Golf Writer Takes on US Open Course

[mvmac]

I just came across this article from Steve DiMeglio.  He got to play Olympic the day after Webb Simpson won his first major.  It's an interesting story and he ends up shooting a pretty good score of 82

Quote:

Fortunately, I did not leave my game in San Francisco.

Having had the good fortune to be among the winners of a lottery allowing media to play the course, a group of us did what the pros did the week prior – showed up Monday, hit balls on the range, tried to figure out a short game at the chipping area, and hoped to find a putting stroke on the practice green.

Usually playing off an 8 handicap, I was hoping, after having a front row seat to the carnage that unfolded in the 112th edition of our national championship, to break 90.

So off we went to the 532-yard par-4 first hole. Sure, the hole plays downhill, but it still was 532 for crying-out-loud yards. Playing the tees Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson and all the others played on Sunday except for four – our group wasn't about to tackle the sixth hole from 488 yards, for instance, but did play from 465 – a deeper appreciation is gained for the best players in the world. They are miles ahead of the rest of us. After a round at Olympic you come to realize Simpson's 1-over winning score was extraordinary.

So, for those of you who think you could quit your job and go hit balls for a year and just like go toe-to-toe with the best in the world, think again.

YOU HAVE NO SHOT – or as much of a shot as I had with my approach to the green of the downhill par-4, 491-yard fifth hole. I hit the same cypress tree Lee Westwood lost his ball in during the final round, but mine came down to earth and left me with 230 yards to the green. Trouble was, I could barely see the ball. And limbs from other trees were in my way.

That's the thing about the Lake Course. Yes, the rough can bite you and swallow you whole, the length can demoralize you, the greens can haunt you, the elevation changes will drain you, but the trees are really going to get you not at one point but over and over and over again. So when my 5-wood out of the rough on No. 5 clipped a tree, I again had a difficult shot out of the rough.

[Zwick]

i would've thought the score of an 8 handicap would be higher than 82. There were scores at the Open that were higher than that (of course with more pressure, but still).

[mtsalmela80]

I can't believe that's an honest score. I mean top players like Jiminez shot in the 80s. I would think that's a fair score for a absolute scratch player at worst, and that's on a good day. Especially when the guy is talking about hitting shots that bounce off trees, that just exponentially builds up your score.

The article would hold more water if the guy shot a 100-120 or something.

[Double Bogey]

Not buying it...

[iacas]

What'd he shoot on the back nine? :-)

[Spyder]

I have bad days at local courses that are extremely tough and struggle to keep low 90's.... I'm also not bouncing off of trees or fearing a 480 yard Par 4 while maintaining that score either. I find it hard to believe that someone who clearly had such an eye-opening experience following in the shoes of the pros, playing similar conditions and lengths, shot below 90.

Yell Fore, Shoot 6, Score 5?

[Stretch]

Originally Posted by iacas

What'd he shoot on the back nine?

Was thinking exactly the same thing. Either he's a Olympic-level (tee hee) sandbagger, or he had an out of body experience.

[brocks]

The article would hold more water if the guy shot a 100-120 or something.

Yeah, it sounds like he had more looks at birdie than Tiger did. Very hard to believe.

[Motley01]

If he really shot an 82, then he's not an 8 capper. I bet he's very close to scratch golfer. He's lying/sandbagging.

Don't trust writers.

[ERdiesel]

Vanity article that seeks to portray the course as extremely difficult yet not at his own expense. Lame.

[Spyder]

Okay, that does it. Somebody start an "indiegogo" for me to have a sponsored trip to the Olympic and I'll write an uncensored article on the course and my experience.

It may take 24 hours after completion of my round to produce some results though, because I'm sure I'd have my sorrows drowned in hops by the 5th hole.

Holes 1-4....

Hole 5-18.... '

[Infamous 273]

ha, this dude is fos.  82 my ass.

[newtogolf]

Having a tough time believing he played the same tees and course setup the pro's did and shot an 82.  As others said, there were some pro's that came close or shot worse, not buying it.

[TourSpoon]

[COLOR=FF00AA][/COLOR]He had tree issues 9 times. I think he only played 15 holes or just used the force to become Luke and just made everything. Not buying it.

[mtsalmela80]

This article is so idiotic. Its basically some guy stroking his ego. Any non pro would be euphoric shooting an 82 on a course that some pros shot higher on it would have been more interesting if they had a bogey golfer shoot 200

[bplewis24]

If I read the article correctly, the greens were watered and not as firm, and they played four holes from closer tees than the pros did.  He only mentions 1 of the holes with a forward tee, and not the others.  Nevertheless, those were the only differences, and I don't know that those things alone would allow an 8 handicap to shoot only 3-4 strokes worse than some of the top 5 golfers in the world did.

Was the slope/rating of this US Open setup ever calculated?  I want to figure out what his differential was.

One comment says the average score on Sunday was 71.9.  That's 2 over par for guys who are like +3 and better handicaps, right?  That would put the rating for a scratch player, where?

[ev780]

It never ends with you guys!!

The haters live!!!

These PGA Tour guys get put on this incredible pedestal that no one will ever achieve.  So a pretty decent player goes out and shoots 4 over his handicap/12 over total and everyone calls him a liar and there is no way he can shoot that good when compared to a PGA tour guy.  Get real.

"On any given Sunday" a good amatuer can go out and shoot a decent score.  Do  it 4 times in a row and you got something there.  The physical part is not what seperates them from us.  It is consistency and, most importantly, what is between their ears.

[TourSpoon]

It never ends with you guys!!  The haters live!!! These PGA Tour guys get put on this incredible pedestal that no one will ever achieve.  So a pretty decent player goes out and shoots 4 over his handicap/12 over total and everyone calls him a liar and there is no way he can shoot that good when compared to a PGA tour guy.  Get real. "On any given Sunday" a good amatuer can go out and shoot a decent score.  Do  it 4 times in a row and you got something there.  The physical part is not what seperates them from us.  It is consistency and, most importantly, what is between their ears.

Your right, if it's on the Internet or in print it must be true. Who admits to being in the trees 6 times and then having tree issues from the fairways 3 times and puts up an 82 because he snaked in a 20 footer to save his only double of the day. I believe that in the interest of writing a good story and stroking his ego he used creative license to shoot 10 over on one of the toughest tracks out there.