I read once that one way to “protect” golf courses against low scores is to grow the greens longer, because the longer the greens are, the higher the chance that imperfections will take a perfectly struck ball offline.
I agree, but the way they set par really does have an effect on the players, I think. It wouldn’t be unreasonable to set #2 and #10 as par fives, and suddenly they become birdie holes and the winning score is -8. I think that makes the course a bit easier to play mentally, even though logically there’s no difference in the shots you have to hit.
#2 used to be a par 5 and #10 used to play at 425, not 495. Still difficult, but not the ridiculous 4.41 avg it was this time around (4.55! on Sunday).
Hey, it’s the U.S. Open; this is what they do. The USGA fetishizes par and tries to set up the course so the winner will come in at E, regardless of what that does to everybody else in the field. They do it every year, so no one should really be surprised this time around. Just as Augusta demands you hit a long, not all that accurate draw and be very, very good with the putter, the US Open demands you play hybrid off the tee, 2nd shot to the middle of the green, two-putt par, rinse repeat.
To me, regardless of how gorgeous Pebble is—and it is probably the most beautiful course in all of golf—the US Open is dull, and more than a little cruel and capricious. I don’t care for it, but it is hard to argue with the “quality” of the guys who’ve won it the last 20 years (excepting Glover, Jones and Campbell; we’ll see about McDowell).
My main beef with the U.S. Open, and pro golf in general, is that these guys are just hitting the ball too damn long: they’re outhitting a lot of very good golf courses (Merion, anyone?). I agree with Jack Nicklaus’s comments that the USGA needs to look at the ball and do something to nerf the distance, at least for the pros. Of course, post-Solheim, that won’t happen. IMHO, crowds like giant drives, and sports is entertainment first and foremost. Eventually, I suppose I will get used to the idea of 510 yd par 4s, and “he’s got 205 to the green, looks like an 8-iron.” No wonder they carry four wedges now.
Oh, I think the Open would be awesome if they allowed the vuvuzela.
I think one of the announcers recommended that golfers treat #14 as a par 6, then if they happened to get a 5 - a birdie WRT their personal par - they could feel they had accomplished something.
Similarly, it is often a good idea for recreational golfers to shoot for bogey golf, adding a stroke to par on every hole. On a par 72 course, bogey golf gets you a 90. Keep the big numbers off your scorecard, and if you sink a putt you are under 80 - something relatively few golfers achieve regularly.
I would say that playing within your means to attain your best personal score is smart golf. Striving - and failing - to attain someone else’s standard is not so much.