Question:
The tour guys are finding the TPC golf course a real tester – I saw Davis Love leave a putt about 20 feet short yesterday and today Ernie Els accomplished a real rarity – a one putt and a chip in on the same hole (first putt off the green, then in from the fringe). It’s almost a US Open style course. It’s fun to watch these guys play when it’s really, really tough for them. This course has only 3 par fives and they’re no pushovers. Maybe that’s the secret to making it a challenge – cut out a couple of par 5’s. I like the way the designer made the greens – many are 10,000 sq. ft but if you don’t hit the quarter that holds the pin it’s a tough 2 putt. Yipes, some of them are lightning fast and slope towards the water. Fun to watch em earn their dough. My pick is Retief Goosen to win at 13 under. His putting is pretty good. He shot 67 today with only so-so play tee to green. Very entertaining tournament. jmkanes
Response:
- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The tour guys are finding the TPC golf course a real tester – I saw Davis Love leave a putt about 20 feet short yesterday and today Ernie Els accomplished a real rarity – a one putt and a chip in on the same hole (first putt off the green, then in from the fringe). It’s almost a US Open style course. It’s fun to watch these guys play when it’s really, really tough for them. This course has only 3 par fives and they’re no pushovers. Maybe that’s the secret to making it a challenge – cut out a couple of par 5’s. I like the way the designer made the greens – many are 10,000 sq. ft but if you don’t hit the quarter that holds the pin it’s a tough 2 putt. Yipes, some of them are lightning fast and slope towards the water. Fun to watch em earn their dough. My pick is Retief Goosen to win at 13 under. His putting is pretty good. He shot 67 today with only so-so play tee to green.
Interesting that the top putters on tour are doing so well in this tournament! <g — RSG Masters 2004 pre-preliminary format http://home.att.net/~frostback2002 RSG Roll Call: http://rec-sport-golf.com/?rc=frostback "The privilege of a lifetime is being who you are" Joseph Campbell
Response:
Yeah, except this isn’t a TPC course. It’s a traditional course. Champions Golf Club. And for those still pulling for Tiger to make a run for the title (and the money title), he’s got a long way to go. But he has won at Champions before. That was the year they took Friday off to fly back to Orlando for the Payne Stewart funeral. An unforgettable week. Looks like Charles Howell, who, as some may recall, had a putt to tie Vijay on the 72nd hole last year at East Lake (which he missed), is determined to close the deal this year. Randy
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The tour guys are finding the TPC golf course a real tester – I saw Davis Love leave a putt about 20 feet short yesterday and today Ernie Els accomplished a real rarity – a one putt and a chip in on the same hole (first putt off the green, then in from the fringe). It’s almost a US Open style course. It’s fun to watch these guys play when it’s really, really tough for them. This course has only 3 par fives and they’re no pushovers. Maybe that’s the secret to making it a challenge – cut out a couple of par 5’s. I like the way the designer made the greens – many are 10,000 sq. ft but if you don’t hit the quarter that holds the pin it’s a tough 2 putt. Yipes, some of them are lightning fast and slope towards the water. Fun to watch em earn their dough. My pick is Retief Goosen to win at 13 under. His putting is pretty good. He shot 67 today with only so-so play tee to green. Very entertaining tournament. jmkanes
Response:
: Yeah, except this isn’t a TPC course. It’s a traditional course. Champions : Golf Club. Good old Ralph Plummer. Maybe in a few years they’ll hold it in Grand Prairie. cb (any Texas golfer who doesn’t know of Ralph Plummer isn’t really a Texas golfer)
Response:
Plummer is a John Bredemus (sp?) protege. Bredemus designed Colonial and Preston Trail (the long-time home of the Byron Nelson Classic before it moved to the TPC at Las Colinas). And unless I’m mistaken, he also designed that awful Fort Worth muni on the north side of town… Rock-something-or-other. (Rockdale? Rockport? Something like that. I forget.) I’m not sure if Plummer is still alive. Didn’t he also design the other Grand Prairie course in south GP (I forget the name)? I know he did a ton of Texas courses. A fine designer, if often overlooked. From my years of playing Grand Prairie, I was quite familiar with its design features, and when I was in Houston to cover the TOUR Championship in ‘97 and ‘01, I recall noticing one of the same course design features prevalent at Grand Prairie Municipal. Namely that many of the greens are quite large, but have little tiny "fingers" that jut out in different directions (sort of like a clover), that can cause havoc for players who hit to a wrong part of the green. They’ll either have to putt through the fringe, or chip from the green over a corner of the green to get to where the hole is. This also gives the committee the opportunity to practically hide the pins where they can’t be found — those little areas are so small, no pro would ever try to hit it there. Personally, I always thought his greens were the best part of the course. But then again, since putting and chipping have long been my favorite parts of the game, I would think that, now wouldn’t I? Randy
