The 2011 Masters - The Main Thread

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by michaeljames92

Yes Alister Mackenzie does that on a lot of his courses, On a couple of holes at my club (which he designed) there are these types of bunkers, especially on long par 4's so if you go for the green in 2, you can face a tough 3rd if you hit a bad shot into the pot.

Off topic - a lot of features on older courses are best seen from the player's view - from standing height in the fairway - not from a TV tower. There are some optical illusions like having the back edge of the bunker at approximately the height of the front apron on the green. Some feel players see this and subconsciously hit a shot that just clears the bunker and ends up in no man's land short of the greenside bunker. Seeing a player facing this awkward pitch over a greenside bunker makes course designers smile.

Okay, and we're back. How's The Masters doing?!?

[Chilli Dipper]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Off topic - a lot of features on older courses are best seen from the player's view - from standing height in the fairway - not from a TV tower. There are some optical illusions like having the back edge of the bunker at approximately the height of the front apron on the green. Some feel players see this and subconsciously hit a shot that just clears the bunker and ends up in no man's land short of the greenside bunker. Seeing a player facing this awkward pitch over a greenside bunker makes course designers smile.

The best course that reflects this (that the pros play every year, and thus fans like us) is Riviera, and the Northern Trust Open is one of the most high-quality tournaments of the year.

[phillyk]

I've seen soo many missed short putts watching the masters online.  At this rate, the best putter will be winning for sure.

[Bryan SD2]

Originally Posted by sean_miller

Off topic - a lot of features on older courses are best seen from the player's view - from standing height in the fairway - not from a TV tower. There are some optical illusions like having the back edge of the bunker at approximately the height of the front apron on the green. Some feel players see this and subconsciously hit a shot that just clears the bunker and ends up in no man's land short of the greenside bunker. Seeing a player facing this awkward pitch over a greenside bunker makes course designers smile.

Okay, and we're back. How's The Masters doing?!?

.

But this does not apply to the bunker in question.  The GREEN used to be to the right of the bunker, but there was a moisture/frost problem.  The green was moved a long time ago.  Personally, I abhor optical illusion bunkers, and to be honest, they only fool hackers.  If a bunker makes it look like 110 yards to the green, but the yardage markers in the fairway say 150... who in the world hits the wedge anyway?

Smart design?  Not in my opinion....

[topspin4hand]

Wow ... Paddy had about 6 feet for his birdie, missed.  Had about 3-4 feet for his par, missed going downhill, and ended up with a 7 footer for his bogey putt!

[Bryan SD2]

6 under through 14.  Rory by two shots....  he's playing extremely well.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Bryan SD2

But this does not apply to the bunker in question.  The GREEN used to be to the right of the bunker, but there was a moisture/frost problem.  The green was moved a long time ago.  Personally, I abhor optical illusion bunkers, and to be honest, they only fool hackers.  If a bunker makes it look like 110 yards to the green, but the yardage markers in the fairway say 150... who in the world hits the wedge anyway?

They don't just fool hackers. Someone might ease off a 7-iron because their looks don't jive with the yardage. Happens on the PGA Tour, too.

[Bryan SD2]

Originally Posted by iacas

They don't just fool hackers. Someone might ease off a 7-iron because their looks don't jive with the yardage. Happens on the PGA Tour, too.

I worked for two years on tour, stop to stop, city to city and have attended nearly 80 tournaments and spoken with probably 50 caddies and nearly as many players.  Dozens of Tournament officials, Tournament directors, some announcers, etc.  I was also given a couple of yardage books by a few caddies and the detail in them is incredible .  These guys know the distance from every tree and bush to every point on the course - INCLUDING how far it is to carry every front edge and back edge of every hazard from anywhere on the course. Yardages are measured with lazers (some yardage book makers) and by walking it off (mostly caddies).  The players trust the numbers without exception.

It is about 10 times more likely for a PGA player to mis-club, or make contact that is less than 100% and come up short, rather than be fooled optically by a bunker.  Make that 100 more times.

[Bryan SD2]

Tiger just came up short - and into the front bunker on 12.  Pin is in the middle of the green, a tough spot.  He must have thought he was tight... because after it splashed in the bunker short, he said loudly...

"What????"

Picked up his tee... and said,

"$hit!"

[Bryan SD2]

Made a tough 15 or so footer for par though... good save.

[jamo]

So far my Kuchar pick is looking alright. -3 last time I checked. I hope Tiger picks it up though.

Originally Posted by Chilli Dipper

That bunker was a greenside hazard when the course was first built. Rainwater would settle on the original green in the bottom of that valley, so a new one was built up the hill on the other side several years later. As jamo said, MacKenzie's original bunkering was similarly shaped; for some reason, that bunker is the only one like it that survives today.

Golf Digest recently did a great piece on their website about the constant remodels of Augusta. It's absolutely crazy the changes that have gone on: http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-courses/georgia/augusta-changes

[Aquaguru]

I absolutely love the coverage the Masters offers online.  I like how they are following fowler, day and rory I like seeing how they play each shot tee to green.  You don't get that on tv coverage.

[topspin4hand]

How did Stenson make an 8 on the first par 3?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Bryan SD2

The players trust the numbers without exception.

I didn't need your resume, and I didn't say it happens a lot, but they get fooled too. I didn't say they get fooled as frequently, but you said it "only" fools hackers, and that's not true.

P.S. It fooled a number of people at the National Club Pro last year as well.

[Clambake]

Originally Posted by iacas

I didn't need your resume, and I didn't say it happens a lot, but they get fooled too. I didn't say they get fooled as frequently, but you said it "only" fools hackers, and that's not true.

P.S. It fooled a number of people at the National Club Pro last year as well.

And architects don't just design the courses for the pros - they build in all the tricks of the trade for the other 99.99% of golfers that play the course.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Clambake

And architects don't just design the courses for the pros - they build in all the tricks of the trade for the other 99.99% of golfers that play the course.

Indeed. :-)

[Jasonbolt]

When will we know who the featured groups for friday are?

[The Recreational Golfer]

Did any of you see the final group play today (Quiros, Woodland, Vegas)? My word, they were good.

On 15, Vegas was 320 off the tee, Quiros 340, and Woodland 343.

On 18, Woodland and Vegas hit on to about nine feet, and Quiros to about five.

From 13 on, the group was 12 under par for the combined 18 holes.

Amazing.

Not sayin' they'll keep it up, but that was something to have seen.