Might be time for Mike Davis to take new approach

[MichaelDallas7]

Is it time for the USGA to completely revamp its course layout options, and/or selection of venues? I personally think these last few Open's with Davis at the helm have been the worst in recent memory. what ever happened to 18yd wide fairways, penal rough, and diabolical pin positions. All for a fair test, but the "close your eyes and bomb" approach is not what a US Open is. What it is time for a new Admiral at the helm.

[sekrah]

Narrow the fairways, shrink the greens, and have penal rough. Why is this so difficult?

[SadTrombone]

I don't mind huge greens. But yeah, tighten the fairways, grow the rough, try to get the greens as firm as possible. Not necessarily "fast", but definitely "firm".

[sekrah]

Big greens are fine as long as the pins are tight against a real hazard.

[starsail85]

Fairways haven't been tight since about 2008 . Also they need to ditch the graded rough Bs , keep the fans back

 

Us open is ment to be different to a regular tour stop

[duffer987]

I don't mind huge greens. But yeah, tighten the fairways, grow the rough, try to get the greens as firm as possible. Not necessarily "fast", but definitely "firm".

 

So you want British Open greens on a course with tight fairways and thick rough?

[JaNelson38]

Maybe its time for fans to understand that these players are really, really good. And that a score relative to par doesnt mean that golf course is "easy" or "hard".

 

That, and there's nothing the USGA can do about the course getting over 3 inches of rain in the two days prior to the tournament, making the greens receptive to just about any shot hit into them. Erin Hills would have played vastly different in firm, dry conditions.

 

Manufacturing trouble just for the sake of creating trouble doesnt necessarily make for good golf. There were a dozen guys with a legitimate chance to win the US Open on Sunday....most years, you cant say that.

[SadTrombone]

I don't mind huge greens. But yeah, tighten the fairways, grow the rough, try to get the greens as firm as possible. Not necessarily "fast", but definitely "firm".

 

So you want British Open greens on a course with tight fairways and thick rough?

I wouldn't say that. I just mean I don't care if they're 10, 11, or 15 on the stimp. I just like when the greens are firm. I like that for my own game as well. Haven't really been a fan of soft, receptive greens in years. So I don't care if they're "fast" or "slow"...I just want them firm. Some people equate (incorrectly) firm with fast, and I wanted to make the distinction.

 

Maybe its time for fans to understand that these players are really, really good. And that a score relative to par doesnt mean that golf course is "easy" or "hard".

 

For me it's not about the final score (total, or relation to par), I just like seeing the thick rough and tight fairways at a US Open. I know my opinion matters as much as the USGA is willing to pay for it, but there it is.

[Barfolomew]

penal rough.....come on US Open dignitaries make it harder already!

[SadTrombone]

penal rough.....come on US Open dignitaries make it harder already!

 

1) hehehehe ... penal ... hehehehehe

2) Great username. Can't believe I've missed it until this point.

[duffer987]

I don't mind huge greens. But yeah, tighten the fairways, grow the rough, try to get the greens as firm as possible. Not necessarily "fast", but definitely "firm".

 

So you want British Open greens on a course with tight fairways and thick rough?

I wouldn't say that. I just mean I don't care if they're 10, 11, or 15 on the stimp. I just like when the greens are firm. I like that for my own game as well. Haven't really been a fan of soft, receptive greens in years. So I don't care if they're "fast" or "slow"...I just want them firm. Some people equate (incorrectly) firm with fast, and I wanted to make the distinction.

 

Ya that's why I asked. I was just imagining firm greens + tight fairways + thick rough = lots of boring pitch and putts for pars.

Agreed on the stimp stuff though. All the talk of stimp this and stimp that has so filtered down, for the worst, into our regular weekly play courses.

[SadTrombone]

I don't mind huge greens. But yeah, tighten the fairways, grow the rough, try to get the greens as firm as possible. Not necessarily "fast", but definitely "firm".

 

So you want British Open greens on a course with tight fairways and thick rough?

I wouldn't say that. I just mean I don't care if they're 10, 11, or 15 on the stimp. I just like when the greens are firm. I like that for my own game as well. Haven't really been a fan of soft, receptive greens in years. So I don't care if they're "fast" or "slow"...I just want them firm. Some people equate (incorrectly) firm with fast, and I wanted to make the distinction.