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – : Yeah, except this isn’t a TPC course. It’s a traditional course. Champions : Golf Club. Good old Ralph Plummer. Maybe in a few years they’ll hold it in Grand Prairie. cb (any Texas golfer who doesn’t know of Ralph Plummer isn’t really a Texas golfer)
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yeah, except this isn’t a TPC course. It’s a traditional course. Champions Golf Club. And for those still pulling for Tiger to make a run for the title (and the money title), he’s got a long way to go. But he has won at Champions before. That was the year they took Friday off to fly back to Orlando for the Payne Stewart funeral. An unforgettable week. Looks like Charles Howell, who, as some may recall, had a putt to tie Vijay on the 72nd hole last year at East Lake (which he missed), is determined to close the deal this year. Randy
Yet to be seen, really. This has unfortunately been "par for the course" for Charles Howell this year … scoring average on days one and two rank him 8th, day three 107th and day four 120th! It really explains his place on the money list (he scores well enough to make the cuts), but also explains why he’s 27th on that list. I really like the kid. He’s capable of smacking the ball a loooong way and appears to have a great demeanor. More experience may really help him? Larry
Response:
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yeah, except this isn’t a TPC course. It’s a traditional course. Champions Golf Club. And for those still pulling for Tiger to make a run for the title (and the money title), he’s got a long way to go. But he has won at Champions before. That was the year they took Friday off to fly back to Orlando for the Payne Stewart funeral. An unforgettable week. Looks like Charles Howell, who, as some may recall, had a putt to tie Vijay on the 72nd hole last year at East Lake (which he missed), is determined to close the deal this year. Randy
I don’t like Charles Howell’s chances too much – yesterday he hit an eight iron 180 yds. Judy Rankin commented that she has yet to see him hit an iron shot at less than *full power*. I don’t think he can go 72 holes on that basis without a triple bogey. By the way, I thought this was the TPC, so that the course it is played on is the TPC course. There’s something I don’t understand here. What’s a TPC course? Also Randy, I have experimented my way to a new right hand putting grip – the right hand grips the club only with the thumb, with the fingers sort of "off the club", pointing to the ground. Whaddya think? I seems to function similarly to the "claw", but easier on my ailing back, since I don’t have to bend over quite so much. jmkanes
Response:
The Tour Championship is not a TPC event. Are you referring to (T)he (P)layers (C)hampionship? Different event. That one’s held in March at the (T)ournament (P)layers (C)lub at Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Champions is an old-style, traditional course, not a TPC (Tournament Players Club). For a list of TPC courses throughout the country, go to www.tpc.com. Most are owned and managed by the TOUR. A couple are franchises (TPC at Las Colinas in Irving, TX is one, I forget the other.) As for your putting grip, I’m always in favor of whatever works. I have my ways, and I recommend them to others who are struggling to find something that works. I do happen to believe there are certain fundamentals that, all thing being equal, are best adhered to. But putting is easily the most personal part of the game. Different strokes for different folks. Traditional, reverse overlap, Vardon, ten-finger, left-hand low, Langer’s contortion, the claw, belly, long wand, sidesaddle. It seems at times as if there are nearly as many permutations of putting strokes as there are players. Consistency is the key. If what you’re doing works for two weeks and then goes south on you, then I would recommend a return to fundamentals. But if it works for you consistently over time, then I can think of no reason to recommend changing it. Whatever works. Randy
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Yeah, except this isn’t a TPC course. It’s a traditional course. Champions Golf Club. And for those still pulling for Tiger to make a run for the title (and the money title), he’s got a long way to go. But he has won at Champions before. That was the year they took Friday off to fly back to Orlando for the Payne Stewart funeral. An unforgettable week. Looks like Charles Howell, who, as some may recall, had a putt to tie Vijay on the 72nd hole last year at East Lake (which he missed), is determined to close the deal this year. Randy I don’t like Charles Howell’s chances too much – yesterday he hit an eight iron 180 yds. Judy Rankin commented that she has yet to see him hit an iron shot at less than *full power*. I don’t think he can go 72 holes on that basis without a triple bogey. By the way, I thought this was the TPC, so that the course it is played on is the TPC course. There’s something I don’t understand here. What’s a TPC course? Also Randy, I have experimented my way to a new right hand putting grip – the right hand grips the club only with the thumb, with the fingers sort of "off the club", pointing to the ground. Whaddya think? I seems to function similarly to the "claw", but easier on my ailing back, since I don’t have to bend over quite so much. jmkanes