Short Courses... the lost art

[IcemanYVR]

In honour of this weeks PGA Tour tournament at Harbour Town, a course that stretches to 6973 yards, what are your favourite PGA Tour courses (past & present) that are shorter than 7000 yards.

Sometimes it's not always about length, but shotmaking as well.

Pebble Beach comes in around 68-6900 yards for the Pro-Am, but looks like they backed up the tees for the Open.

I've heard that Marion is a great course, but too short for todays pros :(

[aca247]

but it will also probaly be a par 71 my solution is to make distance control and shot shape important instead of making them go longer

[klebs01]

I've always liked Brown Deer. Its a short muni, but it's nice to get on a course that hosts a tour event for under $40.

[PentaV1x]

I played on a couple pete dye courses in south carolina and they are pretty short.

[Fourputt]

In honour of this weeks PGA Tour tournament at Harbour Town, a course that stretches to 6973 yards, what are your favourite PGA Tour courses (past & present) that are shorter than 7000 yards.

Actually Merion has more important issues than length. Accessibility (traffic congestion), gallery space and room for all of the corporate tents are major factors in it not being selected for majors now. The layout would still challenge today's players despite its length, especially if set up for a US Open.

[Chilli Dipper]

Actually Merion has more important issues than length. Accessibility (traffic congestion), gallery space and room for all of the corporate tents are major factors in it not being selected for majors now. The layout would still challenge today's players despite its length, especially if set up for a US Open.

We'll find out how Merion stands up to modern players in three years, when the US Open is played there once again. The stretch from the 7th to 13th holes (which Herbert Warren Wind dubbed the comic scene in Merion's play of three acts) contains no holes over 400 yards, and there are no par 5s past the 4th hole. It's very different from more contemporary major venues, and it will be interesting to find out what the pros score there, and what kind of player comes out on top.

In fact, three of the next four US Opens will be held on courses that will measure under 7,000 yards: Pebble Beach this year, the Olympic Club in 2012, and Merion in 2013. If those three courses prove to be up to the test of pushing pros to the brink, maybe we'll see a trend away from 7,500-plus layouts we've been told is the only way to prevent modern players from obliterating scoring records.

[IcemanYVR]

In fact, three of the next four US Opens will be held on courses that will measure under 7,000 yards: Pebble Beach this year, the Olympic Club in 2012, and Merion in 2013. If those three courses prove to be up to the test of pushing pros to the brink, maybe we'll see a trend away from 7,500-plus layouts we've been told is the only way to prevent modern players from obliterating scoring records.

Love the Olympic Club in San Francisco... it has always provided us with memorable Opens, and some fond memories of Payne Stewart

[doctork]

My thoughts line up with the above posters re: Pebble, Merion, Olympic.

It will never host an Open due its remote locale, but Pacific Dunes measures just 6,633 yards from the tips -- with four par-3s on the back nine! Haven't had the good fortune to play it but I know it's no pushover.

And don't forget Cypress Point, around 6,500 yards if memory serves.

Length is overrated. So is rough.

Cheers,
DoctorK