The Masters - Augusta Got It Right

[DCB]

Well after one of the best weekends golfing tv for a while I think I have to say thank you to the Augusta club for getting it so right in their setup of their course this year. The standard of golf was great over the weekend, the course was setup fairly and not tricked up in any silly way. The greens, although probably some of the fastest played in any tour event, were given sensible flag positions, which encouraged good golf.

In the end, we had a great spectacle to watch. The players were rewarded for attacking golf where they took the risk, patience was rewarded on the trickier holes and we the tv viewing armchair fans had a great weekends viewing.

Here's hoping the US Open organisers take not of how exciting an event can be if the course is "firm but fair"

Well done Augusta.

 

[medwayjon]

Spot-on about the US Open, as a spectacle, who wants to see a drive 1ft off the fairway leaving the player no choice than to knock out.

Augusta this year was a fine example of how a course should be set up. Plenty of risk/reward pins, a fair 2nd cut, and of course in fantastic condition.

 

[Dodger]

DCB that was one of the best final days for a long while on the other side of the pond,I had 5 different winners at various times thro the evening!Cabreras putting which was seen to be weak held up magnificently and Perrys arse fell out big time and from his post match interviews he knows that under the gun he hasn't got what it takes.

 

[TWM]

Apart from the spectacle, there was the most exciting competition I have seen in years. Two competitions in fact, Tiger v Phil and the other four who would decide the winner.

 

[KeefG]

The greens, although probably some of the fastest played in any tour event

I agreed with your entire post apart from that little snippet!!

I thought the greens at Augusta were slow this year (obviously this is from an armchair point of view though lol) in comparison to last year and also in comparison to how Oakmont was set up for the US Open 2 years ago...the greens were like glass tables at Oakmont, they were nowhere near as severe at Augusta. At Oakmont the players were constantly citing the quick greens in their post round interviews, i never heard the speed of the greens mentioned once during this years Masters interviews. Yes they were quick.....but i dare say not as quick as you might think.

Have to agree about the US Open though, i really hope the USGA were in attendance in the galleries and took note that a course can be setup tough enough to punish those not accurate, but also fair enough where someone on top of their game can post a low 60's round and reap the rewards. The USGA have all too often taken a cracking course and wrecked it with their ridiculous setups, take Winged Foot for example, excellent course that could have provided a really entertaining US Open, only the USGA wreck it and we spend 4 days watching pro's struggle round a course.

There is a flip side though, we dont want courses to be so easy that everyone posts sub 60's everyday and the event is won with -20 scores etc....but a happy medium would be nice, and over the last 4 days Augusta found that perfect happy medium!

 

[IM01]

Augusta got it spot on,-12 winning score is testament to that.The decision to have the greens slightly more receptive allowed far more birdies/eagles down the stretch which for the spectators is what they want to see but still plenty trouble for a card wrecking double bogey..(sure Phil would agree)

 

[tiger_sheridan]

THE other positive thing was that we could watch Amen Corner on the red button.
Fantastic viewing, great commentary from the states - with no interminable studio links, and it was much slower. No rushing from shot to shot simply viewing 3 holes and watching the discussions deliberations etc.
In short a fantastic weekends golf!!!

 

[Ste_Denial]

yeah i agree 100% on this one, shame the coverage was well below par but the golf was good

 

[brendy]

I think the last round needed this to make it competitive. No double freakies this year that I heard off either.

 

[colintrav]

True ,,

But i feel the course of missing out on genuine Rough around the Greens ..

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I think the greens were being set up to quicken over the weekend but they had a torrential three hour storm on the Friday night that dampened them down which is why balls were holding better this year and they weren't as quick as previous years.

I have to say I though the US Open at Torrey Pines was a great event and the course was actually much fairer than in recent years.

 

[Herbie]

I think one of the big differences has been the tree trimming low down and the cutting back in some areas, that in itself saved a few score desasters. It allowed the game to keep flowing with a half chance by many who went in there.

 

[rgs]

Another benefit was the fact the runs off into the creek and/or the lakes and off the greens were not "bikini waxed" meant balls did not automatically roll into the water or roll 40 yds down the fairway.

A number of players benefitted and managed to salvage a par when in the past few years bogies or doubles were the outcome.

 

[Imurg]

I'll go along with that one. Even though lots when swimming on the 12th, on the 11th several balls stayed dry when in previous years they'd have got damp!!

I have to say I enjoyed every minute I watched. The scoring was goodand the course great. But the greens were a little slow. Plenty of times a ball was supposed to run back down to the hole but only really got about half way.

Still a good tournament and a great winner. The Duck's only got the Open and the PGA to go for a grand slam. Wonder what odds you'd get?

 

[mono217]

I liked the pin positions and the amount of time and effort put into the club.