R.I.P Bridgestone Firestone CC

[spring70]

Let's face it. No one wants to play golf in Ohio, especially in early August. If it wasn't for Jack's tourney, the Tour wouldn't make stops there.

 

where do ppl want to play golf in August?

[BNGL]

Let's face it. No one wants to play golf in Ohio, especially in early August. If it wasn't for Jack's tourney, the Tour wouldn't make stops there.

 

where do ppl want to play golf in August?

 

Reno and Greensboro are a couple places I wanna play

[CEPick]

Let's face it. No one wants to play golf in Ohio, especially in early August. If it wasn't for Jack's tourney, the Tour wouldn't make stops there.

 

where do ppl want to play golf in August?

Not Ohio.

[homergolf]

That's too bad. I went to the world series and the WGC several times. I always enjoyed watching the pros and thought firestone was a great course. I never played the south course but got to play the west a couple times.

 

I’ve had a lot of fun watching and playing at Firestone CC. One year the tournament was played at the North Course because the greens on the South were damaged and that was as much or more of a challenge for the pros as the South. Shorter, but easier to get into trouble.

[treyerikhayden]

Always produced a first-class event (this may just be because of the field being a WGC field, or the fact that Tiger loves the course), but the course itself is SOOOO boring. It's like the architect made it on a computer and just kept hitting F4 for "default hole" because he ran out of ideas.

 

I do; however, always hate to see an event go away. We've only ever had the Web.com here in Wichita, and if we lost that it would really suck, so I can't imagine being around a historic major-championship-hosting course and losing a WGC.

 

I suppose let's just enjoy what this will give to the Memphis stop!

[raynorfan1]

Let's face it. No one wants to play golf in Ohio, especially in early August. If it wasn't for Jack's tourney, the Tour wouldn't make stops there.

 

Your post makes zero sense considering they are moving this tourney to Memphis where it will almost certainly be hotter and stickier than Akron. Jack's tourney has zero to do with this decision. It is an entirely separate event with no bearing on anything here.

 

Yeah, but nobody WANTS the tourney in Memphis either. Except FedEx. And they pay the bills, so....

[BNGL]

Daniel Berger might want it in Memphis lol

[tannyhoban]

Unless you have actually played the South course it's impossible to see the genius in it. If they choose to grow the rough out scores would be above par I promise. And that's from a course that is right in front of you! BB

 

Everyone keeps saying it is hard. We understand that, but what makes it good? Where is the strategy and decision making? Where are the options? Where are the interesting green complexes? Every single hole is long, narrow, and tree lined with similarly basic green complexes. It is trackman golf and the epitome of bomb and gauge/penal architecture. The only strategy is to mash driver as long and straight as you possibly can. There's just not much thought/imagination put it into the design. Sure, it's fair, but so is the trackman combine, that doesn't make it good.

 

It's original design was mutilated by RTJ for the sake of difficulty and it is a prime example of dark age era golf course architecture. Hopefully the US Open never steps foot on the site. I don't mind it for a regular tour event though, I just don't pretend it is interesting/thought provoking/strategic or anything more than what we've seen a million times. It's very similar to Torrey Pines (which I also wish wouldn't host US Opens). Can provide a fair tournament test, not so low scores, but doesn't really capture the imagination or provide any interesting/unique challenges.

 

How did RTJ mutilate? Nicklaus redesigned the green complexes when the greens were diseased. Every club in the bag is needed, so how does that take imagination away?

[tannyhoban]

Let's face it. No one wants to play golf in Ohio, especially in early August. If it wasn't for Jack's tourney, the Tour wouldn't make stops there.

 

where do ppl want to play golf in August?

Not Ohio.

 

August golf in Ohio much awesomer than that bridge you play under.

[tannyhoban]

Greetings ....

 

You are cherry picking. Rubber City Open, PGA, American Golf Classic and WGC bookend those with "worthy" winners.

 

Truly don't get the hate for this course, if you haven't played there you cant possibly know how challenging and beautiful it is.

 

I have nothing against the course itself, just with the set-up. Does -EVERY- hole have to be so long and tight, thereby denying a fair chance to all but only a select few? All I'm asking here is that the course be set up to give an occasional break and chance of recovery in equal measure. That's asking nothing that can not be granted !!!!

 

There's plenty of room. And all manner of ballstrikers have won there.

[tannyhoban]

How is my being a Texan and Jupiter Island resident qualify as homer? And why is it the least interesting?

Nostalgia and homerism are cousins. You've played the course and have memories attached to it; I get it.

