2012 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island Ocean Course Thread

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by iacas

Oh, you've played there? They're not bunkers. Heck, they're closer to being cart paths than they are to being bunkers.

Erik, I know you talked about them a little in your vacation review, but the "bunkers" like the one Mickelson and Love III and Harrington all just hit out of around the 7th green ... is it sand or gravel, or what?  It looks a lot grayer than yellow (maybe my computer) and I also figured if it was that hard they'd be able to spin it a little better coming out (which of course could also be attributed to the condition of the greens)

[iacas]

Originally Posted by scottyjoe145

I saw a few bunkers myself in the 18th fairway on Live From the PGA Championship last night.  I haven't played the course but i can see the TV just fine.

I think iacas is trying to say the bunkers are played "through the green" which means they are not technically played as a hazard.

A picture of the 10th green at Kiawah with a...  you guessed it!!

http://golfweek.com/news/2012/aug/05/pga-championship-ocean-course-hole-hole/

They're not bunkers. They're not being played as bunkers, nor have they ever been played as bunkers in a major tournament (or even day to day play). If you've played there, you'll see they're not prepared like regular bunkers either. The sand is firm, thin, etc. Again, they play more like a cart path than a traditional bunker.

I'm getting tired of TNT constantly pointing this out, too. I don't think they have to remind viewers every four minutes. They're talking about that almost as often as they're showing commercials.

Guessed what? Sandy areas played through the green? Yep. :P

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Erik, I know you talked about them a little in your vacation review, but the "bunkers" like the one Mickelson and Love III and Harrington all just hit out of around the 7th green ... is it sand or gravel, or what?  It looks a lot grayer than yellow (maybe my computer) and I also figured if it was that hard they'd be able to spin it a little better coming out (which of course could also be attributed to the condition of the greens)

I'm not that far in the coverage. It's beach sand. It's firm. Thin. Everywhere. The "cart paths" are "filled" with the same sand as the stuff you'll find in the greenside sandy areas surrounded by grass.

[Golfingdad]

Holy crap!  Did you guys see that aligator with the snake??

[newtogolf]

This one?

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

Holy crap!  Did you guys see that aligator with the snake??

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

This one?

That would be the one!  I'm watching the web feed the brocks linked this morning and all day they have been throwing up random poll questions like, who will drive it the furthest on this hole (Phil, Love, or Padraig) and then after this one they asked "Who would win between a snake and alligator?"  Um, I'll put my money on the alligator.

[scottyjoe145]

Originally Posted by iacas

They're not bunkers. They're not being played as bunkers, nor have they ever been played as bunkers in a major tournament (or even day to day play). If you've played there, you'll see they're not prepared like regular bunkers either. The sand is firm, thin, etc. Again, they play more like a cart path than a traditional bunker.

I'm getting tired of TNT constantly pointing this out, too. I don't think they have to remind viewers every four minutes. They're talking about that almost as often as they're showing commercials.

Look...  if it quacks like a duck it must be a duck.  Those things sure do look like bunkers.  Just because the PGA deemed them to be played "through the green" doesn't mean they get a new name.

[colin007]

ok, first things first - Omega commercial, theyre showing it twice in a commercial break now...give me a break...

also, is it "Pet-ter-son" or "Pete-er-son"?

and, how sweaty were tigers pants?  lol...

[CProsser]

They are beach sand traps,  filled with packed down, rock hard beach sand.  They never play as bunkers, and don't play anything like bunkers.  It's like pitching on the beach at low tide, shells and all.

[k-troop]

I actually like hitting off of hardpan-with-a-light-dusting-of-sand for any shot between 100 and 220, as long as I don't have to clear a tree.  Perfect contact conditions, nearly impossible to fat the shot, and you can hit it low but still get tons of spin to stop it very quickly.  Sounds like the perfect type of shot for an ocean course with major championship greens.

[Beachcomber]

Go NOREN!! :D

[mazzamouth]

I am hoping for something special out of John Daly....i like him and always have.. he is a genuine guy..funny too..

Why cant we take practice swings in regular sand?.. I mean do you gain that much of an advantage?

