PLAYERS: Would golf be better with more holes like the 17th?
One of my favorite holes to watch in all of golf is the 17th at TPC Sawgrass. Seeing such a make or break hole play a deciding factor in who wins the largest non-major of the year is incredible, and the PLAYERS is instantly better for it.
How would it be if more tournaments and courses incorporated something similar to this? I’m not saying that courses or events should directly copy it, but putting a hole with high risk/reward near the end of the event makes for fascinating TV. It’s not just that a lot is on the line, but it becomes immensely fun to watch, also.
There’s a little part of me that wants it for a selfish reason as well, and I feel that more and more people are going to feel this way as time goes on. If a featured hole is near the end, you actually get to see the end of the tournament, a must for those without cable who use a streaming service, like NBC Gold.
Golf would be a lot better if every major had a hole near the end as the PLAYERS does.
Let’s go through and see what could be done, or even if anything needs to be done, to but extra pressure at the end of each major, and if it’s even realistic to do so.
The Masters – Augusta
Yeah… I’m not touching this one. The Masters is perfect.
PGA Championship – KI Golf Resort
Let’s take a look at the 16th hole at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island. The 17th already is a par-3 over the water, so you could find your way there. Pete Dye loved the 18th, so I won’t change that either. The 16th though, you can reach in two, especially with how long people hit it nowadays. The bunker on the right is pretty far out, nearly 325 yards. Moe that bunker a bit closer, so people could roll into it if they go right.
Then the bunker in the front left is great, protecting the green. Dig it down a bit further, so that it becomes harder to get up and out of it. In a time where so many players go long, make them focus on accuracy instead. Go for it in two and potentially get a late game-changing eagle? Or end up in a nasty bunker along the way, and scramble to hope for par. Would make for great TV.
U.S. Open – Torrey Pines South
The 16th here is a long par-3 that is protected by bunkers, so no change is needed. 18 is already awesome, the long par-5 with water in front. Again, we look at 17, as we did at the Ocean Course. Here at Torrey Pines South, the 17th is a short par-4. Lengthen that bunker out. It’s 275 to carry it, and 85% of guys on tour can do that, if not more. It’s not even in the way for most. Push it back so it’s 275 to even get there, and about 320 to carry the second one.
Tuck the pin in the front right, so that anyone who ends up in there has to fly the right greenside bunker, leaving a long up-and-down, or length putt for a shot at birdie.
The Open Championship a.k.a British Open – Royal St. George’s
Let’s go for it all. The 18th is where we go here at Royal St. George’s. A nice mound in the fairway can push shots off the short stuff and into the rough. Throw some more bunkers around there, either larger or deeper, and make that tee shot count even more. Enlarge the greenside ones as well. Let’s see players occasionally go into the bunker with the tournament on the line. All of a sudden, a well-placed tee shot could give you a convertible birdie putt.
What do you think? Should they make some changes to provide even more excitement? Or is it blasphemous to even suggest changing these courses at the majors? Hey… at least I didn’t touch Augusta.