 

Architecturally, Firestone is a complete abomination. This is not a controversial opinion in the GCA world.

 

The course is one long, narrow, tree-lined hole after another. 16 and 18 are the only memorable holes on the course, and I'd argue both are memorable for reasons that do nothing to compliment the layout.

 

We know 16 because it's essentially an unreachable beast with that stupid pond short and right of the green (and the narrow chute where you can run a ball up the left). When a course only has two par 5s, having one of them be an unreachable, uninteresting 3-shotter takes the fun out of both playing and watching.

 

(I don't know about you, but I don't play or watch golf for par saves or 15-foot birdie putts on par 5s.)

 

And we all know about 18 and its soft dogleg left because Tiger seemed to pull a Superman™ act there every year on Sunday.

 

Other than that, I'd be fine if the rest of the property were devoted to generating a corn subsidy.

 

Cornfield huh, you obviousy don't know where the property sits. If you are referring to the ASgca, RTJ was a founder, seriously doubt your word on that one.

[CEPick]

Let's face it. No one wants to play golf in Ohio, especially in early August. If it wasn't for Jack's tourney, the Tour wouldn't make stops there.

 

where do ppl want to play golf in August?

Not Ohio.

 

August golf in Ohio much awesomer than that bridge you play under.

 

Good one Lloyd.

[1puttTUT]

I'm in agreement with one_putt. The course is a bit of a slog and not as great as it's reputation suggests. It's a pretty solid course for a tour event because it is along and tough, but in terms of fun and playability for normal people, it's really hard. There are a lot of long par 4s with a slight dogleg and a fairway bunker. Just because a great tour event was played there, doesn't mean it is a good course.

 

That being said, as a native Clevelander this is really sad. It was always a good tournament and Northeast Ohio is a nice place to be in August. With the PGA moving to May and the contraction of the fedex cup, this is yet another event that is leaving the northern half of America. It's astounding to me that between New York, Boston, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, St. Louis, Indianapolis, Chicago, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Seattle, and Portland there will only be 3-4 tour events in these cities starting next year.

 

I know weather is a factor, but it's very nice for 3-4 months per year. It seems bad for the long term health of the game to ignore so many major markets, but maybe they know something I don't.

 

You forgot Detroit

[tiderider]

good bit of population and corporation shift to the South and Southwest, at the expense of the Northeaster/midAtlantic and midWest, I'd guess ... weather is great up north during the summer, though ... ain't nothing but double the heat & humidity down here ...

[puttfordoux]

Well Tiger and Firestone have a storied history. There's another guy from Akron who could partner with Tiger, might have heard of him his initials are LBJ.

 

LBJ's foundation has already been affiliated with the Web.com tournament here, so it may not be much of a stretch. That is, if he decides to stay...

[EKELLY]

From 1976 through 1998, the PGA Tour event at Firestone Country Club was the "World Series of Golf," and was sponsored by NEC beginning in 1984. It was founded as a four-man invitational event in 1962, comprising the winners of the four major championships in a 36-hole event.[2] the competitors played in one group for $75,000 in unofficial prize money, televised by NBC.

 

In 1976, it became a 72-hole, $300,000 PGA Tour event and its field was initially expanded to twenty;[3] the victory and $100,000 winner's share went to Nicklaus.[4] The largest first prize at a major in 1976 was $45,000 at the PGA Championship.

 

The World Series of Golf quickly became a leading event on the tour. For many years a victory in it gave a 10-year exemption on the PGA Tour, the same as was granted for a victory in a major championship at that time, and twice as long as is given even for winning a major now. The field consisted of the winners of all the high status men's professional golf tournaments around the world in the previous twelve months. This was quite different from the criteria for the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational listed above, but produced much the same sort of global field.

Yes, and it was during the Worlds Series of Golf that Brandel won his lone event, the Blowhard Bar-B-Que in Vancouver, when everyone of relevance was in Ohio.....LOL

[moegolfer11]

Let's face it. No one wants to play golf in Ohio, especially in early August. If it wasn't for Jack's tourney, the Tour wouldn't make stops there.

 

where do ppl want to play golf in August?

Not Ohio.

 

Yeah it's really tough once August comes around for us Ohioans. The commutes to golf courses out of state are enough to make us quit! But, I don't! I just commute to other states bc ya know "no one wants to play golf in Ohio (in August)." I mean I would never want to play the likes of Camargo Club, Muirfield Village, Inverness, The Golf Club, Double Eagle, Coldstream, Firestone, Brookside, Moraine, Scioto, or NCR. Those courses all suck I can't imagine having to play them.

