Jump to content
Check out the Spin Axis Podcast! ×
IGNORED

Any of you ever had a chance to play a Pro course?


Note: This thread is 5038 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Recommended Posts

Posted
When I was in high school, one of the teams in our league had TPC Boston, host of the Deutsche Bank, as their home course, so I've played there a few times. When you play there you realize why the average winning score is -17 or so. It's not particularly hard, but one of the best looking courses I've played, especially in the fall when the leaves turn. I've played Pleasant Valley Country Club (in Sutton, MA), which used to host a PGA Tour event (it went by a bunch of names: Mass Classic, New England Classic, Bank of Boston Classic, later the CVS Charity Classic, which has no relation to the CVS Caremark Classic, an unofficial PGA Tour event hosted at Rhode Island CC). Fun course, and probably the largest greens I've ever seen. I've also played the Palm and Magnolia Disney courses, which host the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic on the PGA Fall Tour. The next one I want to try to play is Bethpage Black.

In my bag:

Driver: Titleist TSi3 | 15º 3-Wood: Ping G410 | 17º 2-Hybrid: Ping G410 | 19º 3-Iron: TaylorMade GAPR Lo |4-PW Irons: Nike VR Pro Combo | 54º SW, 60º LW: Titleist Vokey SM8 | Putter: Odyssey Toulon Las Vegas H7

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

I am going to play harbortown in september. I can't wait. it will be on my honeymoon, and no my wife will not be playing with me.  I also have a promice to play sawgrass from an inlaw that works for the pga. gotta hold him to that.

I would love to play copperhead here in the tampa area where they play the transitions...


Posted

Oak Hill (Championship East Course) just after the 2003 PGA Championship.  It was redicuously tough!  I believe only 4 players broke par that tournament.  Woods and Els both said it was the toughest course they had ever played (up to that point anyway).  Also played it just after the 2008 Senior PGA Championship.


Posted

I've played a couple "Tour" courses.  Being from Long Island and working at a golf course, I'm blessed to be able to get myself on some private clubs. I've played Bethpage Black, been on shinnecock however never with my clubs. Couple courses out East on Long Island that are "tour" approved would be Atlantic, and The Bridge. I was lucky enough to play them both. If the courses weren't so private and upscale, they would allow the PGA to throw events there, however thats how they are. The Bridge could be hands down the nicest course I've ever played seen, etc. And its super long and hard!


Posted

Like someone stated above already I've played a future US Open course, Chambers Bay, also a previous tour stop of the Air Canada Championship, The Ridge at Northview (I've played there many times, it's one of my home courses), I'm planning a visit to TPC Scottsdale though.

Titleist 913D2 9.5 (UST VTS 65)

Titleist 913F 15 (Diamana S+)

Titleist 913H 19 (Diamana S+)

Titleist 714 AP2 (4-PW) (DG XP-95)

Titleist Vokey SM5 (52,56,58) (DG XP-95)

Ping Anser 2 Classic


Posted

My home course (back tee 74,7 / 141, par 71) will have European Challenge Tour event in August. Not ET but I guess like the Nationwide in US. They have started to grow the rough now (up to 3,1 inches) and it will be interesting to see how the course will change with this and faster greens.


Posted

I've played the TPC @ Scotsdale AZ(Played it 2 weeks after the tour event; play from the tips and shot an [81], IndianWood [80] & Oakland HIlls [79] in MI, Harbor in Ohio [85] these were all in my late 50's.  Had a friend who had a house on the Buick Open Course [warwick hills] and played that one several times also played the Tournament Players club in Dearborn (Sr PGA Course)


Posted

Never have, but my Wife has talked about getting me a round at TPC Sawgrass next year. I have wanted to play there for a long time.


Posted

Just Bethpage Black, but I'm looking to get back on it right before they close it for the Barclays this year, and possibly after. I think it will be cool playing with some of the grandstands already set up.

l Bag l TaylorMade Stand Bag

l Driver l TaylorMade '07 Burner 9.5* l 3-Wood l Titleist 910F 15* (D1 shaft setting)

l Hybrids l TaylorMade '07 Burner 19* : TaylorMade '10 Rescue 22*

l Irons l TaylorMade r7 5-PW l Wedges l Titleist Bob Vokey 52* 56* 60*

l Putter l Scotty Cameron California Del Mar 34" l Balls l TaylorMade Penta TP


Posted
TPC Scottsdale TPC Michigan Olympia Fields

In the bag:

TaylorMade R11 Driver (10.5 stiff stock shaft)

TaylorMade R11 3wood (15 degree stiff stock shaft)

Adams IdeaPro 3i hybrid (20 degree)

Titleist DCI 4-PW (photo)

Cleveland CG15 wedges (52, 56, 60)

Odyssey White-Hot 2-Ball (Superstroke oversize grip)

Bushnell Tour V2 Rangefinder

Ping Hoofer 2012 Bag

 

 


Posted

Just one. I played TCP Sugerloaf in Atlanta. Oh that 18th hole killed me, it was so hard.

