Why is Pebble so green?

The broadcasts comment on how much dryer the course looked like in 72 stood out to me.

It seems that Pebble is a course that is designed to be played in somewhat baked conditions with wind and high fescue.

Who else would like to see a dryer more naturally baked out look for this course?

They have gotten a lot of rain lately.

H2O

Same thing that happened before the US Open at Erin Hills... Lots of rain

Are we talking about tournament conditions or for every day play? In terms of the later, that extended rough would kill round times since there would be tons of lost balls. And how many of the people paying $550+/round would appreciate a baked out course?

> @Nessism said:

> Are we talking about tournament conditions or for every day play? In terms of the later, that extended rough would kill round times since there would be tons of lost balls. And how many of the people paying $550+/round would appreciate a baked out course?

they will need a baked out course for their worm killing stingers

> @Nessism said:

> Are we talking about tournament conditions or for every day play? In terms of the later, that extended rough would kill round times since there would be tons of lost balls. And how many of the people paying $550+/round would appreciate a baked out course?

In general, was there a conscious effort to water pebble more to change its look from a traditional beach links to something more artificial or has pebble always looked like this and it just varies depending on how rainy the season is?

Well obviously, the weather plays a part. It's early June so the winter/spring rain greening that always occurs in California will be a factor regardless of any outside water they may supplement with.

I just took a look at my pictures from when I was there last November, pretty damn green then too.

They have water reclamation/state of the art irrigation - those billion dollar views that include the golf course include a green golf course for a reason.

Nobody wants to pay $500 to play a baked out, dry, hard as a rock Pebble Beach and not really "designed" to be dry and baked out at all, though as originally built weather would have been more of an influence on the property than it is now with the modern access to water, but still varied with seasons there.

Ball bearings. It's all ball bearings these days. That's why.

California has been getting a lot of rain this year. That’s probably the biggest factor. In LA at least, it’s pretty green everywhere.

A massive budget for maintenance and record rain fall in the area during the month of May.

> @Qqq123xx said:

> They have gotten a lot of rain lately.

Stupid questions answered. Lock the thread!

> @SilverBullets said:

> A massive budget for maintenance and record rain fall in the area during the month of May.

Not just may, the whole winter in general. Some areas of the sierra's were at 200% of the normal snowpack

Everyone has talked about the recent rains...we were in Sacramento/SF back in late April and it had been raining a lot.

I'm not sure when the USGA comes in and closes off play, but I would think at least 3 or 4 weeks ahead of the event. I for one am glad the USGA just let it roll and didn't try to artificially try to make scores higher to appease a moniker.

It was an El Niño year. Only really baked out during extended droughts and, even then, the marine layer keeps things damp.

> @Krt22 said:

> > @SilverBullets said:

> > A massive budget for maintenance and record rain fall in the area during the month of May.

>

> Not just may, the whole winter in general. Some areas of the sierra's were at 200% of the normal snowpack

Living right by lake Tahoe, I can tell you there are spots that there will still be snow when it starts snowing again....

Yep I played up in the sierras a few weeks ago, crazy to play golf in shorts and be surrounded by snow capped mountains

You'd be green too if everyone knocked your balls around.

> @wildcatden said:

> Ball bearings. It's all ball bearings these days. That's why.

Close, but it’s not steel, it’s iron...Fe on your fertilizer bag. ?

And if the USGA allowed Pebble to be dryer and "naturally baked out" there would be a 50 page thread complaining about it and people would still be making snide comments 5 years later. See Pinehurst 2014.

I have never seen Pebble Beach "baked" or dried out brown. They will never let it get to look like a seaside "links" course because it's NOT and costs so much to play, people would scream or cry.

> @hell_is_chrome said:

> And if the USGA allowed Pebble to be dryer and "naturally baked out" there would be a 50 page thread complaining about it and people would still be making snide comments 5 years later. See Pinehurst 2014.

Yea, can't remember where I read it but, two weeks prior, temps were well above normal at Pebble and and the course was dry. The USGA then heavily watered the course. I'm wishing they would have watered way less. Would have been a better, and true, US Open.

I'll duck now, lol.

> @"North Texas" said:

> > @hell_is_chrome said:

> > And if the USGA allowed Pebble to be dryer and "naturally baked out" there would be a 50 page thread complaining about it and people would still be making snide comments 5 years later. See Pinehurst 2014.

>

> Yea, can't remember where I read it but, two weeks prior, temps were well above normal at Pebble and and the course was dry. The USGA then heavily watered the course. I'm wishing they would have watered way less. Would have been a better, and true, US Open.

>

> I'll duck now, lol.

Less water would have made it too easy to lose acceptable conditions. Also, the course is short, to begin with, and plays short. If it were dried out it would play much shorter.

Pebble is an a very interesting spot in the golf world being a high end public facility. Yes they have had rain but I also imagine they can’t take the chance of losing their greens. As stated above people aren’t going to pay $500 a round for a browned out course and they still have to pump the tee times through which means keeping the rough down. Also i’m not sure off the top of my head where there is fescue.

