The Bad News: Pinehurst is going to measure over 7,500 yards for the U.S Open this year. This kind of length is inevitable, considering how far the ball goes, and how good the clubs are. It's just so painful to watch. I firmly believe in some sort of competition ball to limit distance, there is no reason why a drive should go more than 300 yards in normal conditions. It would also bring long irons back into play, which is a lost art these days. That might be due to hybrids rather than length, but that's a story for another day.
The Good News: In that same article, it mentions that Pinehurst is only going to have two cuts of grass: fairway and green. This is fantastic news. I thought the U.S.G.A had said that they were going to grow rough, which would have been a gigantic waste of a very good restoration by Coore and Crenshaw. What does this mean for the golf? It means that the fairways are going to be wider, but transition immediately to sandy waste areas, brush, trees, or something along those lines. It will probably be easier, but it will also be more fun. It gives golfers the option to go for the heroic play, which makes for more interesting golf. This setup means that luck is going to be a big factor, and as odd as it sounds, that makes things better. You'll never know what's going to happen next.
I'm really looking forward to this Open, I am going to be watching it very closely. If this goes well, it increases the odds of future U.S Opens being set up in the same way, which would be a welcome change from the old story. Watching everybody hit a drive into the rough, chip out, and make bogey is only so exciting.
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