[k-troop]

I am hoping for something special out of John Daly....i like him and always have.. he is a genuine guy..funny too.. Why cant we take practice swings in regular sand?.. I mean do you gain that much of an advantage?

Nothing to do with practice swings, it's grounding your club that's prohibited. And it's am advantage if you have even a slightly buried lie.

[Chilli Dipper]

How is it that American broadcasters have determined a more-or-less standard pronunciation of the name "Oosthuizen," (Oost-HIGH-zen, though some say Oost-HAY-zen), but manage to look at Joost Luiten's name (Afrikaans is descended from Dutch) and come up with pronouncing it like "Yost Loudon?"

[utztech]

I watched the entire 18 holes of the Tiger group.

-  I like watching these marque groups because there is less talking a you get to see every shot, good, bad and ugly.

-  If that damn survey banner pops over one more time ...

-  If Michael Breed does one more analysis on that screen ...

-  Keegan Bradley is the twitchiest golfer ever.  If they take away his anchoring he might lose his tour card.  He also has a very specific pre-shot routine:

1.  Line up behind the ball, tilt head to one side and stare for 15 seconds.

2.  Step next to the ball and take 4 crouching little mini pitch-like practice swings.

3.  Step back behind the ball, take 2 steps forward, one step back, then one step forward, now two steps back (now swing your partner round and round and dosey doe)

4.  Walk up to address the ball, when 2 steps away go back and line up behind the ball.

5.  Un-velcro and re-velcro glove exactly 6 times.

6.  Repeat steps 3 and 4.

7.  Address the ball and take 6 mini waggles.

8.  Swing away!

Very simple and effect routine, but if he only velcros his glove 5 times he has to start over.

[Valleygolfer]

I watched the entire 18 holes of the Tiger group.

-  I like watching these marque groups because there is less talking a you get to see every shot, good, bad and ugly.

-  If that damn survey banner pops over one more time ...

-  If Michael Breed does one more analysis on that screen ...

-  Keegan Bradley is the twitchiest golfer ever.  If they take away his anchoring he might lose his tour card.  He also has a very specific pre-shot routine:

1.  Line up behind the ball, tilt head to one side and stare for 15 seconds.

2.  Step next to the ball and take 4 crouching little mini pitch-like practice swings.

3.  Step back behind the ball, take 2 steps forward, one step back, then one step forward, now two steps back (now swing your partner round and round and dosey doe)

4.  Walk up to address the ball, when 2 steps away go back and line up behind the ball.

5.  Un-velcro and re-velcro glove exactly 6 times.

6.  Repeat steps 3 and 4.

7.  Address the ball and take 6 mini waggles.

8.  Swing away!

Very simple and effect routine, but if he only velcros his glove 5 times he has to start over.

The insane would make me insane....

[colin007]

Tiger will hit the ball better today.

[bamagrad03]

The course is gonna play a little tougher today. The wind is absolutely whipping around and it's not going to play as rain soaked with a full 36 hours of dry weather.

Should be fun to watch.

[ScT1]

Originally Posted by utztech

I watched the entire 18 holes of the Tiger group.

-  I like watching these marque groups because there is less talking a you get to see every shot, good, bad and ugly.

-  If that damn survey banner pops over one more time ...

-  If Michael Breed does one more analysis on that screen ...

-  Keegan Bradley is the twitchiest golfer ever.  If they take away his anchoring he might lose his tour card.  He also has a very specific pre-shot routine:

1.  Line up behind the ball, tilt head to one side and stare for 15 seconds.

2.  Step next to the ball and take 4 crouching little mini pitch-like practice swings.

3.  Step back behind the ball, take 2 steps forward, one step back, then one step forward, now two steps back (now swing your partner round and round and dosey doe)

4.  Walk up to address the ball, when 2 steps away go back and line up behind the ball.

5.  Un-velcro and re-velcro glove exactly 6 times.

6.  Repeat steps 3 and 4.

7.  Address the ball and take 6 mini waggles.

8.  Swing away!

Very simple and effect routine, but if he only velcros his glove 5 times he has to start over.

You forgot the psycho killer stare that Bradley uses. It's a routine that wouldn't be complete without the psycho killer stare.

Although we have to give Bradley some credit for eliminating the spitting that was part of his routine earlier in the year.