Dave Pelz: “Studying the game”

Heading out to Pebble Beach this week to watch the world’s best try to win the 2010 U.S. Open? If you happen to be lucky enough to have the time and a ticket - AND you are not affraid of heights, then I have a suggestion for you: if you want to quadruple the value of each days ticket, go early enough to sit in the “bird house” at the top of the bleacher behind #6 green. It’s the “Best Seat in the House”.

6th Green at Pebble with Bleachers looming

I suggest you get to Pebble before daylight breaks - and when they open the gates, run as safely as possible to the bleacher sitting just behind the 6th Green (shown above). If you are NOT afraid of heights, then climb up to the top row and the corner closest to the 6th green (as you enter facing the bleacher, go to the upper left-hand corner). From this location you will be able to see what is perhaps the best view in golf: 

View of 6th Green (and all of hole #6) from Bleachers

You will have an awesome view of the entire 6th hole - from the tee to the green. With a pair of binoculars you can see the 6th hole tee shots, the incoming second and third shots, and of course all of the putts. Then as you turn slightly to your left you will see: 

7th Tee at Pebble Beach

The beautiful and picturesque tee shot to the famous short Par 3, the 7th hole. As you watch the players play #7, you can also watch the sea life behind the green. Here will be your view of the 7th Green and 8th Tee (note: all bleacher seat paint will be dry before the tournament). 

7th Green and 8th Tee - View from Bleachers

Then if you pivot left some more, you will see the 8th fairway, the shot over the canyon to the green, and the entire 9th hole (a good pair of binoculars will definitely be needed here). 

8th Fairway and Green and Hole #9

To watch these four absolutely beautiful golf holes in a “Major” Championship on one of the greatest tests of golf in the world, will be a real treat - and someone is going to enjoy it! Perhaps it can be you!

 Just to prove the visibility of this bleacher seat (on a clear day - if there is fog, it loses some of its value), look how the top corner of the bleacher is elevated and clearly visable from the 6th tee box and also from the 8th green:

View of Bleachers from the 6th Tee

View of Bleachers from 8th Green looking back

And there you have it. If you’re lucky, you can get these incredible views of the 2010 US Open! Of course there are many other beautiful  views and viewing areas around the course. But if you want the best of the best, take a few drinks and snacks up to the “bird house” corner of the bleacher behind #6 green, and enjoy the best that golf … and life … have to offer!

Enjoy. Dave Pelz

Welcome to the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach!

Let's get it Started!

This is sure to be an exciting US Open: challenging to players (small, firm and fast greens, and challenging rough), fun for fans (to walk and bask in the beauty of Pebble Beach), a great golf course design and set-up, and a great field including the most talented golfers in the world. And have I mentioned the possibility of winds having a hand in the outcome (although the weather predictions are now for low or no wind).

 Let me give you a closer look at some of the course conditions which will challenge the the players this year.

Pebble has very small greens: According to the GCSAA (Golf Course Superintendents Assn.) the average green size on Tour tournament courses is 6000 square feet, with the largest at 9000 square feet. Pebble Beach greens average only 3500 square feet in comparison. This means many shots that normally hit greens will miss at Pebble, and there should be lots of scrambling going on this week. 

Take a look at what the 8th green looks like from the middle of the fairway (recognize that a 100+ foot vertical drop-off, down to the water, lies between this spot and the green). The shot was taken from about 180 years out from green center.

The 8th Green at Pebble Beach - small by all standards

 When players do miss a green, there will be some liquid-fertilizer fed rough grass to deal with. The USGA has graduated the cuts around greens, hopefully to make worse misses receive worse lies and face more difficult challenges. This takes much more than normal work and maintenance, but is a great way to test the skill of the players.

Greenside rough at Hole #9

 

From off the tee, when the field misses a fairway on inland holes, they will face a graduated rough cut which again is designed to provide worse lies for worse shots. I think this concept is the most fair way to prepare the course, and give cudos to the USGA for making the effort to do it.

Graduated right rough at Hole #11

On these holes, you can either draw a lie like this:

Rough Lie - OK but Tough to control

Or like this:

Rough Lie - Really Really Rough

 On the coastal holes, a missed fairway on the wrong side can lead to a ball rolling quickly into trouble through a fairway-cut shaved all the way (on #’s 6 and 9), or almost (on #10) to the edge of disaster. These next two photos show the fairways on the right sides of Holes #6 and #10. The hazard line on #6 is actually 3 or 4 feet into the fairway, a somewhat unusual situation.

Right Rough at Hole #6

Right Rough at Hole #10

 

While the USGA has taken the course closer to the ocean, it is still fair (they widened the fairway they shaved to the edges of the cliffs), and it is certainly more beautiful and exciting than ever (imagine if one of your shots were headed toward the cliff, and you knew it would have no help in stopping from the rough which is now gone). And speaking of beauty, I’ll have some more photos and comments on the beauty of Pebble in a couple of days. Till then, think about how the Tour players are preparing their games for the US Open, and its challanges.

 

Son Eddie and I walked Bethpage Black on Tuesday a week ago, to get an idea of how the USGA will set her up for the 2009 U.S. Open. We then left to go up-state NY for a photo shoot for GOLF Magazine at the Turning Stone Resort and Casino near Syracuse. We continued at Turning Stone (four really beautiful courses) getting in three days of fun work with the world’s best golf photographer Leonard Kamsler on the follow-on to our new book Damage Control (in bookstores October 29). Then back to Long Island for US Open week on Monday.

Rain background on entrance driveway

We’ve been in NY for over a week now, and its rained almost every day. Some days had downpours, others only light rains, but there’s been almost no time to dry out the course since the 3 inches of rain 10 days ago plus the 2 inches overnight last Monday night and Tuesday morning. The photo above is what the front drive looked like as we chatted last Tuesday morning with friend Craig Currier, the superintendent and man in charge of conditions at Bethpage Black for the Open. Eddie and I actually worked for him before and during the 2002 US Open at BP Black: he is a great guy and VERY talented. He kept all 18 greens rolling at the same green-speed all week during that Open, which is quite a feat (I hope the weather will allow him to do it again this year).

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The USGA has created a new rule to limit the backspin performance of grooves on lofted clubs. The rule downsizes groove volume and limits edge sharpness for all grooves manufactured after January 1, 2010 so they’re equal to or less than the previously approved V-groove dimensions. PGA Tour players must use wedges conforming to the rule beginning 1/1/10. The ruling will decrease backspin and increase stopping distances pros typically achieve from grassy lies, and place more of a premium on hitting fairways. Read the rest of this entry »