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"Moderate" Pinehurst 2

• Dogget 20 Posts

  Tue, Jan 6 2015 5:42 PM

  I recently finished a second round in a Masters Bracket tournament where 4 (count 'em, 4) out of the 8 WINNERS of the first round WITHDREW from their Pinehurst 2 round!  In addition to the difficulty in 'holding' those greens in the first place, the problems are exacerbated by wind speeds that are inaccurate and green speeds that are not as they are represented.  (Holes 1 and 3 warrant an entire other post.)  And, in the bracket tourneys, when 15-20 mph winds are thrown in, it is truly a witches' brew!  Is it really a moderate course when one shoots a 4-under on St. Andrew's (another "moderate" course) and follows it with a 4-over on Pinehurst?   An 18 mph crosswind working against placing an approach shot near a flagstick 3 yards from a bunker and 3 feet from the slope that will take you there is, pardon my French, ridiculous!  If there is some higher purpose at work here, I'd love to hear it.  I just shot 4 -under on Kiawah front 9 and 5-over on my old buddy P2.  The only reason I posted the score was because there's a 50/50 shot that my opponent will WD... and I can move on to a reasonable course and continue.  Really, what's up with that?  Or should I say, "Really, what's up with that?"

• StevePiesley 1 Posts

  Tue, Jan 6 2015 11:24 PM

  I am also finding that a lot of the details aren't that accurate between rounds and courses. The wind especially with St Andrews. the greens are just way out of sync in speed sometimes. Or maybe I am playing rubbish golf.

   

• TracyMax 2,361 Posts

  Wed, Jan 7 2015 7:38 AM

  I agree Pinehurst is anything but a "moderate" course. Almost every green slopes to the outer edge,(like an upside down bowl). It's worse than Oakmount for putting on. I find it very difficult and that it's underrated 

• TarheelsRule 5,566 Posts

  Thu, Jan 8 2015 11:36 AM

  In terms of Pinehurst #2.   Keep in mind the course has been renovated back to the original way that it was when Ross designed it.

  There were no real ways to drain greens except the natural slope and thus probably 20% of each green is nothing more than a slope to a collection area.   The greens are generally open in the front to encourage playing run up shots as well, which requires a lot of skill.

  The green speed can be very fast there, not sure it really ever gets to what we now have as C13 but in the spring and fall it can get fast.  

  I like the course in real golf and on WGT because it makes you work to score versus just being there for the taking.    In terms of wind, I don't think that many of the courses that we have Oakmont, BPB, Congressional, Pinehurst are really meant to have very high winds.   Most of these courses are tree lined and inland courses were a 15 mph wind is about all you will see, versus STA, Kiawah, etc. where you get some big winds off the ocean.

• kilbraur 219 Posts

  Fri, Jan 16 2015 4:12 PM

  I has only just now see this post.  If OP likes go to mine profile page I has write set of course notes maybe could be a little help score more good on the Pinehurst 2

• RogerJohnson475 38 Posts

  Mon, Mar 9 2015 10:45 AM

  Actually, during the renovation, very little change was made to the greens. They've always been those devilish "upside down bowls".

  I find a lot of the difficulty for me with putting is the same as it is when chipping around those greens...distance control.