Forums

Are Open high winds Fair

• genorb 1,255 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 8:40 AM

  OK we are saying the same thing, I didn't get what you meant when you said "If you prefer the wind the same for each hole", I thought you meant each hole of the course but you meant the same wind on a given hole for each player.

  I thought you didn't understand because of that part of your post

  chrisironsbones:

  It would become boaring, and repetative, and scores would become ridicilous because you could then memorise what shot was best for that hole because it will always be the same.  Where's the fun in that.

  The sequence of strength and wind direction would be random is the sense that when you go from 1 hole to the next one, the strength and direction are different, this sequence would be setted randomly at the start of each round by WGT and this sequence would be the same for everyone but a different sequence for each round.

  For each player taken separately, it makes no difference. The fact that you know that other players will have or not the same wind than you will not change your way of playing. But the result will more fair in my opinion. 

  I agree that if one plays a lot of rounds, because strength (in some interval) and direction are set randomly, then it should be fair but over two rounds that's clearly not true. You can easily get two rounds where wind is mainly headwind and another player will get mainly tailwind, this makes significative difference.

  Regards

• stuffix 762 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 8:52 AM

  I like Bogey's idea about the 4 rounds. I'm not sure why we only have two, actually.

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 9:00 AM

  For multi-play such as the qualifying rounds, the same wind would be boring. Besides, overall it should average out, e.g. getting a favorable tailwind sometimes (on a driving hole, where you can use it) as opposed to a crosswind or whatever.

  For single-play tournaments I would favor a 'prevailing' wind, which could be published along with the course conditions, such as 'moderate wind out of the northeast.' Then the wind direction and speed could vary randomly, within a certain range, but basically depending on the geography every player would have a tailwind or crosswind or whatever on the same hole, depending on the direction you are playing in. You would not have the disconcerting switch there is now, where you hit two consecutive holes in the same direction and the wind is suddenly reversed. 

• YankeeJim 25,827 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 9:08 AM

  I gotta know-if you actually knew every wind direction on every hole before you started play would you really have an advantage? I mean, seriously, how big of one could you possibly have? You've probably played every wind scenario already anyway. I can't recall thinking I would have changed my bag around for a certain wind on one or 2 holes over the course of a round.

  IMO let the rounds be the same for everybody. Besides, you're only shooting yourself in the foot by sharing the info.

• tiffer67 1,764 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 9:43 AM

  stevenharkin:

  For me personally 30 - 32 winds are the most enjoyable to play in.. 

  I enjoy the test of heavy winds also, it does throw in the possibility of anything happening on any given hole. That however isn't really the issue in point. As an example of how the luck can run for you or not;

  I had headwinds in both rounds of the US Open on the 6th at Congressional, meaning going for the green in two wasn't an option. I am sure many players have made more than a couple of eagles already on that hole, I know I have. To compensate for that I got tailwinds on the 9th both rounds. Not really much of choice were you to be given the option.

  It's not the be all and end all but having played St Andrews heavy wind ready goes frequently, there are definitely some rounds where you know you got a good run of wind speed and direction and some where you don't. It can make a hell of a difference to your scores.

• PRIESTESS 10,721 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 9:46 AM

  If its over 2 rounds then all WGT has to do is Flip flop the winds,so every player will get opposite his/her first round winds  or  somewhere near,So if you can reach a par 5 in 2 on round 1, it will be unreachable in round 2, same applies for other wind directions,this will surely give us peace of mind that over 2 rounds  the wind will level itself out for all contestants,If WGT adopt this formula then I for one would have peace of mind that when i teed off it is a fair playground for all, and when i see 30 against on the par 5 i will known that in round 2 il be able to reach it,,this for me is the way forward and very simple to do,FLIP FLOP  the round condition winds for all players ,This would mean of course having 2 rounds of  high winds,,Fine if its fair for all ,then its the way forward,

  How can you have 1 round of high winds  when the wind difference at a links can mean the difference of 10 shots either way,its common sense to have 2 high wind rounds and flip flop em,

• gotstewart 201 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 10:00 AM

  I think the better idea would be to make the winds consistent with the lie of the course.  I have never played any of my home courses that had 3/4 of the holes with a headwind or tailwind only.  First 3 holes where I play are right in a line, so I get a consistent wind, then it angles and slowly turns back around as I play.   Is it possible to do that here?  I would think it is only a programming issue.  Then it becomes fair to all.  The randomness could come in at the start of the game whether you get headwinds first or later when the course changes direction.  Just my thoughts.

• zagraniczniak 1,984 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 10:11 AM

  gotstewart:

  I think the better idea would be to make the winds consistent with the lie of the course.

  Exactly what I had in mind: prevailing wind, in line with the geography from hole to hole, but shifting around a bit within a normal range.

• TarheelsRule 5,566 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 10:16 AM

  I think that having the winds inconsistent for the qualifying is important since we can play 8 million rounds if we want.

  That being said, I have no issue with consistent winds for all players in round 1 and round 2 of the real tournament.  Yes you can have people tell you all the wind directions but I know and understand the effect of wind on the ball anyway as I am sure most of you do.  You can go to a chat site and ask your fellow players what to hit from this distance into this wind on this hole if you wish and yes they would have played pretty much the same shot but you can do this anyway and someone would know the shot.

  It doesn't bother me either way, I would like to see the winds consistent with the character of the course.....for example at Kiawah holes 10 - 18 all run either south or north near the ocean, 10 - 13 all run south and yet you can have a 20 mph wind into your face on 10 and a 20 mph wind at your back on 11.

   

   

• MBaggese 15,367 Posts

  Wed, Jun 29 2011 10:28 AM

  b0geybuster:

  To be honest, i would rather see the winds remain the same, and change the Open Rounds from 2 to 4.   This would almost ensure that all golfers see all winds, and that the competition would remain tighter, as even after one or two poor rounds, you would still be in it.

  Cheers,

  b0gey

   

  This would probably work out the best, you'd have two winds with you at different directions, and two against at different directions on each hole (randomly of course), so each player would play each hole through out the 4 rounds in 4 different conditions.

  Might be a programming nightmare, but would definitely even things out over 72 holes.