> @Pepperturbo said:

> > @"North Texas" said:

> > > @hell_is_chrome said:

> > > And if the USGA allowed Pebble to be dryer and "naturally baked out" there would be a 50 page thread complaining about it and people would still be making snide comments 5 years later. See Pinehurst 2014.

> >

> > Yea, can't remember where I read it but, two weeks prior, temps were well above normal at Pebble and and the course was dry. The USGA then heavily watered the course. I'm wishing they would have watered way less. Would have been a better, and true, US Open.

> >

> > I'll duck now, lol.

>

> Less water would have made it too easy to lose acceptable conditions. Also, the course is short, to begin with, and plays short. If it were dried out it would play much shorter.

Should have been more specific and said less water on the greens. I would have liked to have seen the greens be a little faster and not as soft.

> @"North Texas" said:

> > @Pepperturbo said:

> > > @"North Texas" said:

> > > > @hell_is_chrome said:

> > > > And if the USGA allowed Pebble to be dryer and "naturally baked out" there would be a 50 page thread complaining about it and people would still be making snide comments 5 years later. See Pinehurst 2014.

> > >

> > > Yea, can't remember where I read it but, two weeks prior, temps were well above normal at Pebble and and the course was dry. The USGA then heavily watered the course. I'm wishing they would have watered way less. Would have been a better, and true, US Open.

> > >

> > > I'll duck now, lol.

> >

> > Less water would have made it too easy to lose acceptable conditions. Also, the course is short, to begin with, and plays short. If it were dried out it would play much shorter.

>

> Should have been more specific and said less water on the greens. I would have liked to have seen the greens be a little faster and not as soft.

I love fast conditions, period. Except in Pebble's case if small greens were faster they wouldn't hold many mid-longer shots, especially 2nd shots into Par 5's.

> @Pepperturbo said:

> > @"North Texas" said:

> > > @Pepperturbo said:

> > > > @"North Texas" said:

> > > > > @hell_is_chrome said:

> > > > > And if the USGA allowed Pebble to be dryer and "naturally baked out" there would be a 50 page thread complaining about it and people would still be making snide comments 5 years later. See Pinehurst 2014.

> > > >

> > > > Yea, can't remember where I read it but, two weeks prior, temps were well above normal at Pebble and and the course was dry. The USGA then heavily watered the course. I'm wishing they would have watered way less. Would have been a better, and true, US Open.

> > > >

> > > > I'll duck now, lol.

> > >

> > > Less water would have made it too easy to lose acceptable conditions. Also, the course is short, to begin with, and plays short. If it were dried out it would play much shorter.

> >

> > Should have been more specific and said less water on the greens. I would have liked to have seen the greens be a little faster and not as soft.

>

> I love fast conditions, period. Except in Pebble's case if small greens were faster they wouldn't hold many mid-longer shots, especially 2nd shots into Par 5's.

Agree, the smaller greens would be tougher to hold. But, out of the 15 non-par 5's at Pebble, how many of them require a mid iron or longer. Can't be more than 5. And the 18th is really the only par 5 that they are regularly going for in two.

Edit: Should have said 18 was the par 5 that they were hitting the most longer irons to trying to fly it on the green. Many players were obviously going for #6 in two but I don't remember that many flying it on the green there. Seemed to be lots of run-ups. Thanks to hell_is_chrome in his post right below this one for making me realize that.

The 6th was 2 irons for the longer guys and it seemed nearly everyone went for it there.

> @"North Texas" said:

> > @Pepperturbo said:

> > > @"North Texas" said:

> > > > @Pepperturbo said:

> > > > > @"North Texas" said:

> > > > > > @hell_is_chrome said:

> > > > > > And if the USGA allowed Pebble to be dryer and "naturally baked out" there would be a 50 page thread complaining about it and people would still be making snide comments 5 years later. See Pinehurst 2014.

> > > > >

> > > > > Yea, can't remember where I read it but, two weeks prior, temps were well above normal at Pebble and and the course was dry. The USGA then heavily watered the course. I'm wishing they would have watered way less. Would have been a better, and true, US Open.

> > > > >

> > > > > I'll duck now, lol.

> > > >

> > > > Less water would have made it too easy to lose acceptable conditions. Also, the course is short, to begin with, and plays short. If it were dried out it would play much shorter.

> > >

> > > Should have been more specific and said less water on the greens. I would have liked to have seen the greens be a little faster and not as soft.

> >

> > I love fast conditions, period. Except in Pebble's case if small greens were faster they wouldn't hold many mid-longer shots, especially 2nd shots into Par 5's.

>

> Agree, the smaller greens would be tougher to hold. But, out of the 15 non-par 5's at Pebble, how many of them require a mid iron or longer. Can't be more than 5. And the 18th is really the only par 5 that they are regularly going for in two.