Royal Melbourne = goofy golf

[Golfingfanatic]

Great golf courses require imagination and RM does that splendidly. If you say player X is not able to hold the green with a wedge, then he did not hit the correct shot. Maybe the correct shot would've been a chippy 7 iron that lands 20 yards short of the green?

 

[hollabachgt]

In 2013 Jason Day won the World Cup at RM with a score of 274 (-10)

[FairwayFred]

So obviously the answer is no since you refuse to answer the question when asked multiple times. (Also ironic that the guy who had never played TPC accused the guy who had of not knowing the course very well)

Here's another case of your lack of understanding and perspective causing problems for you. If you had played any true links courses you might understand what true firm and fast golf on a sand based course like RM can be like from a maintenance perspective. Alot of times the play IS to land it short and run it up. Plenty of times balls that land on the front of the green bounce over. Just cause it's different than what you are used to in the USA doesn't make it bad.

[LICC]

More wrong speculation on your part

[GoGoErky]

So answer the question

[FairwayFred]

If you would actually answer direct questions asked of you during these discussing like others do, instead of ignoring them and responding only with a question of your own or some other nonsense about why you can't tell us what courses you have played then nobody would have to speculate.

[LICC]

I don’t have to answer your questions when you admittedly haven’t watched any of the tournament that we are discussing and you have nothing of value to add to this discussion. But just for today, the answers to your questions are yes and yes.

[FairwayFred]

Again with the deciding who is adding value to the thread and who isn't. When did this become your job? Can you share the criteria you use to determine this?

If you truly were interested in having a real conversation you would answer direct questions that are asked of you during said discussions. Your consistent in not doing this. I wasn't even the one who asked it first.

[LICC]

You said yourself that you don’t believe you know enough about the course to comment on it and you haven’t watched any of the matches. I’ll take you at your word that you therefore add nothing to the discussion of the course or the shots hit in the matches.

[sailfishchris]

Haha I'm sure you can! I've seen plenty in Florida when I visit family on west coast. First time I played with my brother-in-law he was pointing to what I thought was a clump of weeds in a pond -turned out to be an 7-8 foot alligator. I would also agree SC has more than their fair share of gators.

[rgk5]

I doubt any second grader could write that . Actually, I am 72 years old, have two history degrees, and enjoy the repartee on subjects like this. You did notice the smiley at the end, n-est ce pas?

[FairwayFred]

Yeah except your very quick to dismiss alot of comments people make by saying they are not adding to the thread because they make a point that you don't want to address. It's a pattern not a one time thing.

I've spent a little time watching highlights now. Course looks great to me. Didn't see any wedges landing short and bouncing over. But you will just say that I haven't watched every match like you did when the last person said that. Have you watched every match? Am I allowed to comment now?

You obviously don't like firm and fast golf and prefer American point and shoot target style golf and that's OK. I'd love to know what links courses you have actually played (some have a very loose definition of the word) but I'm sure you wouldn't answer if I asked.

[tiderider]

neither have you ...

[raynorfan1]

Somewhere in the -10 range.

[Hawkeye77]

Yep, they said the other day when I was watching all the matches it normally plays as fast or faster.

[LICC]

Wrong again. I quote Tom Doak from earlier today: “Royal Melbourne is in excellent condition for day to day play, but it's not often as firm as you are seeing on TV.  

You can only take the Enterprise to Warp 8 for a few days . . . if you try to keep it there she'll blow up. I doubt the greens will be speed rolled again for a while after today.”

[LICC]

I don’t see anything about the course that it would hold scores higher than any decently hard Tour course. Probably more like -15.

[pinhigh27]

Don't forget this is coming from the guy who says nicklaus is the greatest course designer ever and that ross is overrated or something like that

[raynorfan1]

I do think this is classic golf super ego stroke. It's like the guys at Oakmont who tell you that they slow the greens down for the US Open...they don't. A golf course can only take so much stress, and they are going to push it to the limit for a major event. Now, in fairness, it would not surprise me if Oakmont (or RM, or anywhere else) did actually maintain major-level conditions for their big member/guest tournaments. And people tend to confuse "the best I've ever seen it" for "what it's like every day".

