Capelle On Golf

The old version of the fourteenth hole at Torrey Pines was a good hole because a canyon ran down the entire left side, providing a challenging tee shot and some gorgeous scenery. Then noted US Open doctor Rees Jones came along and improved it immensely by moving the green to the edge of the canyon, creating a strategic gem.

The players will be facing a 435 yard par 4 at the Open that calls for a well placed tee shot into the short grass, and a well struck second shot to avoid the bunkers and canyon that surround the green. The preferred angle to approach the green would be from the left, but there is no left side – only a bunker and a canyon. If a player bails out and misses the fairway to the right, they will be staring down a flyer to a green that will not hold a shot without enough spin. The result: a number of balls in the canyon over the green. Many will leave their second shots short to avoid disaster.

Bob Whitbread at CaddyBytes has some excellent pictures and commentary on this hole as it should be played. According to Bob, “They’ve definitely added some tremendous shot value, beauty, and some teeth to this one making it a great and potentially dangerous golf hole!”

A Drivable Par 4
The par 3 third over a canyon is the postcard hole at Torrey Pines, but the fourteenth is not far behind. According to Golfweek, come Sunday this gem is going to turn into a birdie machine thanks to the USGA, which will turn it into a drivable 277 yard par 4.

On the final day this ridiculously short version is supposed to entice the players into going for the green with their tee shots, but just because the pros can reach the green doesn’t mean they will try to. We’ve seen a number of top players lay up from under 250 yards at the thirteenth and fifteenth holes at Augusta National because the reward was not worth the risk. What made the drivable par 4 seventeenth hole at Oakmont at last year’s Open so compelling is that a player was taking a shot at an easy birdie, with a bogey their most probable penalty should they fail. In contrast, the penalty for a mistake could be a quick double bogey on the fourteenth.

Some players might try to drive the green who are out of contention. Their reward will be a spot on a highlight film. But the leaders would have to be out of their minds to risk losing the Open by going for this green for three good reasons: 1) the risk is well out of proportion with the reward, 2) they can easily make birdie or at worst a par by laying up, 3) there are four more holes where a lot can happen.

The only sensible plan for a player in contention it to cozy a 5 or 6-iron into position for an 80-100 yard wedge shot. This will allow the player to put sufficient spin on the ball so they can land and stop it near the hole for a possible birdie. This strategy also takes a big number out of play.

Ruining History
Another big problem with this ill-conceived conversion is that the history of the 2008 Open will be tarnished by turning this into a 19 hole course – the eighteen that are used the first three days plus the newcomer on Sunday. Also consider that the TV people go to great lengths (and commendably so) to create history for viewers with shot dispersion patterns, average scores, and with stories of how each player has fared on a specific hole in the first three rounds. On the final day mystery will replace three days of history, negating the chance for the announcers to set up the historical context of the hole.

If none of the leaders removes their windbreakers and takes a heroic slash at the fourteenth, all the USGA will have succeeded in doing in shortening the fourteenth is ruining a great two shot hole on the homestretch of the greatest tournament in golf.

See the 14th Yourself
You can see the short tee at the fourteenth by going to this map. Once you arrive at the map, switch it to the aerial view. Proceed north a short distance. You’ll see the course. Zoom into the third enlargement. At the bottom of the screen are the twelfth and thirteenth holes (it has five traps in front of the green). The fourteenth runs at a right angle to it along the canyon.

The short tee is a rectangular shaped box right next to the white cart path lined up with the right rough about five yards from the beginning of the fairway.