Quote:
Originally Posted by mikeod
Maybe because they're correct. The touring pros prefer a tight lie so they can control distance and spin. The links courses of Scotland are dependent on rain for irrigation in most cases and therefore tend to be hard and fast. You don't see those large, pelt divots on southern courses because the bermuda fairways tend to break up on impact.
But there is a happy medium between rock hard fairways and soft, grassy fairways and I think that's what is sought here.
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Using this theory, how would you account for the fact that the Lopez Course was turned into exactly the opposite of what you describe for the recent LPGA Legends Tournament. Great pains were taken to grow the grass higher so the ball sits up in the fairways. Greens were about 11 on a stintmeter. The greens were soft and held shots. The course was pristine. It is now back to where it was for what I'll call resident conditions. I've played golf all over the world (yes, including Scotland) and have never seen conditions as bad as they regularly are under standard Villages Conditions. Oh, by the way, how many touring pros play here to warrant maintaining our courses in the ideal condition you describe. These courses are ideal for no one but residents, many of whom will defend how things are done whether right or wrong, a concept that many have not yet grasped. Oh yes, I've also played US Open Courses, a venue used for the Rider Cup and a course that hosted the PGA championship, a US Women,' Open venue and never observed "Resident Conditions" as I see here day in and day out..