I was playing good that day, and shot on 88. But it was no where near tournament condition when I played it.

Driver: Callaway Big Bertha 10.5* 

3WD:  Callaway Big Bertha 15* / X2 Hot H4 Hybrid
Irons:  Callaway Apex 4-PW Project X 5.5 shafts

Wedges: Callaway MackDaddy 2  52/58
Putter: Odyessey Metal X Milled 1


  • Moderator
Posted

I actually managed to play TPC at Deer run 2 times, and the first time I played, I plugged into the 3rd hole par 3, and put the 2nd in for birdie.  And the 16th I think, par-3, their signature hole along the river, I landed the ball just a foot past the hole, and ended 3ft away and put the birdie in.  I definitely had a great time playing there from the 2nd longest tees!

Philip Kohnken, PGA
Director of Instruction, Lake Padden GC, Bellingham, WA

Srixon/Cleveland Club Fitter; PGA Modern Coach; Certified in Dr Kwon’s Golf Biomechanics Levels 1 & 2; Certified in SAM Putting; Certified in TPI
 
Team :srixon:!

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

Oh yeah.  I've played Doral (Blue Monster), Olympic club, Harding park, Torrey Pines, and this September, I will be playing the Pebble beach--Can't wait!

Don

:titleist: 910 D2, 8.5˚, Adila RIP 60 S-Flex
:titleist: 980F 15˚
:yonex: EZone Blades (3-PW) Dynamic Gold S-200
:vokey:   Vokey wedges, 52˚; 56˚; and 60˚
:scotty_cameron:  2014 Scotty Cameron Select Newport 2

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

I'm going to Seattle at the end of August.  I'm booking a round at Chambers Bay which will be the host of the 2015 US Open.  I've also played a handful of courses that the tour plays... The Memorial at Muirfield Village being my favorite.  Others... PGA National, TPC Scottsdale, Cog Hill - Dubsdread.

.

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

The closest I've ever come is playing at the Pinehurst CC.  My brother in law used to be on the staff there.  He went out every morning around 5am and changed the hole/pin location and blew the pine needles off the greens on one of the PHCC courses.  His house was situated at one of the course tee boxes so it was pretty convenient for him.  That got him unlimited free golf there so whenever I visited I always took my clubs and we played one of the courses.   Unfortunately he's not doing that anymore.  But it was good, very good.  The fairways were like playing on deep pile carpet.  I'll never forget the sound a golf ball makes when it rebounds off of the trunk of a pine tree!


Posted

I've played at least 15-20 courses that have been used for tour events; but the one that stands out in my memory is Oakland Hills.

I was invited to play there one afternoon about 2-3 years ago; and it was playing pretty slowly - so we asked why at the turn and were informed that there was a bit $$$ charity outing in morning and that they took quite a while to finish. But the best part of it was that as an incentive to the charity all of the pins that day were place in the same spots they were at for the Sunday round of the 2004 Ryder Cup. Needless to say there weren't many gimmies with pins tucked in corners of greens, or right near breaklines...but it was awesome.

Players play, tough players win!

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

I've played a few myself but, my favorite so far was the torrey pines.

Driver: Titleist 915 D3
3 wood: 15 Callaway X Hot pro
Hybrids:  18 Callaway X Hot Pro
Irons: 4-GW Callaway Apex
project x 6.0
Wedges: 54 , 58 Callaway
Putter: 2 ball
Ball: Callaway Chrome

Awards, Achievements, and Accolades

Posted

Firestone, Bay Hill, Doral, PGA National, Links at Key Biscayne (used to have a Senior Tour event there). I think that's it.


Note: This thread is 5038 days old. We appreciate that you found this thread instead of starting a new one, but if you plan to post here please make sure it's still relevant. If not, please start a new topic. Thank you!

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Want to join this community?

    We'd love to have you!

