A preview of how the renovated Torrey Pines South Course will look and play when its hosts the U.S. Open next week appears on the American Society of Golf Course Architects (ASGCA) web site at www.asgca.org.
Posted on the site’s homepage is an interview with ASGCA past president Rees Jones who, along with ASGCA past president Greg Muirhead, completed a $3.3 million renovation of the venerable layout.
Jones defines his approach to the redesign as one “to accommodate public play while creating a course of championship caliber, one challenging enough to host the U.S. Open.”
He identifies the 14th hole as “the most interesting to watch because it will play differently every day of the championship. We relocated the green to a position where the canyon is behind it and to the left of it…the fear of the canyon will definitely affect how the players think about the tee shot.”
Also addressed in the interview are how the strategy of playing the course has been “dramatically changed” for the championship and how strategic changes and added length to the 18th will “create a lot of drama on the final hole.”
ASGCA plans to feature periodic interviews on its web site with members who have prepared layouts for major golf championships. Visitors to the site will also learn about the work ASGCA members are doing to promote practical golf and encourage players at all levels to participate in the sport.
ASGCA www.asgca.org