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CONGRATULATIONS ON OAKMONT! It Is OUTSTANDING

• VanHalenLover 1,422 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 9:47 AM

  Swing and  miss on Oakmont, WGT.

  Mechanically it is operational and looks as though everything is working fine. Putting needs to be worked on though, and also on St A's as of last week. not sure what changed, but the inconsistent distances based on the slope of the green make it nearly unplayable, and definitely take  the fun out of this.

  I just quit the usga qualifier, and won't be going back any time soon.

  And no, this is NOT just a matter of not being familiar with the greens. a slope of up 6" cuts the putt distance in half at times, and the same slope has no affect on the putt at all on others. It is even more inconsistent on downhill slopes. So sorry, but 4 different 4 putts on the front 9 ruined it for me. Never thought I'd say it, but I'm looking forward to playing Bethpage again after this train wreck.

  Kudos on the deployment though, and I really do love the challenge of these greens, it just simply isn't playable until the slope calculations get corrected and consistent.

   

   

• Soulcatcher 1,970 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 9:53 AM

  No problem with the green calcs here.

• Doctorfro 449 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 9:53 AM

  Greens are ridiculous.  Some of the aiming is way off.  I hit one dead on the meter and wind was only five and I ended up 25 yards right of where I aimed.  So far, not impressed.  Glad to have somewhere new to play but right now I'm not a fan.

   

  Update: As a matter of fact, I'm pretty sure I hate this course.  Master level only.  I'm not sure how many greens I hit in front of and rolled through. Then, when I try to allow for that it doesn't get on the green.

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 10:55 AM

  StrangeMagic:

  Oh my, now watch Avatarlee, Bollux or pricehcs go out and shoot an opening 59 or something. I may have to look into horse-shoes as my new hobby....lol

  Seriously, I salute you WGT !

  No sooner spoken: Day 1, and Bollux cards a 63 - including an eagle from 180 yards on the very first hole. Well done.

• palladio 31 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 11:17 AM

  First  time out, full 18 holes, carded an 88. I am certainly not one of the Tour's miracle players, so I don't feel too bad about this. Some observations.

  First, the damn thing is gorgeous to look at, and enormously entertaining to play. My hearty thanks and congratulations to WGT.

  Oakmont makes BPB look like mini-golf. This course is seriously difficult.

  I am curious about two things. First, after visiting what seemed like most of the bunkers on the course, I want to go back and figure out how in the hell to get out of them. I tried a number of things - flops, pitches with the SW, etc., but nothing seemed to work. Are the bunkers filled with granulated taffy?

  Second, the greens. The long, medium and shortish putts are impossible. But the really short ones, the ones you have to make to make the cut, are even harder than impossible. Play them as superfast and your short. Play them as fast and your past. My forehead is sore from all the trips to the desk top.

  This should keep most of us in stitches for some time to come. Again, thanks WGT.

• shtebs 38 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 11:46 AM

  Beautiful damn course. Difficult greens and approach shots. Tough to make birdie without throwing darts from the fairway. Is that a problem? Hell no - its fun and challenging. The first time I played Kiawah I thought the greens were impossible. First time around BPB was a nightmare. If all you can do is *** about a new course the first day its out, go play somewhere else.

• palladio 31 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 11:53 AM

  Shtebs, you need to either lighten up, or learn to read, or both. I love playing Oakmont.

  It is hard. Really hard for some of us. But come to think of it,  I think I carded somewhere in the high 80s my first time out on the Big Bad Black.

  Good reason to keep trying.

• rowan76 21 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 11:54 AM

  Try playing it with starter clubs. It's no fun at all. I mean a 299 yard par three?!?!?!

• shtebs 38 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 11:59 AM

  Palladio - I wasn't responding specifically to your post, just throwing in my 2cents about folks complaining within hours of a new, difficult course opening for play. No offense intended, bud.  

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Tue, Jun 1 2010 12:05 PM

  Consider that we are playing Oakmont today under championship conditions - for those of us who aren't champions - and, as far as I can see, from the championship tees (e.g. the 299-yard par 3). Perhaps in the future there will be a range of iterations, with different green speeds and the like.