why European over the years have looked at those stadium type courses or newly built ones to try and encourage good attacking golf but get it wrong and it’s a mess

Bethpage is not that type of course , there was very little punishment for wayward shots and the players just looked to bomb it

Adare Manor should be a cracker but the US need to have a think about the style of course they want to use - Sawgrass for example would be perfect as would the course they used to use for the WGC Matchplay in Texas I think it was

They’ve already selected their next 3; Hazeltine, Olympic Club and Congressional.

Vaguely remember Hazeltine from a few years back, but not a lot. Currently watching Grant Horvat and Bryan bros play Olympic club, doesn’t seem overly difficult. No idea about Congressional.

 

[timd77]

Something else I’ve picked up from listening to every Ryder cup podcast, is that it sounds like the spectator experience is terrible if you’re wanting to actually watch the golf.

I was thinking of going to the one in Spain in 2031, but now I’m not convinced it’ll be worth the money and effort, better off watching it home. Anyone been to RC and can shed some light?

 

[Orikoru]

Something else I’ve picked up from listening to every Ryder cup podcast, is that it sounds like the spectator experience is terrible if you’re wanting to actually watch the golf.

I was thinking of going to the one in Spain in 2031, but now I’m not convinced it’ll be worth the money and effort, better off watching it home. Anyone been to RC and can shed some light?

Honestly I wonder why anyone goes to the golf. How much do you ever really see? Watch everyone play one single hole? Or follow one player and watch their group play? Whereas on TV you see all the top players' shots. RC must be even worse, if you had tickets by the 18th on Friday you only saw about two or three groups playing!

 

[Lucifer MorningStar]

Something else I’ve picked up from listening to every Ryder cup podcast, is that it sounds like the spectator experience is terrible if you’re wanting to actually watch the golf.

I was thinking of going to the one in Spain in 2031, but now I’m not convinced it’ll be worth the money and effort, better off watching it home. Anyone been to RC and can shed some light?

Don’t believe all you hear. I went to Le Golf National and watch it. Absolutely class and so easy to watch all of the golf.

You can get in the practice range, every hole was accessible from all angles. I never missed a shot or went a single hole without watching someone hit shots.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

They’ve already selected their next 3; Hazeltine, Olympic Club and Congressional.

Vaguely remember Hazeltine from a few years back, but not a lot. Currently watching Grant Horvat and Bryan bros play Olympic club, doesn’t seem overly difficult. No idea about Congressional.

All three the same sort of course -

Congressional was were Roty won his US Open , when soft can be destroyed

Hazeltine was 2016 when Clarke was captain - same sort of course as Olympic Club

 

[Swango1980]

I’m not sure whether I feel the Ryder cup should be a birdie fest, see who can keep the run going the longest, if you par the hole you’ve probably lost it type thing. Or whether I’d prefer it to be set up really tough with a par good enough to win a lot of holes and so the players have got to be at the very top of their game to win.

I definitely prefer a harder set up for majors, but is that the same for Ryder Cup. Not sure.

I'd say that with 18 holes to play, a really good set up would to be to present many extremely tough challenges, that could potentially bring high scores. However, have a few holes that are really good birdie chances. Mix it up a bit.

I like one or two reachable par 4's, with risk attached to them. I can't remember there being any at this Ryder Cup (I might have simply forgotten if there was). The first was closest to being such a hole, but only Bryson or Rory seemed to get anywhere close. But, even then, most of the pros gave themselves fairly standard shots into the green, whether then overshot the fairway, went a but too far right and didn't make the fairway, or split the fairway. As the event progressed, the first hole just became less and less exciting. And, for me, most of the other holes just felt very samey

 

[sunshine]

RC, and matchplay more generally, is best on risk/reward type courses. Driveable par 4s, par 5s where the players don't automatically reach in two, sucker pins next to run offs, water etc.

Augusta would be a brilliant venue, especially the back nine.

The courses used for the other majors, especially the Open and US Open, don't lend themselves to matchplay so much. The closing stretch of most courses on the Open rota is usually a tough slog of long par 4s into the wind.

 

[Bunkermagnet]

Saw an article with Xander Schauffele earlier. He said he thought the US fans had gone too far, but that he has also been on the recieving end of some from them as well. He felt that if the home fans had supported them more rather than digging at the Europeans they would have done better but that also the US players didnt play well enough over the first 2 days to encourage home support.

 

[sunshine]

Saw an article with Xander Schauffele earlier. He said he thought the US fans had gone too far, but that he has also been on the recieving end of some from them as well. He felt that if the home fans had supported them more rather than digging at the Europeans they would have done better but that also the US players didnt play well enough over the first 2 days to encourage home support.

A few of the US team have now come out with exactly the same message. They must have agreed this between them.

 

[Swango1980]

Saw an article with Xander Schauffele earlier. He said he thought the US fans had gone too far, but that he has also been on the recieving end of some from them as well. He felt that if the home fans had supported them more rather than digging at the Europeans they would have done better but that also the US players didnt play well enough over the first 2 days to encourage home support.

Yeah, it is what I said before about Justin Thomas and his antics.

I never felt he was trying to wind up the home fans to try and increase the hostility towards the Europeans. I felt he did his best to quieten them down when they were being idiots, but when he or his partner did something good, tried to spark them into life and support the US, rather than spend their energy hating the Europeans.

None of us have ever been in that position. But, it is easy to imagine feeling a million dollars when the fans are giving you their full support. Whereas if your fans were largely abusing the opponents, I think most of us would, at best, just feel uncomfortable.

 

[sunshine]

To be honest after Europe won I would have loved to see Rory do a full Adebayor and run the length of the hole to celebrate in front of the US fans.