By D. A. Weibring
PGA Champions Tour Member and Golf Course Designer
In this generation of tummy tucks, liposuction, hair transplants or other plastic surgery, people are constantly trying to keep up with the current trends. Golf is no different. Even great golf courses get old, and from time to time need a "face lift."
With the new high tech golf balls and equipment that allow all of us to hit it farther, the need for more distance is paramount in keeping a golf course challenging. Golf courses for the average golfer used to measure 6400 – 6700 yards in the 70's and 80's. Now those same golf courses should, in most cases, measure around 7000 yards or more.
However, PGA Tour venues that are being built today are 7400 – 7500 yards in length. The turning point (landing area) for tee shots used to be 267 yards, now it is 285 yards or longer. These changes make bunker locations, water hazards or other design features out of place. The entire strategy of the golf course is outdated due to these changes in equipment. The receptiveness of greens for incoming balls is determined by the type of shot. A green that receives a long iron should be easier to hold than a green that will receive a wedge or nine-iron. Again, the strategy of how to play a golf hole has changed.
As we examine the great golf courses of the world and how to play them, I'll tell you what I think makes a great golf course and how we have incorporated those ideas into the golf courses my company has designed.
Clearly, I have been blessed to be able to play on the PGA Tour and now the Champions Tour. It's a terrific job that has not only taken me around the world, but given me the opportunity to play most, if not all, of the world's great courses. And, although you may never have the opportunity to play number 17 at Sawgrass, I'll bet you're curious why such a short hole seems to be so hard… even for the pros.
Over the next weeks and months we'll discuss what the great golf courses have in common and how really different they are; from Pebble Beach to The Old Course at Saint Andrews and everything in between. We'll discuss strategy for the long-ball hitters and the rest of us, as well. I'll tell you why holes are designed the way they are, and better yet, how to fit your game to the course.
Like you, I love golf and I also love golf courses. The great ones are works of art. My goal is to communicate to you the appreciation and pleasure that I have whenever I walk down a well-kept fairway, or step on to an immaculate green. So, remember when you are staring at that side-hill lie with a 190-yard carry over water to a tiny green what a great game this is… and recognize that no matter how your shot turns out, it's great to be on the golf course.
Now, go hit 'em long and straight!
D. A. Weibring