    Sign Up
  • TST Partners

    Carl's Place
    PlayBetter
    Golfer's Journal
    ShotScope
    The Stack System
    FitForGolf
    FlightScope Mevo

    Coupon Codes (save 10-20%): "IACAS" for Mevo/Stack/FitForGolf, "IACASPLUS" for Mevo+/Pro Package, and "THESANDTRAP" for ShotScope. 15% off TourStriker (no code).
  • Posts

    • I would think of it in terms of time. The time it takes to get the arm angle into a good position to deliver the club with proper shaft lean. Another component is rotation, but that is also a matter of timing. It relates to how the body stalls to give the golfer time to hit the ball. If you have to get 80+ degrees out of that right elbow in one third of a second versus 50 degrees in the same time then you have to steal time from somewhere. It is usually body rotation. That does not help with shaft lean.  I agree in that amateurs tend to make the swing more complicated than pro golfers. 
    • I haven't been able to practice like I wanted and won't for the next week.  1. The weather sucks in Ohio this year. I have been mostly inside hitting foam balls. Just kind of my basic stuff.  2. I woke up last Saturday with a left side rib muscle on fire. If I turned or leaned a certain way it would spasm that almost buckled my knees. I have been taking a break to let that settle. I don't want to get a long term injury. I think I pinched a nerve or just aggravated a muscles.   3. I am going on a mini-vacation to Florida (screw you Ohio weather) with a friend, and rolling that into a work conference I have next week. I will be with out my clubs for a week.  I will be back next in two Fridays to hit the ground running with some warmer temps and better weather in Ohio, hopefully. I would really like to get more out on the course and the range.     
    • Day 580 - 2026-05-04 Played eight holes. Sometimes golf kicks you in the nuts. 😉 
    • I work with a lot of golfers who want more shaft lean at impact, who currently have AoAs that range from +2° to -2°, and who love to see the handle lower and more "in front of their trail thigh" from face-on at P6. And a lot of these golfers try to solve the issue by working on the downswing. They do something to drag the handle forward. Or they just leave their right thigh farther back so the same handle location "looks" farther forward. Or they move the ball back in their stance. Or they push themselves down into the ground to get the handle lower and increase (decrease?) their AoA (to be more negative). The real fix is often to get wider in the backswing. To do LESS in the backswing. To hinge less, fold the trail arm less, abduct the trail arm less. I had a case of this over the weekend. Before, the player had 110° of trail elbow bend, "lifted" his trail humerus only a few degrees, etc. The club traveled quite a bit around him, and he tended to "pick" the ball from the fairways. In the "after" swings below (which are mild exaggerations — this golfer does not need to end up at < 70° of elbow bend. These were slower backswings with "hit it as hard as you normally would" intent downswings), you can see that he bent his elbow about 70° instead of 110° and lifted his right arm an extra ~15° or more. You can't see how much less this moved his hands across his chest (right arm abduction), but it was also decreased. His hands stayed more "in front of" his right shoulder rather than traveling "beside" them so much. The two swings look like this: The change at P6, without talking about the downswing one little bit (outside of him telling me that he tends to pick the ball), is remarkable: Without 110° of elbow bend to get out (which he gets to 80°, a loss of 30°), the golfer actually loses slightly less elbow bend (70 - 50 = 20), but delivers 30° less elbow bend, lowering the handle and letting the elbow get "in front of" the rib cage… because it never got "behind" or "beside" the rib cage. If you look at this video showing the before/afters of P6, you'll note the handle location (both vertically and horizontally) and the shoulders (the ball is in the same place in these frames). This golfer's path was largely unaffected (still pretty straight into the ball, < 3° path and often < 1.5°), but his AoA jumped to -5° ± 2°. I've always said, and in talking with other instructors they agree and feel similarly, that we spend a lot of time working on the backswing. This is another example of why.
    • We had a member of our senior club who developed a mental block on pulling the trigger. I played with him to see what the membership was talking about. I timed him a few times when he would get over the ball. 45 seconds. He knew he had a mental block and would chide himself, “Just hit it!” Once on the green he was okay and chipping was a bit better. It was painful to watch him struggle. Our “bandaid” was to put him in the last tournament  tee time with two understanding players. We should have suggested to him to take a break from our tournaments. I agree with the idea that when a player realizes they have a problem, the answer is to go fix it and not return until they are able to play at an acceptable pace.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Welcome to TST! Signing up is free, and you'll see fewer ads and can talk with fellow golf enthusiasts! By using TST, you agree to our Terms of Use, our Privacy Policy, and our Guidelines.