 

/s

[heddp]

Well this is an interesting thread. I was a member at Firestone CC for 4 years and moved. Almost like Augusta National (which I had the privilege to walk this year for the Masters), you can't really see a lot of the difficulties, undulations and toughness of certain shots without actually being there. Firestone's fairways are way more narrow than people know. The pros are so good and make it look easy but it was a good course for a big top field. Green complexes break a ton but roll very true. The holes are not the same. Not even close. Maybe on the overhead view it appears to be back and forth which it is, but I can give you a hole by hole and you'd be surprised at what the course will test in 18 holes. Stinks for Ohio golf but it had a good run.

[jamie]

I think many feel this way about the South course because it really doesn't present well on TV. The design is subtle and the slopes are rolling simply hard to see on TV. Many major champions have publicly called Firestone one of the great courses I will choose to take there word for it. BB

I’ve heard this several times. I thought it was boring but everyone who’s played it or been there has said its an unbelievable, fair course...they all talked about the great design.

[CEPick]

Firestone a great course, they said.

 

Lots of imagination here.

 

 

[gioguy21]

Firestone a great course, they said.

 

Lots of imagination here.

 

 

who...in your cereal today? can't you just, leave stuff alone? it's a great course. what's TN got ?

[jerebear21]

ain't going to lie. Ohio's got some of the best private courses I've ever played. Had a chance to play firestone but played canterbury(site of Jack's 14th major) instead. From the looks of things it's somewhat similar. Subtle greens. Very enjoyable.

[rawdog]

ain't going to lie. Ohio's got some of the best private courses I've ever played. Had a chance to play firestone but played canterbury(site of Jack's 14th major) instead. From the looks of things it's somewhat similar. Subtle greens. Very enjoyable.

 

Was just on site yesterday for the first time. TV does not do justice to how much elevation change comes into play on most of the holes. I was not expecting it to be so hilly.

 

Made for some great in-person site lines.

[CEPick]

Firestone a great course, they said.

 

Lots of imagination here.

 

 

who...in your cereal today? can't you just, leave stuff alone? it's a great course. what's TN got ?

Except it's not a great course and it's boring to watch.

 

Since you asked, look up the Honors Course or Sweetens Cove. Both are within earshot of where I live.

[imakaveli]

Let's face it. No one wants to play golf in Ohio, especially in early August. If it wasn't for Jack's tourney, the Tour wouldn't make stops there.

 

where do ppl want to play golf in August?

 

That's this week European Tour stop

 

[gioguy21]

Firestone a great course, they said.

 

Lots of imagination here.

 

 

who...in your cereal today? can't you just, leave stuff alone? it's a great course. what's TN got ?

Except it's not a great course and it's boring to watch.

 

Since you asked, look up the Honors Course or Sweetens Cove. Both are within earshot of where I live.

Cool story bro.

[CEPick]

Firestone a great course, they said.

 

Lots of imagination here.

 

 

who...in your cereal today? can't you just, leave stuff alone? it's a great course. what's TN got ?

Except it's not a great course and it's boring to watch.

 

Since you asked, look up the Honors Course or Sweetens Cove. Both are within earshot of where I live.

Cool story bro.

 

Was that supposed to be funny?

[bladehunter]

I love to watch this course on tv. Never seen it in person. But tree lined tight is my kind of play. No accident tiger has dominated here. Takes a precise approach player and teegame. With all the wide open bombers courses this is a nice change for once. Sad to see it go.

[gioguy21]

Firestone a great course, they said.

 

Lots of imagination here.

 

 

who...in your cereal today? can't you just, leave stuff alone? it's a great course. what's TN got ?

Except it's not a great course and it's boring to watch.

 

Since you asked, look up the Honors Course or Sweetens Cove. Both are within earshot of where I live.

Cool story bro.

 

Was that supposed to be funny?

you bring nothing but negativity to this thread. if you don't want to watch it -- don't. quite a few people have explained that the course is much better in person (as are most compared to TV) - yet you post a sarcastic aerial picture of 2 holes. every course looks flat and boring from above.

[Ole3wiggle]

CEPick is an absolute clown. You could show overheads over nearly every Midwest/Northeast course and most are back and forth like that. What those overheads dont show you are the types of shots you have to hit because of tee box angles, trees etc. #2 the par 5 on Firestone requires a draw off the tee because of the trees on the left and the angle the tee box is set up. This moron above would look at the overhead view and because its not a 90 degree dog leg, say "its boring".