[hollabachgt]

But yet the last time RM hosted a world class 72 hole stroke play event -10 was the winning score. 2013 World Cup.

[LICC]

Only 4 of the top 20 players participated and it was just a 60 player field.

[Chanceman]

I have just arrived home from RM after watching the final day of the Presidents Cup - congrats to the US they were excellent but the Inter boys also acquitted themselves very well. Hideki's tie was a big blow but Tiger's win really set the tone. Reading all these comments makes me wonder. Clearly it is hard to fully appreciate a golf course from the 2D of television so let me tell you that anyone who thinks RM is goofy or a dump should never venture an opinion on golf courses. After some of the crap golf courses I have seen in the US it beggars my imagination to hear golfing morons talk about the play at RM as though it was some kind of disney theme park gone wrong. So LICC I think your opinions are especially moronic but hell we have free speech so no doubt you will fire back with some inane comment. Cheers.

[Chanceman]

Incidentally can I quote from today's press :

"Team USA captain Tiger Woods described the iconic Melbourne course as “beyond a dream” ...

Woods, who has won 15 major championships, said the Cheltenham club – which has combined its two courses to create a composite set up for this week’s Presidents Cup – is the perfect example of “how a golf course should be set up”.

 

[Man_O_War]

for a player with imagination and creativity ability to move the ball any which way he wants, there is not better course than a links course. This is one of the best.

[Hawkeye77]

I am correct about what was said. And Doak said "firm" in reference to the COURSE, you were talking about the speed of the GREENS not the firmness of the overall course. Another typical change it up from what you were saying to start with.

 

Someone in the Tour thread today reported and I believe him that a member at Royal Melbourne indicated to him that the Tour specified the greens run at 13 and they typically run at 15. So NO, they weren't slower than normal and YES they usually play FASTER.

 

 

[Hawkeye77]

Course was incredible as presented on TV and I've enjoyed it previously on TV. Would love to play it.

 

The links comparison seems apt and folks that have played it seem to make that comparison and it seems a lot more "linksy" than Augusta National.

 

Can't agree with assessment that firm conditions, fast running course, etc. is some circus atmosphere. Have played firm and fast links and have played those same courses in somewhat less than firm and fast conditions (now, most of those have greens that run pretty slow and are true seaside links). What's wrong with going through some mental gymnastics to figure out what shot to play, where to land, where will it run out and how? I love it, absolutely love it. I love all kinds of golf, nice courses and courses people on here would scoff at I'm sure. But (and it's only a couple of trips and only the last couple of years so I'm no big expert or anything) I have absolutely fallen in love with links golf and it is far and away my favorite kind of golf.

 

It's not a true links course, but I think we will finally get out to see some family in Monterey this next year and get to play Pebble Beach, hopefully Pasatiempo and one of the private courses in the area and I know I'll be gushing with excitement and I'll never get to play Augusta National which would be a singular experience, for me akin to The Old Course. So easy to say this or that, but I love watching and TRYING to play the kind of golf I was watching the past few days and get to watch a few times a year on TV.

[LICC]

I think you need to learn how to read more carefully. I never said the course was goofy or a dump. But thanks for showing everyone not to trust whatever you say as accurate.

[tdog3]

Course, including with this set up, is one of the best in the world. I rarely see or play courses with comparable:

shot value

require high shots and low shot variety

forces the player to move the ball in both directions

blends strategic and penal tests

has players really think thru almost every shot because not many are straight forward

This to me was a true test of the elite players. Would love to see this kind of course and play every week. Consider the above tests against courses like tpc Scottsdale, etc.

 

[LICC]

ok, then you repeated wrong information. Maybe you didn’t know it is wrong information and you are just gullible, but it is still wrong information.

[alcap26]

This is getting absurd. Royal Melbourne was great.