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Default pin placement on St Andrews #2 is a JOKE!

• JayO92 172 Posts

  Mon, Aug 12 2013 11:04 PM

  Why would you cut a hole into the side of a frickin mountain!?  Come on WGT...

• alosso 21,072 Posts

  Mon, Aug 12 2013 11:20 PM

  Both pins are difficult to play with Starter gear for sure, but if you find a position with a straight putt uphill and leave the ball below the hole, you still have a good Par chance regardless of the distance.

• courteneyfish 15,796 Posts

  Mon, Aug 12 2013 11:25 PM

  It's one of the very few tough holes on the course, you wouldn't want it too easy surely.

• neilecramer 106 Posts

  Mon, Aug 12 2013 11:38 PM

  JayO92:

  Why would you cut a hole into the side of a frickin mountain!?  Come on WGT...

   

  Hated that pin at first, but I learned to appreciate that it's an example of links golf - some shots must be run onto the green.  Try this next time you play it: take exactly one less club(or use the same club and take a good bit off on power) and play it out about 3-4 yards to the left of where you put your aim marker once you've corrected for wind. That swail short and left of the pin can act like a funnel and leave you with a short- medium range birdie putt if done right. But I agree with alosso, starter equipment will make this particular shot near impossible.

   

• andwhy67 2,816 Posts

  Mon, Aug 12 2013 11:51 PM

  One bounce

  Slam Dunk

  A level 60 Tour Pro using starters probably isn't helping either!

• JayO92 172 Posts

  Tue, Aug 13 2013 12:01 AM

  courteneyfish:

  It's one of the very few tough holes on the course, you wouldn't want it too easy surely.

  It's challenging, but for a game that prides itself on being realistic, it is not a realistic hole location.  In fact, USGA guidelines specifically request that tournament organisers keep the hole location on a relatively flat area of the green;

  http://www.usga.org/rulesfaq/rules_answer.asp?FAQidx=143&Rule=16

  An area two to three feet in radius around the hole should be as nearly level as possible and of uniform grade. In no case should holes be located in tricky places, or on sharp slopes where a ball can gather speed. A player above the hole should be able to stop the ball at the hole.

  Granted, I probably shouldn't be complaining right now considering the fact I just shot one of my greatest rounds ever on St Andrews... which resulted in me hitting Master Tier :( :( :(.

• courteneyfish 15,796 Posts

  Tue, Aug 13 2013 12:04 AM

  It's not as silly as Bethpage 15. :-)

• JayO92 172 Posts

  Tue, Aug 13 2013 12:14 AM

  Oh yeah, totally forgot about that one, what a farce that is.  Oakmont 2 and Merion 5 also have huge slopes at or around the hole...

• paul167 154 Posts

  Tue, Aug 13 2013 12:37 AM

  marion 8, had a 20ft putt 7" uphill the other day, hit it and it went 2ft past then rolled back again and ended 11ft short, LOVE putting on this game!

• Steve442 710 Posts

  Tue, Aug 13 2013 12:41 AM

  USGA guidelines don't apply to St. Andrews. The default hole position is actually used in real life. Not many of the greens at St. Andrews are actually flat.