 

Ya that's why I asked. I was just imagining firm greens + tight fairways + thick rough = lots of boring pitch and putts for pars.

Agreed on the stimp stuff though. All the talk of stimp this and stimp that has so filtered down, for the worst, into our regular weekly play courses.

 

Eh...you just have to play for the ball to bounce and release. Ideally (and weather plays a large role, I realize that) I just don't want to see 3-woods from 290 that land and go 10'. I don't mind seeing some good par saves from the cabbage, either.

[tannyhoban]

No.

[gvogel]

Narrow the fairways, shrink the greens, and have penal rough. Why is this so difficult?

 

So what you are saying is that you want to see the best players in the world hitting 3-iron and 4-iron off the tee. Is that the game that you play?

[Darth Putter]

Mike Davis IS the new approach.

 

Stay the course Mike.

[sekrah]

Narrow the fairways, shrink the greens, and have penal rough. Why is this so difficult?

 

So what you are saying is that you want to see the best players in the world hitting 3-iron and 4-iron off the tee. Is that the game that you play?

 

They can hit whatever they want. I want to see real risk/reward and decision making. There was none with the best players in the world hitting fearlessly hitting 3 wood into every par 5 green because there are no hazards to deal with.

 

There were very few tough decisions to make. Erin Hills was boring golf. Guys were taking their longest clubs and just giving it hell because there was no fear of anything. You shouldn't need weather to make a course tough. It can be made tough on its own.

 

Mike Davis IS the new approach.

 

Stay the course Mike.

 

Yes Mike, drive a stake right into the heart of golf. If that's your goal you're succeeding so far.

[Thrillhouse]

The upcoming venues (through 2026) are amazing, that solves a lot of the problem. They went to a couple of duds with this public golf experiment after Torrey and bethpage worked so well but now they are back to what works.

[HighSpeedScene]

Can't we just merge all these threads?

[Couples1]

Mike Davis is an overpaid putz

[Shilgy]

The upcoming venues (through 2026) are amazing, that solves a lot of the problem. They went to a couple of duds with this public golf experiment after Torrey and bethpage worked so well but now they are back to what works.

Hopefully they don't screw up Shinnecock again.

[scores]

I posted in the thread about Erin Hills too Easy -> well these guys eat up the large greens they absolutely will kill the course. The smaller the greens the tougher this championship will play.

 

I played enough local tournament golf plus HS/College to know hitting shots from crazy lies into small fast greens will keep the score close to par with the new equipment.

 

That and some wind and yes these idiots that do not like trees well what are their handicaps? Trees are a great defense to the new equipment!!!

 

I hate watching the US open on courses with Large Greens!!

[tannyhoban]

I liked watching them play Erin Hills.

[sekrah]

Well said, scores. I'd rather watch British darts than these guys just hit wide fairways and huge greens for 18 holes. Anyone who is entertained by this brand of boring golf must not have much going on in their lives.

 

Tight fairways with shot shaping around trees. Small greens protected by real hazards that reward/punish aggressiveness.

 

Is it really too much to ask for a course that forces a player to use his entire repertoire of shots?

[tannyhoban]

Well said, scores. I'd rather watch British darts than these guys just hit wide fairways and huge greens for 18 holes. Anyone who is entertained by this brand of boring golf must not have much going on in their lives.

 

Tight fairways with shot shaping around trees. Small greens protected by real hazards that reward/punish aggressiveness.

 

Is it really too much to ask for a course that forces a player to use his entire repertoire of shots?

 

Just because they scored well doesnt mean shotmaking was gone. Koepka was outstanding. Big greens offer interesting llacements, in essence laeving a " small" target area. Miss that area and its 3 putt.

 

Treelined courses are fine, but I do agree with the USGA going to newer venues. Different courses, different tests.

 

Your formula is f'in boring imo.

[HighSpeedScene]

Anyone who is entertained by this brand of boring golf must not have much going on in their lives.

 

Proof that this is an opinion not needing any heeding. When you have to use rhetoric like that, you just demonstrate that anything preceding or succeeding that rhetoric can be disregarded without risk of missing anything valuable.